RoSPA Press Office : Press Releases : 2002

Accidents caused by stress are feared to be a hidden killer in the workplace, RoSPA warned today as it issued a 14-point 'Alert' to help tackle the problem. The Society hopes its initiative will spark a debate among health and safety advisers and safety representatives so that they can share ideas and contribute to guidance on how to stop stress-related accidents. Full Story»

Water sites used for sport and recreation could be facing similar water quality checks to those for bathing beaches, RoSPA's National Water Safety Conference in Plymouth was told. The measure is likely to be introduced to safeguard the health of people taking part in activities such as sailing, windsurfing and canoeing when using rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals. Full Story»

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents today issued an urgent reminder about the tight new firework regulations in Northern Ireland. Anyone letting off fireworks now has to have a licence - fines of up to £5000 can be imposed for breaking the law. The only exceptions are indoor fireworks and sparklers, but even these still need to be handled with care. The safest thing to do is to attend a public display. Full Story»

The number of accidental drownings in the UK has fallen for the second year running, from 448 in 2000 to 426 in 2001, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents revealed today. The foot and mouth outbreak, which restricted access to the countryside throughout the summer, is believed to be the main factor behind the five per cent reduction. Deaths among the under-15s remained static at 40. There was also no increase in the eight under-fives who drowned in gardens, despite the growing popularity of garden ponds and water features. Full Story»

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is calling for all motor insurance companies to review the systems which fleet operators have for managing occupational road risk (MORR™) before setting premiums. RoSPA is staging two new seminars on MORR™ following overwhelming demand from the fleet industry for more information. One of the key themes will be the cost of insurance and the drain that crashes can make on company finances. Full Story»

RoSPA has completely updated its Road Safety Engineering Manual - the comprehensive guide to cutting UK road accidents through engineering measures. It is essential reading for staff working in the road safety engineering field, but will also be valuable to anyone with an interest in road safety. Full Story»

A new book to help schools to tackle road safety problems has been produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Almost 20 per cent of child pedestrian casualties occur on the way to and from school, and road accidents are the biggest single cause of death for children between the ages of one and 15. Full Story»

The winners of Scotland’s top occupational health and safety award are Ciba Specialty Chemicals Plc - Coating Effects of Paisley. The announcement was made at the RoSPA Scotland Occupational Health and Safety Awards, sponsored by RMC, at the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow, last night. Full Story»

Scotland Office Minister Anne McGuire MP will launch RoSPA's Scottish Health and Safety Congress on Wednesday (September 11). The conference, in association with Scottish Power, will focus on the latest developments in the Government's plans to revitalise health and safety after 25 years of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Full Story»

The UK’s five leading health and safety training, examining and professional bodies joined forces on August 13 to launch the new vocational standards in occupational health and safety practice. They are the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health, the British Safety Council and the Employment National Training Organisation, which produced the standards. Full Story»