Your latest rundown of IOMNews and insights helping you keep your workplace safe and healthy.

Presenting our upcoming training courses, RPE, welding fumes, summer renovations, research covering UV exposure and air pollution.

RPE easy as 123

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is designed to protect workers, Ross Clark who heads up our Occupational Hygiene team advises readers of Tomorrow’s Health & Safety: RPE supplement on how to select and manage the use of respiratory protective equipment in the workplace. Read the article here.​

Managing the occupational exposure risks to welding fume

Welding is a common industrial process and in the UK, there are around 200,000 welders, with around 40% of them working as professional welders and the remainder carrying out welding as part of their job.

New evidence suggests a more precautionary approach is needed when managing workers exposure. We can help businesses understand how to better manage the risks to their workforces.

Get a quick quote from our team to identify any risks and changes your workplace needs to consider.

Occupational and public health research update

IOMStudy for IOSH measures UV exposure in outdoor workers for the first time

Outdoor workers’ desire for a suntan could be putting them at heightened risk of developing skin cancer. In collaboration with Heriot-Watt University a new study, funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), has for the first time measured UV exposure among outdoor workers in the UK, who during summer are at risk of excessive exposure due to the nature of their work.

Staying safe in the sun
1) Cover up to keep the sun off your skin.

2) Protect your head, it’s easy to forget head, face, ears and neck exposure.

3) Seek shade during peak hours.

4) Use sunscreen of over SPF30.

5) Check your skin and moles for any changes and seek doctors advice.

Discover more

IOMResearch identifies solutions to the growing air pollution public health concern

Exposure to air pollution in the UK has an effect on annual mortality equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths. The UK government has recently published the national Clean Air Strategy and a ‘Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health.’ A IOM led consortium carried out four rapid evidence assessments of planning, transport, agriculture, and behavioural interventions aiming to improve ambient air quality, which underpinned the UK Government’s advice on interventions.

The reports shows that evidence & technology are available to make delivery of cleaner air feasible for all, with no negative economic growth or development implications.

Discover more

Are you planning renovations this summer?

Understand the ‘lead in paint’ risks when renovating pre 1970’s properties

Lead is recognised as a highly toxic metal but prior to the early 1960s white lead (lead carbonate/lead sulphate) was the principal white pigment in primers and topcoats applied to wooden surface inside and outside homes and other buildings. Lead based paints were widely applied to doors, architraves, window frames and sills, stairs and banisters, skirting boards, weather boards, door frames and barge boards.

Understand the ill health effects and what steps to take if lead is discovered.