The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is targeting the stone sector for inspections. Throughout June it will be visiting stone companies in London and Southern England.
HSE inspectors plan to visit some of the businesses within the stoneworker sector with the aim of reducing work-related death and serious injury resulting from breaches of the law.
The inspection campaign is intended to help businesses engaged in stone working activities to control risks, reduce accidents and promote good management of health & safety. And don't forget, if HSE finds anything materially wrong, it will write to you and charge you for doing so.
HSE will be targeting stonemasons, monumental masons and kitchen work surface manufactures. If your business conducts stonework and is located in London, East or the South East, HSE may visit to carry out an inspection. The campaign is anticipated to run for four weeks.
If an inspector calls, they will look at your workplace, your work activities and your management of health & safety. They will check that you are complying with health & safety law.
Primary areas of focus will include: exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust from processing granite, engineered quartz and sandstone in particular, manual handling, noise, hand arm vibration, vehicle loading and unloading, load safety, contact with dangerous parts of machinery and fireplace surround installation.
HSE recovers the costs of its regulatory work from duty holders that are found to be in material breach of health & safety law.
A material breach is when, in the opinion of the inspector, there is or has been a contravention of health & safety law that requires them to issue a notice in writing of that opinion to the duty holder.
If you have any doubts about your compliance with health & safety law and have not yet done so, you can download the following leaflets from the HSE website:
- “What to expect when a health and safety inspector calls - A brief guide for businesses, employees and their representatives”
- “Health and safety made simple the basics for your business”
- “Fee for intervention: what you need to know"
- For stone industry specific health & safety guidance please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stonemasonry