The Health and Safety team advise on and enforce workplace health, safety and welfare standards within Preston. We are responsible for approximately 2,500 premises and visit premises involved in retail, wholesale, leisure, catering, consumer services and office work.
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Latest health and safety news
Leicester man fined for unsafe work at height
A roofer has been fined £4950 after putting himself and two of his colleagues at risk of falling more than seven metres from a building. The court heard that all three workers were walking across the roof - which also had fragile roof lights - to work on the back of the premises where there was no protection to stop them from falling [24/02/10].
Falls from height cause more workplace deaths than anything else. Visit the HSE's Shattered Lives website to find out how to prevent slip, trip and fall accidents in your workplace.
Comany fined £130,000 for death of worker
A refuse company has been fined £130,000, and ordered to pay £200 000 costs, after a worker was killed when a 1,100-litre recycling bin fell on his head. The bin hoist on the recycling lorry had not been maintained. Employers are reminded that they are legally required to make sure their equipment is regularly maintained and is fit for use by their workers. Find out more about machinery at work here. [15/02/10]
Beware of illegal gas fitters
A bogus gas fitter from Manchester has been prosecuted after being caught illegally carrying out work on a property when not Gas Safe registered (formerly Corgi). The HSE are urging all property owners to be vigilant when having gas work carried out and to check that that fitter is on the Gas Safe Register. Read here about employers' duties to ensure gas safety in the workplace [10/02/10].
Director fined for neglecting legionella risk
The managing director of a Black Country firm has been fined after neglecting to control legionella at its site. Find out about the prevention and control of legionella here. [04/02/10]
Myth of the month: March 2010
Myth: Risk assessment is too complicated for me to do!
Wrong! Carrying out a risk assessment should be straightforward.
Go to the HSE's myth of the month page to find out more.
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What we do
The majority of our time is spent carrying out preventative health and safety inspections of workplaces, investigating accidents at work and responding to concerns about poor health, safety and welfare conditions at work.
- Scheduled Preventative Inspections of all workplaces, for which Preston City Council is the Enforcing Authority;
- Inspection and monitoring of public safety in premises licensed under the Licensing Act 2003;
- Registration and inspection of skin piercing activities; acupuncture, cosmetic-piercing, electrolysis, tattooing and semi-permanent make-up to ensure safe and hygienic practices are followed;
- The registration of air-conditioning Cooling Towers to control Legionnaires;
- The health and safety team also work in partnership with a number of other organisations such as Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Lancashire Constabulary, The Health Protection Agency, NHS Lancashire and the Health and Safety Executive.