News - April 2020 - Legal Update

COVID-19 support and guidance The latest government COVID-19 support for businesses and individuals is summarised and regularly updated on this page. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-employees-employers-and-businesses
The government rules on social distancing are outlined here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people
Hand sanitiser production. The HSE has issued a temporary exemption from product authorisation requirements for those manufacturing hand sanitiser provided they meet the relevant WHO-specified formulation II. https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/hand-sanitiser-manufacture-supply-coronavirus.htm
MOT rules. MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles are being automatically extended and there is a 3-month extension for annual HGV and trailer inspections. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020?fbclid=IwAR2aATm3HdfY2m1NUOrIlZ44I6RB4lwOKTtG7pA1JlS1JxnJFHU1mxk1ECU

Welfare facilities for delivery drivers. The HSE has made clear that it is against the law not to allow delivery drivers to access to toilet and washing facilities whist they are delivering to your premises. https://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/index.htm?utm_source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=coronavirus&utm_term=1803&utm_content=welfare-facilities

Temporary home workers. The HSE has issued web-guidance clarifying that a worker temporarily working from home does not need a display screen equipment (DSE) workstation assessment. However, you should do what you can to ensure that employees can work comfortably. https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/workers/home.htm?fbclid=IwAR2j9qLC3hC1JuRFTa-V8_Y3jqrjVlGVc1rocYAU3_tWuMxduPp7ogMS3ow

Window cleaning company fined. A window cleaner has been fined after a member of the public photographed and reported his team carrying out unsafe work at height. https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2020/03/27/passerby-shopped-window-cleaners-unsafe-work

Updated lone worker leaflet. The HSE’s updated lone working safety leaflet includes new information on how to manage work-related violence, communications with lone workers, and the impact of lone working on mental health and wellbeing. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg73.htm

No training in isolation and lock-off. T M Telford Dairy Ltd has been fined £600,000 after two employees suffering serious injuries in separate accidents. One was a fall from height, and the other involved 1% nitric acid cleaning solution at 650⁰C which was sprayed at an employee. Here had not been adequate training in valve lock-off and isolation procedures and no risk assessment had been carried out for the safe removal of valves. https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/03/03/yogurt-manufacturer-fined-after-two-employees-suffered-serious-injuries/

Driver hours rules. The Department for Transport has announced a relaxation of EU Drivers’ Hours rules and Domestic Drivers’ Hours rules for all sectors in the transport industry until 31 May 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-relaxation-of-the-enforcement-of-the-drivers-hours-rules-all-sectors-carriage-of-goods-by-road

Worker crushed in lift. A court has heard how an employee of Walkabout Operators Intertain Ltd (W) died from crush injuries in a lift. He had overridden a safety device on an inner lift door (as was common practice at the company) so that he could fit in the lift car along with a heavy chair. The chair snagged on the lift shaft as the lift car moved, and this he was crushed against the lift cage. Not only were there unsafe practices, the lift itself was years overdue for its six-monthly examination under LOLER, and lift faults were reported frequently without effective action being taken. https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2020/03/13/australian-themed-bar-chain-fined-over-lift-death

Failure to comply with Improvement Notices. A hotel operator has been ordered to pay fines and costs of over £250,000 after it failed to comply with numerous Improvement Notices. The company pleaded guilty to eight charges including those relating to accident reporting, control of legionella and the use of hazardous substances. https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2020/03/17/hotel-management-repeatedly-ignored-improvement-notices