A staggering 84% of Isle of Wight businesses checked during a recent inspection push by the Health and Safety Executive were found to have breached the law, resulting in 4 prohibition notices being served.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out a special 2-day inspection programme on the Island last week and found that out of the 33 businesses visited without notice, 84% were in breach of vital health and safety regulations.
Issues found included badly maintained electrics, unguarded machinery, work at height taking place unsafely, lack of control of exposure to wood dust, welding fume or other substances hazardous to health and poor welfare facilities. Companies checked ranged from small businesses to large industry-leading firms with hundreds of employees.
The team of 11 inspectors visited 33 properties and issued 4 Prohibition Notices, 37 Improvement Notices and numerous instances of written advice.
Nancy Harman, HSE Principal Inspector, who led the project, has said:
“Although we did identify some good practice on the Isle of Wight, there were numerous areas where risks to health and safety were not being properly managed and where improvements were needed.
“As a result of our intervention, we hope to have educated and informed businesses about the measures that they need to have in place to ensure that everyone goes home from work safely and without risks to their health.
“This inspection programme forms part of our ongoing work on the Isle of Wight and across Hampshire and we will be following up on the premises we visited and others in the coming months.
Article continues below this advertisement “By concentrating our resources at the same time, it allowed us to be more efficient in making sure businesses are putting good control measures in place and that the health and safety of workers is at the top of the agenda for everyone.”
The last large-scale inspection visit like this to the Isle of Wight took place in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.
This is a disgrace! Who do these people think they are? Standing in the way of business and reducing profit margins. The HSE should be disbanded!
I think a few people did not understand your joke.
The “Blob Squealey” spoof is the most tedious lame joke running in the comments section. Never raises a smile never mind a titter. Must try harder, E-
This is how all inspections should be carried out, without prior notice. Whenever notice is given management are sure to make sure that everything is how it should be, not the way it normally is.
Happens across all business including retail.
Loads of places on the island that could do with health and safety checks.
Accidents not wrote down to keep businesses safe …. not good
Agree, I knew a colleague who worked in a well know shop years ago, she informed me at the end of the day any left over sandwiches were taken into the back and contents removed and refrigerated along with the bread in separate containers and remade the next day.
Only 33 visited, alot out there still wouldn’t meet hardly any requirements. Boat building, building contractors, farming, manufacturing, gardening and IOW Council.
I think it is good these visits were unannounced. Years ago, the firms were given warnings and a major clear up operation took place, prior to the arrival of inspectors. As such, there were some awful work conditions people were exposed too, which did affect their health in latter years. I hope employers do abide by health and safety standards – there are very good reasons that these laws are in place. If they can’t afford to run their businesses properly, they shouldn’t be running them at all – in the past, it was caused by greedy employers – nowadays I’m not so sure, as the cost of living is horrendous to anyone.
I have said for years Health & Safety does not exist on the Isle of Wight
Personally I would say it’s more than 84%
Many Companies incl IW Council don’t know what they
are doing.
Island Roads plus many more large companies also fail Health & Safety,
It is alarming.
So many of the large Companies break motororing laws by towing
equipment with NO number plates on the trailer or showing a different one.
WHERE IS THE LAW TO STOP THIS?!
Many Companies use vehicle machinery etc on Roads and they should not be doing so.
I could go on and on.
Working on the Island for a number of years is an eye opener to what is being done
wrongly!.
Lack of Management on the Island.
Are you someone who worked in Health and Safety? Are you fully conversant with the current H&S Regulations? I’d be interested to know where you get your information from…
I use to be an Health and Safety Officer and then I
worked for a few Island businesses and I gave up.
I was shocked what I saw taking place, hence from what
I have personally experienced I have seen no Health and Safety on the
Island.
Mainland firms have better practices in place, island Companies have no idea
of the importance of Health and Safety.
He’s take a trip to nettlestone by the school and see how the old building is being demolished. No rails to protect the public.
Looking forward to putting doileys under my tools for inspection by this lot of experts, most accidents at work are just that, falling over or cuts and hammer blows, theres a cause and effect going on so where do this lot fit in or is it snide implementation of a woke workplace?…next it’ll be mixing spanners with screwdrivers by law..
yes that is right, F the worker. So what if they loose a finger or a foot. I have profits to make.
I’m self employed mr brainiac..i am a worker, so what are you doing today mr workers representative?
The article is about H&S in businesses that employ people. If you are self employed and you skimp on tools and equipment or fail to learn how to use them safely and injure yourself you only have yourself to blame.
If a business provides substandard tools equipment or training for its employees and one them injures themselves its an entirely different kettle of fish.
Pretty sure even a “brainiac” like you can appreciate this, eh?
I was talking about the next step..lol, blimey you lot are a bit jokeless eh pmsl
HSE would argue that there is no such thing as an accident just a failure to take sufficient precautions, and they are obviously right.
agreed, now sporting my HSE cotton wool suit with goggles and gloves..and thats just working the tea station, so pleased the HSE is so knowledgable as are the comments on here..many from the keyboard fraternity that never ever get dirty..funny that.
Good job! Nowt worse than dodgy bosses cutting corners and putting people’s safety at unnecessary risk
You only have to drive around the Island and see many construction
companies and old empty buildings about to be demolished, some with Windows
hanging off that could fall at anytime, like the building in Brading nr Station Avenue
to see Health and Safety is Poor on the Island.
Plus there are many more examples when seeing Road workers etc to name a few.
Wow – to think we class ourselves as a Tourist Island, 84% is massive. No where is safe.