A few days before the school year was due to start back in September, over 100 schools in England were told to close due to serious health and safety concerns regarding reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings.

The material is less durable than concrete but had been used in local authority buildings across the country largely due to it being more cost-effective and easier to install.

At First Minster’s Questions on 7 September 2023, Humza Yousaf advised that the number of schools known to contain Reinforced Autoclave Aerated Concrete (RAAC) has increased to at least 40. This follows on from announcements in England that more than 100 schools have either fully or partially closed. Furthermore, nine Scottish universities have recently confirmed that they too have closed or partially closed some buildings.

Remote- and hybrid-working models were essential for many businesses and industries during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, though of course, many businesses have continued to promote and develop these policies and practices well beyond the lifting of restrictions in the UK.

Working from home is a seismic shift in employment patterns, and the debate around what the correct balance is between working from home and working from the office continues to rumble on.

Agricultural and rural settings present significant health and safety risks, which must be carefully managed and mitigated by employers and landowners operating in the sector. This is often brought into sharp focus when the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) releases its annual work-related statistics.

Temperatures in the UK have climbed to more than 30 degrees on a number of days during the first half of June.  That follows on from a record temperature of over 40 degrees having been set in the summer of 2022.  

UK temperature records from the Met Office show that, since 1884, all of the UK’s ten warmest years have occurred in the last two decades. So managing the heat is likely to be an issue for employers for many summers to come. 

Considerable uncertainty surrounds Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS, having originally been set to be implemented in July 2022, August 2023 and then March 2024, is now (7 June 2023) delayed until October 2025 ‘at the earliest’. While subject to change, once introduced the DRS will introduce a 20p deposit payable by consumers on all eligible containers, repaid at the point of return.

We live in a surveillance society.

CCTV and other forms of video surveillance are increasingly common in workplaces. These technologies are frequently used to monitor areas such as building entrances, lifts, workstations and factory floors, but as the use of these technologies grows, businesses must continue to ensure that they are being used fairly and lawfully.

Employers have a general duty of care to protect the health and safety of all employees when they are at work.  Health and safety is more than hard hats and ergonomic chairs.  Most employers recognise that their duty goes much further and includes being mindful of stress and other mental health conditions at work.  Having celebrated International Women’s Day this month, we take a particular look at the additional health-related challenges women and those with female reproductive systems may experience during their working life and pose considerations for employers on ho