Risk Management – Ashleigh Mackay and Associates
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Robots: what are the risks?
October 12, 2016
News

Machines have been making workplaces more efficient since the Industrial Revolution, but their impact on health and safety is a complex issue. Today, the emergence of robots is bringing significant health and safety benefits to a variety of workplaces, but also new challenges. What kinds of organisations are using robots? Robots are most commonly used in manufacturing, but are increasingly being introduced to a wide variety of industry sectors, from healthcare to retail. The health and safety benefits of robots Robots can carry out tasks that are dangerous for humans to perform, such as lifting or moving heavy objects, or working with hazardous substances. There is also a new generation of wearable robotics devices that can reduce the risk of injury, or aid the rehabilitation of workers who have been injured. However, as a number of well-publicised incidents have demonstrated – including the death of a worker at a VW plant in Germany and a similar incident at a factory…

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What do new health and safety fines mean?
October 12, 2016
News

From February 2016, fines for health and safety (H&S) offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety increased substantially. The increase applies to cases reaching the courts from February 2016, even if the incident that led to the prosecution occurred before that date. You may not be aware that H&S fines are now based on turnover. For example, a company with a turnover of less than £2m can now face a H&S fine up to £450,000; between £2m and £10m, the fine can be up to £1.6m, and a company with a turnover of £10m- £50m could face a fine up to £4m. So-called ‘very large companies’ will be subject to even higher fines. If you are part of a bigger group, it is possible that the court could seek to levy a fine based on total group turnover, and thus increase the level of the fine. These fines are in addition to court legal costs, and there is also potential for…

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