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Latest News | News Archive
2008 ScottishPower Visit to HSL The Board members were given an overview of HSL and its unique facilities and services before touring the laboratory for presentations on areas of HSL's expertise in Pedestrian Safety, Noise and Vibration, Ergonomics, Work Psychology and Occupational Health. Dr Steve Deacon, Group Medical/Health and Safety Director said of the visit, "On behalf of my team I would like to thank the HSL's management for their hospitality during the visit of ScottishPower's Health and Safety Board members to Buxton. My team and I were greatly impressed by both the facility itself and the level of technical expertise available at Buxton and we look forward to a continued working relationship between our two organisations."
WHO Re-Designation for HSL A WHO Regional Screening Committee recommended the re-designation based on previous performance, a review of reports and future plans of work. WHO Collaborating Centres are selected by WHO’s Director General to carry out activities in support of the organisation’s programmes. There are over 900 centres in 99 member states working on areas such as nursing, occupational health, communicable diseases, nutrition and health technologies. The Director of the Health Improvement Group at HSL, Dr Andrew Curran said:
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Members of the Committee were given presentations and demonstrations of some of the research HSL undertakes, including work covering high profile incidents such as the Buncefield oil depot explosion and the Grayrigg train derailment. The visitors were also shown demonstrations of safety equipment testing for the fire service and of how emerging technologies are being used to assist local authority emergency planning. High Peak MP Tom Levitt, a member of the Select Committee, said of the visit: “It was very successful and members were very impressed both by the quality of the work that they saw and by the passion for reducing injury. We were particularly interested to talk about how the lessons learned at HSL are spread out into the workplace and how important safety work is being performed for organisations other than HSE.” The Select Committee are now preparing a report on the work of HSE for the House of Commons. The Committee oversee the work of several bodies associated with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) such as HSE. They are appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the DWP.
HSL Director Chairs Leading Construction Industry Conference
2007 HSL Appoints Two New Directors Hazard Reduction Director Business Development Director Bill completed both his BSc and PhD in Physics at the University of Strathclyde. His PhD topic was on the application of physics and mathematical modelling techniques to the transport of gases in the human respiratory system. Following some post-doctoral research at Glasgow University and a period as a lecturer in Applied Physics at the University of Strathclyde, Bill joined the UK Atomic Energy Authority, as a researcher in the field of evaluating the environmental risks associated with nuclear power. During the next 20 years or so, Bill’s technical and consultancy interests widened from nuclear power to include a wide range of other business sectors, with customers in Europe, the US and Asia. During this time, Bill also assumed various operational and sales management positions, helping to enhance the commercial- and customer-focus of the now privatised AEA Plc. His responsibilities included managing a major risk-based programme for the US Department of Energy, the UK’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme on behalf of Defra, and leading a large project, which facilitated discussions between UK Government and Industry culminating in the Climate Change Levy Agreements. His last position in AEA Plc was as Director of Marketing and Sales for their Energy and Environment business, an organisation with over 300 staff, where he helped the growing business meet its targets year on year. Institute of Acoustics Diploma Prize
Honorary Lecturer Appointment Association for Geographic Information (AGI) Award Unique High-Pressure Hydrogen Testing Facility Launched HSL has unveiled a new high-pressure hydrogen testing system. The facility exceeds all current technologies with an unrivalled capability to test hydrogen systems up to pressures of 1000bar. It also provides flexibility to investigate all foreseeable high-pressure hydrogen applications ranging from refuelling and bulk storage to component and materials testing. The unique testing facility is a major investment for the laboratory and recognises the new safety challenges presented by using hydrogen as an alternative fuel. As a clean fuel with zero carbon emissions, hydrogen is widely seen as the future’s premier energy carrier and has been used safely for many years as an industrial gas by the aerospace and chemical industries. The launch of the experimental hydrogen compression/release facility took place on Tuesday 9 October and was organised to coincide with a meeting being hosted at HSL of the HySafe European Network of Excellence (NoE). Over 50 representatives from more than 30 organisations with key roles in research and development of hydrogen technology were welcomed to the event by HSL’s Chief Executive, Eddie Morland.
After presentations from HySafe NoE Co-ordinator Thomas Jordan and HSL’s Head of Explosion Safety, Dr Stuart Hawksworth, the guests were shown specially filmed footage of preliminary high-pressure tests using the facility. The visitors were then escorted to the testing pad to see the system up close. Dr Hawksworth said "This unique facility allows us to conduct tests at greater pressures than were previously available. It enhances our capability to conduct and support the research needed to enable a safe hydrogen economy. "We already have contracts in place for hydrogen tests from the European Commission, the UK Government and Industry and we are also in discussion with several other organisations regarding future work for the facility." Hysafe NoE Co-ordinator, Thomas Jordan commended the new facility which he said 'would contribute enormously to achieving HySafe’s goal to promote public awareness and trust in hydrogen technology.'
For more information on the hydrogen facility please contact:
New Website Highlights Government Collaboration in Critical Times A new website, www.interlabforum.org, has been launched to provide information about the activities of and collaboration between six government scientific organisations.
The new website describes the Forum’s aims and activities. It also displays the group’s latest news alongside exciting science and technological developments from within government. Occupational Health on the Move The Centre for Workplace Health, which is based at HSL, has just taken delivery of a brand new mobile occupational health unit. Equipped with the latest equipment, it enables routine on-site health surveillance such as lung function testing, vision screening and hand arm vibration testing. The unit also has an onboard audiometry booth which is used for noise induced hearing loss surveillance. If your company is considering developing an occupational health programme and would like advice on how to pro-actively manage the health of your workforce, then the occupational health team at The Centre for Workplace Health would be more than happy to supply you with more details. Contact Darren Whitehouse on 01298 218407 or Ed Robinson on 01298 218418.
HSL Annual Report and Accounts 2006/07 HSL's Annual Report and Accounts for 2006/07 has now been published. This gives details of HSL's excellent performance against its published annual performance targets and provides a brief insight into some of the scientific and technical activities undertaken during 2006/07.
Launch of 'CiNR', the Centre for Interdisciplinary Nano-Research at HSL
Further to our earlier press release, we are pleased to announce the launch of CiNR, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Nano-Research at HSL. This centre brings together a wide range of health and safety research capabilities based at HSL, with the specific aim of applying them to the field of nanomaterials and nanotechnology. For further details, please contact Simon Hill, Business Manager, telephone (+44) 01298
218833 or email cinr@hsl.gov.uk, or visit the CiNR section of this website. An International Workshop on the Development of Good Modelling Practice for PBPK Models, Crete, Greece HSL Annual Performance Agreement
2007/08 HSL has published its Annual Performance Agreement for 2007/2008. This Agreement between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) sets out the aims and objectives of the HSL and the targets to be met in the financial year 2007/2008.
HSL to Establish 'CiNR', the Centre for Interdisciplinary Nano-Research
This announcement follows the publication of a review of Government progress in the fields of NanoSciences and Nanotechnologies, last week by the Council for Science and Technology (CST). The CST review states: “The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) have committed substantial resources to nanotechnologies work, particularly for workplace exposure.” “Overall, CST finds that HSE and HSL have been thorough and conscientious authorities in the work that they have done to promote the safe development and handling of nanomaterials.” The launch of the new CiNR will build on HSE and HSL’s contribution to the wider research effort in this important area. Also, unlike most other ‘centres of excellence’ in the nanotechnology field, it will cover a range of expertise from ‘Explosion to Exposure’. “The launch of the new Centre will enable HSL to translate its cutting-edge health and safety research into real workplace solutions for the nanotechnology industry,” said HSL Chief Executive, Eddie Morland. “We are committed to making the CiNR the most wide ranging and accessible centre in the UK to look at the potential risks and hazards in this somewhat unknown and fast moving field. Given the unusual breadth of our scientists’ knowledge, we will be looking at everything from large scale explosion potential to the toxicological impact of these materials on the cell.” HSL’s nanotechnology-based research has already attracted some interest from industry and the new Centre will act as a focal point to enhance this important interaction. CiNR scientists and engineers will be actively engaging with a wide range of manufacturers, universities and other groups working with nanomaterials to provide both advice and practical research into their issues. It is envisaged that the new CiNR will directly lead to a greater understanding and subsequent control of the potential health and safety issues relating to nanotechnology. For further information, please contact Simon Hill, Business Manager, telephone (+44) 01298 218833 or email cinr@hsl.gov.uk. HSL Hosts WHO Network Meeting The main focus of the event was to discuss progress on WHO’s Global Plan of Action on Workers Health 2008-20017. The global plan is aimed at reducing the disease burden from unsafe work by focusing on prevention and health promotion at work. It targets high-risk industries such as mining, agriculture, health care; and vulnerable workers – the young, elderly and immigrants. Endorsement of the plan is expected at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, May 2007. Dr Andrew Curran, Director of HSL’s Health Improvement Group commented: “It’s been a good opportunity to network with sister organisations in this country and abroad, to share best practice and discuss research. It’s also allowed us to influence the thinking and direction in occupational health internationally, and to apply our experience for the benefit of others around the world.” A full report of the meeting will be available on the WHO website in the near future.
HSL Launches Stress Management Consultancy Service Work-related stress is a major factor in occupational ill health and is the chief cause of absence in many industries. It’s estimated that around 13 million working days are lost each year due to stress, anxiety and depression, with as many as 5 million people feeling stressed by their work. HSL has launched a stress management consultancy service, drawing on our extensive experience in workplace stress as well as other work psychology issues. With our knowledge, experience and expertise we can assist you in identifying the causes of stress and finding practical and realistic solutions in your organisation. In order to do this we use a process based on the HSE Management Standards for Work-Related Stress, which we helped develop. In doing so we use the tools and philosophy of the Management Standards, whilst recognising your specific requirements. Motor Vehicle Repair - Safety Awareness Days HSL is assisting HSE with running a series of Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) organised for the Motor Vehicle Repair (MVR) industry. These days are aimed at raising awareness of health and safety issues within the industry. The SHADS are focused on occupational asthma - spray mist and vapours from 2-pack paints containing isocyanates used in MVR can cause asthma or worsen an existing condition. Every year over 50 paint sprayers are diagnosed with isocyanate-related asthma and most of these have to leave the industry. The half-day events use video-clips, models and short talks to demonstrate the potential health effects of occupational asthma and, more importantly, how to work safely to reduce the risk as far as possible. HSL is involved in several ways:
Further information about HSL's expertise in this area can be found by clicking on the links below:
A range of information about health and safety issues in the
MVR industry can be found on HSE's website at www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/index.htm.
Visiting Professor
Professor Drury took up an invitation to visit the laboratory from HSL’s Head of Human Factors Profession, Jerry Williams. The visiting Professor will present a series of seminars for HSL staff on topics ranging from Mathematical Modelling in Ergonomics to Human factors in Non-Destructive Testing. ‘I’ve been at HSL a week now’ said Professor Drury ‘and its been really interesting. I’ve learnt things and hopefully I’m passing on useful information. I like to keep up to date with what’s happening in the UK but I’m amazed at the size, depth and complexity of Human Factors work that is going on here at HSL.’ World Health Organisation (WHO) - 5th Network Meeting of European Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health HSL will be hosting the 5th Network Meeting of European Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health for the World Health Organisation from 14-16 March 2007. In addition to delegates representing our sister organisations from twenty six European countries, HSL will also be welcoming representatives of the International Labour Organisation, the European Commission, WHO and the International Commission on Occupational Health. Lord Mackenzie of Luton Visits HSL The Minister was able to see at first hand some of the work being undertaken by the Centre for Workplace Health in relation to occupational asthma and lung disease. Lord Mackenzie, whose ministerial responsibilities include health and safety, was also briefed on the role HSL played in the investigation into the Buncefield oil depot incident. Speaking of the visit Lord Mackenzie said “HSL is truly fascinating. I’m not a scientist, but it’s impossible not to recognise the professionalism here. And it’s not just science for science’s sake – it’s very professional and very focused. There’s some really groundbreaking occupational health work going on here.”
2006 National Director for Health and Work Visits the Centre for Workplace Health After a series of introductions and an overview of HSL by Eddie Morland (HSL’s Chief Executive and board member of the Centre for Workplace Health), Professor Black explained her current focus of activities, emphasising her commitment to improving the health and well-being of the UK working population. Dame Carol had an opportunity to tour the laboratory and talk to a number of scientists about current research, training and service delivery activities. During lunch, presentations were given by Dr David Fishwick, Dr Andrew Curran and Dr Jo Harris-Roberts to explain the principles behind the Centre for Workplace Health. In the afternoon the visit continued at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield where Dame Carol met other Board members of the Centre including Professor Moira Whyte (University of Sheffield), Chris Linacre and Chris Welsh (Sheffield Teaching Hospitals).
LA/HSE Partnership - Builders Merchants Project Wins National Award As part of this programme, HSC has made funds available to LAs to investigate how they could make increased use of science, especially HSL’s scientific resources, to support their enforcement activities. One of the first HSE/LA partnership projects supported by this funding has won a national award. The ‘Midland Builders Merchants’ project was a joint winner of the Innovation Awards presented at the HSE/LA Partnership conference, which took place at the QEII Conference Centre, Westminster, on the 12 December 2006. The project has involved the collaborative effort of 74 local authorities in the Midlands and HSE in a series of Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) for small independent builders merchants. The awareness events focused on four main priority topics; slips and trips, workplace transport, falls from height and manual handling. As part of the event each builders merchant produced action plans to manage health and safety in these four topic areas. HSL was actively involved as part of the project team in developing the programme for the SHADs. Presentation material developed by the project team - including case studies, video footage, action plan templates and links to sources of reference material - was collated, edited and produced in CD format for distribution to all SHAD attendees. Over 200 CDs have now been distributed to builders merchants across the Midlands. This project is still running, with follow up inspections due to be made over the next few months to all builders merchants who attended the awareness events. Jamming with the BBC
Horizon Scanning: Health and Safety in the Changing Workplace A key feature of the meeting was the presentation of HSE's scenarios for the health and safety system in 2017, produced by Infinite Futures, SAMI Consulting and the HSL team. Beyond DSEAR! A One-Day Conference This one day Conference organised jointly by HSL and BASEEFA brings together key stakeholders to map out future obligations and opportunities for powder handling industries, food industry, power generation and their suppliers.
For further information please contact Alistair Walsh, Training Unit, HSL, tel (+44) 01298 218806, or email: alistair.walsh@hsl.gov.uk. MSc with Distinction for HSL Psychologist Results of the pilot study will be presented at two conferences in 2007 Promoting Health and Safety Among Students Constructing Excellence HSL's Business Development Director, Ruth Gilbody spoke to around 200 attendees at the Annual Members’ Convention in September 2006 and then, the following week, chaired the Constructing Excellence Health and Safety Forum. Both events gave her the opportunity to showcase HSL’s capabilities as well as learn about the issues that concern the industry.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at HSL Mr Hutton was given the opportunity to see specialist facilities and talk with staff involved in a variety of projects and research. These included HSL’s involvement in workability and return to work programmes and the Centre for Workplace Health’s respiratory disease research. Mr Hutton was also updated on HSL’s role in the HSE investigation of the Buncefield oil depot incident. The Secretary of State also got the opportunity to take in the Derbyshire air and witness research in action at first hand. Mr Hutton and his hosts donned hi-visibility vests and hearing protection to venture outside to view a dust explosion demonstration at our specialist test facilities. The test was part of an EU funded project to develop Computational Fluid Dynamics for use with dust explosions.
HSL Appoints Three New Directors Health Improvement Director Andrew joined HSL in 1991 after completing a PhD in cancer research at Nottingham University. Since then he has developed a research interest in occupational respiratory disease and has published and lectured extensively in this area. Andrew, together with HSL's Chief Medical Officer, David Fishwick, helped to establish the Centre for Workplace Health, which is a partnership between HSL, the University of Sheffield and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust. The Centre is an academic unit of the University of Sheffield and Andrew is the Scientific Director. Andrew is also an honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield and an honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. Technical Programmes Director Karen has over seventeen years experience in the private sector. With a first class honours degree in Physics and a PhD in optoelectronics, both from Manchester University, Karen spent a year on the academic staff at Manchester before joining the global glass manufacturing company Pilkington plc. Six years as a research specialist were followed by two years commercialising imaging technology and two years as an Advanced Engineer in the Pilkington US technical centre. She then held senior management positions in the areas of business systems, HR, manufacturing improvement, capital project management and intellectual property management. Karen has a Master’s Degree in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University, achieving a Distinction and the prize for top student. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Council member of the Cheshire and Warrington Learning and Skills Council. Hazard Reduction Director David has a BSc in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University. He has extensive private sector sales and marketing experience having worked for Rolls Royce and Siemens. Most recently he worked at the Building Research Establishment in the areas of fire safety, risk assessment, security and counter terrorism. He has wide ranging experience in project management for both commercial and government clients. David has good links with the Security Service through committee work and research projects. Fireworks Testing Investigation of the Hazards Associated with the Temporary Storage of Fireworks at Retail Premises While many retailers have appropriate storage for fireworks both outside and inside the retail premises many large retailers hold the fireworks in temporary storage within the premises. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware that concern has been expressed about the practice of using supermarket roll cages for the temporary storage of fireworks within some retail premises. HSE commissioned a series of trials to understand the hazards posed by this intermediate storage better. HSL Staff Commended for Work on the Tebay Investigation
Gas Turbine Safety - Best Paper Award from ASME for HSL Staff The Electric Power Committee of the International Gas Turbine Institute awarded their 2005 Best Technical Paper Award to Roger Santon, HSE, Mat Ivings, Senior Scientist, HSL and David Pritchard, Senior Scientist, HSL for their paper "A New Gas Turbine Enclosure Ventilation Design Criterion". ASME paper GT2005-68725 was presented in Reno USA at the IGTI TurboExpo in June 2005. It describes the development of the new guidance which was carried out by HSL as a Joint Industry Research Project funded by HSE and 30 sponsors from the gas turbine industry. The work used experimental and CFD studies to determine a criterion for the safe allowable size of gas cloud in the event of an explosion in an enclosure. The project summary report CM/04/09 can be seen on the HSE website. The results are incorporated in a new Gas Turbine Applications Safety Standard, ISO DIS 21789 due for publication this autumn. Future of Rail Safety Test Rigs Secured
All of the rigs have now been moved to their new owner HSL at Buxton. Anyone interested in using the rigs should contact Philip Heyes at HSL on 01298 218200 or email philip.heyes@hsl.gov.uk HSL Finalist in PRA Awards
The PRA Awards aim to encourage excellence in public reporting and to identify and celebrate the best practice organisations whose imaginative approaches help to achieve real advances in accountability. The awards are supported by HM Treasury, the National Audit Office, the Audit Commission, Audit Scotland and the Northern Ireland Audit Office. HSL Welcomes Two New Non-Executive Directors We are proud to welcome our two new non-executive directors, Dr Peter Watson OBE and Dr Sue Ion OBE. Each brings an impressive range of expertise and we look forward to working closely with them in the future. Dr Peter Watson Educated at the University of Leeds and the University of Waterloo, Canada, Dr Watson started his career with British Railways Research. He moved to GKN and spent 15 years with them, beginning as a manager in the R&D Centre and ending in 1991 as Chairman and Chief Executive of two operating divisions. He then returned to British Railways and held a number of Board-level posts before leaving to become Chief Executive of AEA Technology in 1994. Dr Watson is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was awarded the OBE in 1988. Dr Sue Ion With a first class honours degree and a PhD from Imperial College, Dr Ion joined BNFL in 1979 where she made her career in materials science and metallurgy. She has an extensive knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle, especially fuel manufacture, reprocessing and recycling technologies. She represents the UK on a number of international committees for the nuclear sector, and is a respected contributor on science, engineering and technology policy matters. In 2004, Dr Ion was invited to become a member of the Council of Science and Technology, advising the Prime Minister and First Ministers of Scotland and Wales on strategic, longer-term issues. Dr Ion holds fellowships with a number of learned societies and has maintained strong links with academia and academic research. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was awarded the OBE in 2002 for services to the nuclear industry. VIBGUIDE This EC-funded project to produce non-binding guidance on exposure
to vibration in the workplace (related to EC Directive 2002/44/EC)
was recently completed. Two guides were produced, one on hand-arm
vibration, one on whole-body vibration. The guides were produced
by a consortium of UK, French and German organisations, with HSL
responsible for drafting and editing. The two guides will be published
by the European Commission later in 2006, but English, French and
German versions can be seen at the VIBGUIDE
web site. HSL Annual Report and Accounts 2005/06 HSL's Annual Report and Accounts for 2005/06 has now been published. This gives details of HSL's performance against its published annual performance targets and provides a brief insight into some of the scientific and technical activities undertaken during 2005/06.
HSL Director Awarded Honorary Fellowship by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine
Joint Industry Project - Area Classification of Low Pressure Gas Equipment The DSEAR regulations which came into force in July 2006 have major implications for all non-domestic gas installations and existing workplaces. Recent work by HSL has already demonstrated that many outdoor
low pressure natural gas systems may be regarded as non-hazardous.
See http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2005/hsl0511.pdf.
As a result of this the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and
HSL realised that data for hazardous area classification of such
systems indoors was also required. Phase One of the work commenced in December 2005 including a review of definitions of ventilation effectiveness and an explosion test. Phases Two and Three of the project are now live and will provide data on the build up of flammable gas clouds in ventilated enclosed spaces using extensive experimental tests and CFD modelling. The sponsors of the project are: The Health and Safety Executive; For further information please contact Aubrey Thyer at HSL. (Tel:
01298 218156; email: aubrey.thyer@hsl.gov.uk)
HSL Achieves Link-up Approval as a Drug
and Alcohol Screening Laboratory for the UK Rail Industry HSL is Link-up approved to provide drug and alcohol analysis for the UK rail industry. Link-up, the UK Rail Supplier Qualification Scheme, provides a single common registration, qualification and audit process for suppliers that is shared by the UK rail industry. This means we can now provide a drug and alcohol testing service in accordance with Rail Group Standards and SAMHSA. Our testing methods (both screening and confirmation) are UKAS-accredited and we participate in the United Kingdom National External Quality Assurance Scheme (UKNEQAS) to further ensure the quality of service provided by our professional staff. Our comprehensive testing package offers:
For further details please contact our Business Development Group by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email: hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk. Something in the Air?
Research recently published in the journal Atmospheric Environment1, describes how the team visualised exposure to pollution levels while using a variety of different transport methods to get around London. The researchers looked at five modes of transport - walking, cycling, car, taxi and bus - and measured levels of exposure to ultrafine particles using a system developed by HSL. Ultrafine particles are less than 100 nanometres in diameter and mainly arise from motor traffic. Their large surface area and extremely small size means that not only is it possible to inhale large quantities of them but the particles can also make their way to any organ of the body. Growing evidence suggests that this poses a health hazard. HSL's exposure level visualisation system, known as ELVis, uses an ultrafine particle counter and a video camera mounted onto a specially adapted bicycle or baby buggy. The system allows video images of a person's activities to be played back alongside a graph of their exposure to ultrafine particles. As a result, activities that cause high exposures can be quickly identified, such as being trapped on traffic islands or waiting in congested traffic. This technique allows the team not only to analyse the factors affecting personal exposure to pollution, but also to show policy makers and the public, in a highly visual way, how and why exposure occurs. The researchers found that when travelling in a taxi, passengers were exposed to over 100,000 ultrafine particle counts per cubic centimetre (pt/cm3) on average, travelling in a bus resulted in exposure to just under 100,000 pt/cm3 and travelling by car caused exposure to 40,000 pt/cm3. Cycling was around 80,000 pt/cm3, and walking was just under 50,000 pt/cm3. However, just as important is the route you take, with much lower exposures in side streets than on main routes.
The study was carried out as part of the DAPPLE (Dispersion of Air Pollution & Penetration into the Local Environment) project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). DAPPLE looks to provide a better understanding of the physical processes affecting street and neighbourhood flows of air, traffic and people, and their corresponding interactions with the dispersion of pollutants. Reference Further
information about this project can be found at www.dapple.org.uk For more
information about the video visualisation exposure system please
click hereFurther Information HSL Secures Major DTI Project HSL has been awarded £778,500 as one of 29 innovative UK projects to win funding from a £25m DTI fund to turn public sector research into commercial success. This funding will increase the opportunities to commercialise products and services arising from HSL's research. Five products have already been identified for development. The projects, announced today (24 January 2006) by Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson, have been awarded the cash through the third round of the Public Sector Research Exploitation (PSRE) fund to market their cutting-edge research. Further Information 2005 Launch of the Centre for Workplace Health
A new national centre of excellence to promote health in the workplace was launched on 22 November 2005. The Centre for Workplace Health is a groundbreaking initiative building on the work of partner organisations, the University of Sheffield, The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust and the Health and Safety Laboratory in the area of occupational health and medicine. Based at the Health and Safety Laboratory in Harpur Hill, Buxton, the Centre aims to develop simple, practical solutions to workplace health problems through academic research. In addition it will provide a range of training and occupational health services designed to minimise ill health and injury in the workplace. The Centre was launched by Phil Hydes, 51, from Norton Lees, Sheffield, who developed severe asthma after working as a plate welder. Phil's health problems developed in his mid 30s after 20 years welding stainless steel and other heavy metals. He said: "The welding work generated huge quantities of fumes and dust and we were not provided with any special protective clothing. My breathing got so bad that doctors advised me to give up work due to ill health but I resisted the idea. I have always been a hard worker, often doing seven days a week, and with a wife and two young children to support I wanted to carry on. But eventually, as my condition continued to deteriorate, I had no choice but to call it a day. These days I can't walk more than 50 yards without being out of breath, I struggle with anything on an incline and I get through six or seven inhalers a month. "I am delighted to launch the Centre for Workplace Health. I'm sure the research, training and services it offers will be vital in preventing people from developing conditions like mine and in providing treatment and support to those who do. It may be too late for me but it's not too late for other people to get help." Scientific Director of the Centre for Workplace Health, Dr Andrew Curran said: "The Centre for Workplace Health is a unique partnership between academia, the NHS and a key Government research laboratory which strengthens the existing collaboration between the three organisations. The Centre will be a national centre of academic excellence that develops solutions to workplace health problems, delivers those solutions and trains others to do so. We will also work closely with the Health and Safety Executive to reach their goal of reducing the number of working days lost to ill health." Occupational asthma will be a particular area of interest for the Centre. The partners' research has shown that symptoms of the condition are often difficult to recognise and, even when they are, it can often takes four years for a GP to refer a patient to a specialist hospital doctor. Other problems arise from the fact that specialist hospital doctors use different approaches to diagnose the condition and non-specialist hospital doctors use different criteria. To tackle these issues, the Centre is:
Launch of UK Forum on Engineering
Structural Integrity FESI will provide within the UK a forum that draws together the expertise to communicate within and across industries appropriate best practice in management processes, methodologies and supporting technology necessary to ensure adequate engineering structural integrity throughout life. For further details visit the FESI website www.fesi.co.uk
or contact our Business Development Group by telephone (+44)
01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email: hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk. Laboratory Ventilation and Containment Testing HSL are pleased to announce the launch of a new service aimed
at users of laboratory ventilation and containment systems
such as fume cupboards, microbiological safety cabinets and
robotic enclosures. The new service offers a 'one-stop shop'
covering the lifetime of a containment device, from type testing
through commissioning and routine COSHH tests to advice on
decommissioning issues. We can test, evaluate and comment
on the various system interactions that are so critical to
effective laboratory containment.
WHO's for Training? The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently called upon the training expertise of HSL. Members of WHO's Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response Office attended a one day training course given by HSL scientific staff at WHO's global headquarters in Geneva. The course demonstrated how to correctly select and fit a range of respiratory protective equipment (RPE). HSL's Mike Clayton, who delivered the training said:
Further Information |
Peter Davies has joined HSL as Director of HSL’s Hazard Reduction Group. The Hazard Reduction Group has a wide range of scientists and engineers specialising in safety engineering and fire, explosion and process safety and also includes specialist photographers. 
Bill Nixon has joined HSL as Business Development Director, with responsibility for marketing and sales.
HSL has announced that they will be launching an innovative Centre for Interdisciplinary Nano-Research (CiNR) towards the end of this month. This represents the latest step in a £1m programme of nanotechnology research funded by HSL in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Distinguished Professor Colin Drury is currently visiting HSL as part of a 2 month professional ‘sabbatical’. The Professor, who is currently Director of the University of Buffalo’s Research Institute for Safety & Security in Transportation, will spend two weeks at the laboratory discussing and presenting his extensive work in the field of Human Factors. 
Andrew Curran is Director of HSL’s Health Improvement Group, having previously headed our former Health Sciences Group for five years. The Health Improvement Group includes analytical scientists, microbiologists, clinical staff, statisticians, epidemiologists and modellers.
Karen Russ has joined HSL as Director of Technical Programmes with responsibility for ensuring the highest standards of project management and quality of science across the Laboratory. She is also head of our Human Factors Group which includes psychologists, ergonomists and social scientists as well as experts in risk management, pedestrian safety, personal protective equipment, noise and vibration.
David Kershaw-Wright has joined HSL as Director of HSL’s Hazard Reduction Group. The Hazard Reduction Group has a wide range of scientists and engineers specialising in safety engineering and fire, explosion and process safety and also includes specialist photographers.
Two HSL members of staff were formally commended by the Chief Constable of British Transport Policy (BTP) at an awards ceremony in Manchester on 11 September 2006 for their work on the Tebay rail accident investigation.
We
all know walking is good for you, but now a team from HSL and
Imperial College London have shown that it's better than cycling
- at least around town.
Dr
Peter Walsh of HSL, one of the principal authors of the paper,
said: "ELVis, the technique developed by HSL, is a powerful
risk analysis and communication tool which we use to identify
and visualise pollution in the workplace or environment. When
we took ELVis around central London we found that there was an
extremely rapid decline in concentration of ultrafine particulate
matter when moving away from the main streets to the backstreets.
As well as allowing us to analyse the factors which affect a person's
exposure while moving through a city, e.g. proximity of cyclists
to vehicle exhaust pipes, ELVis also gets the message across to
both technical and lay persons. We are now using ELVis to monitor
around Sheffield."