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News - Facilities Management & Property
In this section:
♦ Businesses are still unsure about CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (9th March 2010)
♦ Asbestos Survey Guide Updated by HSE (2010)
♦ Falls cost £99m in building and maintenance sector (4th February 2010)
♦ RICS unveils UK Climate Change Action Plan (25th November 2009)
Businesses are still unsure about CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
With less than a month to go until the launch of the Government’s Carbon Reduction Certificate Energy Efficiency Scheme, there is concern that many businesses are still not clear about their obligations.
“The problem is that many organisations have not yet properly assessed the impact of CRC on their businesses, and have not yet begun the process of collating data for registration,” says Elizabeth Shepherd, partner at law firm Eversheds. “Others are still unsure about how responsibility for CRC is allocated, for example in group situations, where there is an overseas parent, landlord and tenant and franchise situations.”
Item courtesy of Worplace Law Network
Asbestos Survey Guide Updated by HSE
Updated Guidance is now available to help those responsible for managing the risks from asbestos and to protect employees and contractors who may disturb it.
The HSE has published 'Asbestos: The survey guide' aimed at those who commission asbestos surveys, the surveyors who carry them out and those who use them such as architects and demolition or removal contractors. It replaces the MDHS 100 guidance and sets out the role of surveys in ensuring that builders or maintenance workers have all the information they need to minimise their risk of exposure to asbestos and put the right precautions in place.
The guidance has been prepared to help people carrying out asbestos surveys and those with specific responsibilities for managing the risks from asbestos under Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006). However, it is also designed to provide guidance in situations where surveys may be carried out for other purposes e.g. for 'managing' asbestos in domestic premises under wider health and safety legislation and for meeting the requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM). It complements and supports other guidance on managing asbestos.
Item courtesy of the Health & Safety Executive
Falls cost £99m in building and maintenance sector
In the building, construction and maintenance sector alone, there were 10 fatalities, 1,769 major injuries and a further 2,162 that resulted in workers having to take more than three days off work caused by slips, trips and falls throughout 2008-2009 – resulting in costs in excess of £99m.
Costs which could have been avoided if the correct health and safety measures were put in place.
HSE figures show that slips and trips are the most common cause of major workplace injury in Britain. More workplace deaths are triggered by falls from height than any other cause, according to official statistics.
In addition to 40 fatalities, there were over 15,000 major injuries to workers, as well as over 30,000 workers having to take over three days off work.
Item courtesy of Premises and Facilities Management Magazine
RICS unveils its UK Climate Change Action Plan
Following the announcement of the Global Climate Change Strategy last week in New York, RICS is launching its plan for the UK. After signing the Communiqué on Climate Change and urging world leaders to agree on an ambitious, credible and equitable deal to save the planet, RICS now wants to go a step further and offer evidence of the value and potential of an emerging low carbon property market.
Among the key over reaching priorities of its climate change strategy RICS, with the help of its members working in all fields of the real estate sector, will provide standards, guidance and information to enable qualified professionals to understand climate change and promote best practice and work towards improving and standardising sustainability measuring and reporting.
Item courtesy of Premises & Facilities Management Magazine
Changes to Hazardous Waste Regulations
The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 and The Hazardous Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005 were amended on 6 April 2009 and 18 November 2009 respectively. This principally widened the scope of the exemption from hazardous waste producer registration:
- All types of premises that produce hazardous waste are now exempt from registration if no more than 500kg of hazardous waste is produced in a year.
- More details on the amendment regulations can be found on Defra's website.
What is Hazardous Waste?
This is a type of waste that is dangerous to people, animals or the environment.
Under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, it's an offence to produce hazardous waste at premises, or remove that waste from premises, unless those premises are either registered with us or are exempt.
When you register your premises we give you a unique premises number called a 'premises code'. This is valid for 12 months from the date of registration.
If hazardous waste continues to be produced or removed from these premises after expiry then the premises code must be renewed. You can renew a premises code up to one month in advance of the expiry date.
Item courtesy of the Environment Agency