UPDATE Health & safety:


Red tape to be cut The Government has announced plans to begin a major cut back of health and safety red tape as early as January. It will begin an immediate consultation on the abolition of large numbers of health and safety regulations and intends to have removed the first rules from the statute book within a few months. It will establish from 1 January a


challenge panel which will allow businesses to get decisions of health and safety inspectors overturned immediately if they have got it wrong.


The move follows


publication of the Löfstedt


Review into health and safety legislation, commissioned by the Employment Minister in March. It recommends that health and


safety law should not apply to self- employed people whose work activity poses no risk of harm to others. Professor Ragnar E Löfstedt set out his recommendations in the report Reclaiming health and safety for all: An independent review of health and safety legislation. Health and safety regulations will


be reduced by a third rising to over a half over the next three years through combining, simplifying and reducing the approximately 200 existing regulations. The role of the HSE in relation to local authorities will be significantly strengthened. The report also makes recommendations to ensure that employers are not held responsible for damages when they have done all they can to manage risk. Welcoming the publication of the


Lofstedt review, Judith Hackitt, chair of HSE, said: “We welcome these reforms because they are good for workers and employers, but also for the significant contribution they will make to restoring the rightful reputation of real health and safety." HSE said that it would meet the time-table set by the Government for implementing the recommendations for which it was responsible.


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NEWS Positive approach


With all the doom and gloom surrounding the economy, it is surprising to learn that around 76% of adults in Great Britain have rated their own life satisfaction, with a score of 7 or more out of 10, according to a research report published recently by the Office for National Statistics. In terms of how anxious people felt, more than 50% rated their levels at below 4 out of 10, with 25% reporting zero, ie ‘not at all anxious’ during the previous day. So, are these people reading


different newspapers or are they just taking a more pragmatic approach to the state of the UK economy, of which the only certainty is that nobody knows for sure what's going to happen in the year ahead. Admittedly the ONS Opinions Survey took place between April and August, but even at that point the much heralded economic recovery wasn't quite going according to plan. Maybe the satisfied 76% have the


right approach and we should all try to focus more on the positives. The Manufacturing Technologies


£1 million prize for engineering


The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has been launched to enthusiastic support from the engineering profession, engineering industry and across the main political parties for its mission to identify and celebrate an outstanding advance in engineering that has created significant benefit to humanity.


The £1 million prize will be


awarded biennially in the name of Her Majesty The Queen to an individual or team of up to three people, of any nationality, directly responsible for advancing the application of engineering knowledge. A number of major engineering


companies have donated to an endowment fund, which is being managed by an independent charitable trust. The Royal Academy of Engineering will deliver the Prize on behalf of the trust.


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visit us online at: www.ipesearch.com


Beware fake PPE Non-conforming high visibility vests, safety helmets and prescription safety glasses are just a handful of the products that find their way onto the marketplace.Unfortunately, to the untrained and unsuspecting eye, illegal, non-conforming safety equipment is hard to distinguish and in many instances goes unnoticed until an accident occurs with often irreversible consequences. David Lummis, chief executive


officer at the BSIF, is urging companies to be vigilant and reminding them that when a product seems too good to be true, it usually is.He says that by remaining vigilant we can help to stamp out this unscrupulous behaviour.


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Association sets a good example in this respect, reporting that despite the recent weakening performance of the UK economy as a whole, 2011 has been an excellent year for engineering-based manufacturing with orders across the sector running about 66% higher than during 2010 for the first nine months of the year. Judging by the number of exhibitors who have signed up to MACH, the UK manufacturing technologies show organised by the MTA, others feel the same, with many of the firms who chose not to exhibit in 2010 returning for 2012. easyFairs, organiser ofMaintec


2012, a UK show dedicated to the industrial maintenance and asset management sectors, is also upbeat reporting that it will again be playing host to major players within the sector (preview pages 44/46). Despite the economic uncertainty,


there remain some reasons to be cheerful.Hopefully, 2012 will produce many more.


Working to meet carbon targets


New research by the Carbon Trust reveals that the public sector has doubled its determination to tackle climate change over the past five years despite facing difficult economic times. Fresh analysis of 472 public sector bodies working with the Carbon Trust shows that average carbon reduction targets have almost doubled since 2006, rising from 16% to over 28% in 2011. This suggests that the government’s ambition to cut the carbon emissions from the Central Government estate by 25% by 2015 is realistic and achievable. Given that the Carbon Trust ensures that public bodies underpin their targets with projects that more than pay back the initial investment, it also suggests that the Central Government Estate target will save the taxpayer money. Tim Pryce,Head of Public Sector,


said: “The public sector has a vital leadership role to play in helping the UK to meet its carbon targets. The research findings are very encouraging. The Government has set itself a 25% reduction target for its own estate, which is commendable. But it is exciting to see leading organisations elsewhere in the public sector matching that level of ambition, and saving the taxpayer money at the same time. Pryce continues: “Based on this evidence, we believe there is a case for this 25% ambition to be taken up by the wider public sector estate to ensure continued delivery on national carbon targets and further cost savings.” He added: “Through our work


with public sector customers, the Carbon Trust has identified £2bn of potential savings currently in the pipeline. But this will only be achieved with the right direction, leadership and expert support.”


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INDUSTRIAL PLANT & EQUIPMENT • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 3


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