At Our July 2026 Meeting

Our July 2026 session, delivered by Sharon Mitchell of National Highways as part of the Driving for Better Business programme, was a powerful and eye-opening look at the true scale of road safety risk for both employees and businesses. The facts and figures shared make clear just how urgent action is:
Provisional 2025 figures show 1,556 people lost their lives on Great Britain’s roads – that’s roughly 4–5 deaths every single day, alongside nearly 30,000 killed or seriously injured (KSI).
Around 29% of all road fatalities involve someone driving for work – meaning work-related journeys play a disproportionate role in these tragedies.
While the phrase “1 in 25,000” often refers to the annual risk of death for an active driver, National Highways and DfT data confirms that one in three reported collisions involves someone driving for work, and these incidents affect workers, members of the public and families alike.
This is not just an issue for haulage, van or delivery drivers – it applies to every employee who drives as part of their job, whether in a company vehicle, their own car (“grey fleet”), or on a motorcycle or bicycle for work purposes. It includes sales staff, engineers, care workers, site managers and anyone else travelling between sites, to client meetings or for work-related visits.
Under UK law – including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – employers have exactly the same legal duty of care for work-related driving as they do for any other workplace activity. This means you must:
Carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering the driver, the vehicle and the journey itself;
Verify that staff hold valid licences, are medically fit to drive, and have the right insurance and vehicle checks in place;
Investigate all near-misses thoroughly, just as you would any other safety incident – these are critical opportunities to prevent fatal or life-changing accidents in future.
National Highways’ Driving for Better Business programme – which has now supported over 5 million drivers – provides free guidance, tools and training to help organisations meet these duties, reduce collisions, and cut fuel, insurance and maintenance costs at the same time. As Sharon emphasised: ensuring your employees are fit to drive, safe behind the wheel, and properly supported must always come first – because every life matters.
We thank Sharon for taking time out of her busy schedule to share this vital information with the Group.

Here is the link courtesy of Sharon Mitchell National Road Safety Strategy

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/695e2cff8832ab3a48513809/road-safety-strategy.pdf

For more information, see

www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com

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At Our June 2026 Meeting:

"Industrial Skin Care – More Important Than Many Realise

A big thank you to everyone who attended today's Industrial Skin Care presentation hosted by the Worcestershire Health & Safety Group.

The session was both informative and thought-provoking, highlighting the importance of protecting one of our most valuable assets at work, our skin.

Occupational skin diseases, including dermatitis, remain one of the most common work-related health issues across many industries. Yet they are often overlooked until symptoms become severe and begin affecting both health and productivity.

The message was clear:

Prevention is always better than treatment.

By taking simple steps to protect workers' skin, organisations can improve wellbeing, reduce sickness absence and create healthier workplaces for everyone.

Thank you to our presenter Eve Brumby and all attendees for making it such an engaging and valuable session."

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At out May 2026 Meeting

A very informative and engaging session at the Worcestershire Health & Safety Group!

A big thank you to Steven Filkin for stepping in at short notice and delivering an excellent presentation on waste management and environmental topics.

The discussions around waste tracking, environmental compliance, and industry developments highlighted the importance of staying proactive and informed within both Health & Safety and Environmental Management.

Great to see professionals coming together to share knowledge and best practices. Looking forward to the next event.

Please follow our Health & Safety Group on LinkedIn: Worcestershire Health & Safety Group

A very big thank you to Steven Filkin for his well received presentation on waste, it was so appreciated that you stepped in at short notice!!

Contact: solutions@filkin-ehs.co.uk

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At Our April 2026 Meeting

This month’s speaker, Tony O’Donovan of Treadstone Safety clearly demonstrated that the care selection of safety gloves is essential

 Selection must depend upon the assessed risk of mechanical and/or chemical protection required and compliance with the relevant standards.

Specific materials must be used to protect from specific different chemicals.

Gloves must be flexible enough to allow dexterity and comfort and yet give the degree of protection for the environment in which they are to be used.

A very interesting and informative presentation – thank you Tony

Tony O’Donovan Contact Details:

Tony O’Donovan

European Sales Manager – Safety Division

Lloyd House, Pandy Business Park, Plas Acton Road, Pandy, Wrexham, LL11 2UD.

Tel: +44 (0) 1978 664667 | Mob: 07591 207324 |Fax: +44 (0) 1978 664634

Web: https://www.treadstoneproducts.com/treadstone-safety/

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At Our February 2026 Meeting.

Thank you to the speaker Jamie Searson and organisers for an informative and thought provoking session

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Fire safety remains one of the most critical and rapidly evolving areas of workplace risk management and this session reinforced exactly why.
The presentation provided valuable insight into both traditional fire prevention principles and the emerging challenges associated with EV battery and lithium-ion risks. The discussion around practical control measures, emergency planning, and organisational preparedness was particularly relevant in today’s changing risk landscape.
It was encouraging to see strong professional engagement and open discussion around real-world applications, not just theory. As technology evolves, so must our approach to fire safety, risk assessment, and workplace resilience.
Events like this are essential in strengthening safety culture through shared learning, collaboration, and continuous professional development.

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At Our January 2026 Meeting

Glen Musgrove of MOHS Ltd gave us a very interesting and sometimes amusing insight into Display Screen Equipment and Ergonomics and the necessity of getting right the ergonomics and set up of our office (and at home!)

It was interesting to see how problems like Carpel Tunnel, Repetitive Strain, Hand Arm Vibration can often be reduced by the careful selection of equipment such as chairs, desks, footrests, the mouse etc and to ensure these are set up and located correctly.

Many thanks to Glen!

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November 2025 Meeting

Well, what a way to end our year!! Our final meeting for 2025 was well worth the wait!! 

Chris Hopkins gave a fantastic presentation to the group, explaining the differences between the local authority and HSE lead enforcement and prosecutions, the Environmental Agency being able to impose community sanctions where local environmental charities benefit from the wrongdoings of others, and how the HSE's fees for intervention operate as a civil debt, together with the costs imposed by the Court Service on Health, Safety and Environmental breaches.

Chris also explained about trees and the protection orders etc., and what can go wrong!! it is good to hear how well we protect trees, which really helps the environment.

The committee and members would like to thank Chris for taking time out of his busy legal schedule to deliver his presentation!!

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At our October 2025 Meeting

A very big 'Thank You!!' to our fantastic speaker this month. I didn't realise how prevalent diabetes actually is, and that we can so easily become diabetic.

Kate Walker your presentation was so informative, and we appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to share this vital information with us!!

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At Our September 2025 Meeting

A very big 'thank you' goes out to our speaker at our meeting yesterday, Andy Johnson from 3M gave us a great overview of the company and delivered a comprehensive presentation on Noise.

It is so important to protect your hearing as you can really miss out on so much, and ensure that any PPE issued is suitable for purpose so that you don't have to remove an earpiece to hear someone and ensure it is fitted correctly!!

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