HSE Weekly Digest eBulletin

Issued: 10 March 2022

This week's edition contains links to updated guidance on woodworking. We also have details about the health and safety law poster, explaining what it covers and how to use it or the equivalent leaflet.

In addition, there is information on upcoming training courses, and news of recent enforcement prosecutions. You can also find links to our latest job vacancies.

For all the latest health and safety updates visit our website.

The poster explains British health and safety laws and lists what workers and their employers should do.

If you employ anyone, you must either:

• display the health and safety law poster where your workers can easily read it
• provide each worker with the equivalent health and safety law leaflet

There are various versions of the poster, so you can select the most appropriate for your business. You can:

• download the equivalent leaflet
• purchase hard copies

HSE also provides health and safety law pocket cards. These are also a legal alternative to the law poster and are easy to distribute for your employees to carry with them.

Every year in the UK, around 12,000 people die from lung diseases linked to past exposure to hazardous substances at work.

This includes inhalation of wood dust that can cause occupational asthma and, in the case of hardwoods, sinonasal cancer.

Employers have a legal duty to ensure they comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, to:

• control exposure to wood dusts
• protect workers’ health

Our updated COSHH essentials woodworking guidance will help you ensure your workers are safe.

You can also find further guidance on effective control of construction dust from cutting and sanding wood on our website.