'Corporate manslaughter' is a phrase that we hear all too often in the health and safety industry. It feels like we see a new report about fatal negligence every week, and if you've been reading these stories as regularly as we have, you're no doubt wondering exactly what 'corporate manslaughter' is.

In a nutshell, 'corporate manslaughter' is a crime of which companies and organisations may be convicted if they are found to have caused (or failed to prevent) the death of a worker. If your company fails to follow health and safety regulations, and this negligence leads to the death of one of your colleagues, then your company may well be charged with corporate manslaughter.

One recent example (reported earlier this week on the HSE website) is the case of Jason Pennington, a 42-year-old construction worker from Lancashire who died after falling through a skylight onto a concrete floor. His employer, Peter Mawson, has been sentenced to eight months in prison, 200 hours of unpaid work, and two years' suspension. He must also pay costs of £31,504.77, and he is legally obliged to advertise the accident on his company's website for a set period of time, as well as taking out a half-page spread in the local newspaper. Furthermore, Mawson's company (Peter Mawson Ltd) has itself been fined a total of £220,200.

Corporate manslaughter has been part of UK law since 2008, and the above story demonstrates just how serious the penalties can be. Of course, as we've pointed out before, the risk of death alone should be incentive enough for business owners - if you don't put up the right safety signs and make sure everyone is working safely, you are putting human lives at risk. Don't let your company's name be sullied by corporate manslaughter charges!

When you work with live electrical equipment it is vital that the appropriate electrical hazard warning products are in place to ensure health and safety. Label Source offer a comprehensive range of Electrical Warning Labels and Electrical Warning Signs for the appropriate labelling of electrical hazards. 

Our range of electrical hazard warning products can be used in a variety of environments, both indoors and out. They are most commonly used, however, in the following areas:

• Power stations
• Workplaces with heavy machinery
• Environments with many plugs, extension leads and cables (e.g. live music venues)
• Electrified railways/tram lines
• Underground/overground power cables

Some of the electrical hazards that should be marked with our electrical hazard warning products:

• High operating voltages
• Safety connections
• Devices that require regular inspection
• Power supplies

Our Electrical Warning Labels are made of durable and rigid, and each label has a self-adhesive backing so that you can add them easily. Our electrical labels use internationally-recognised symbolds and clear, bold text that is extremely easy to read. Our Electrical Warning Signs also use clear and bold text, and are made to meet all necessary regulations including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and the Electricity Safety Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002. 

Electrical installations can be extremely dangerous and should always be marked with the appropriate safety signs and labels to minimise risk. Our range of electrical hazard warning products can prevent electric shocks, burns and even death be electrocution.

To discuss our Electrical Warning Signs, or for queries about our Electrical Warning Labels please don't hesitate to give us a call on 0800 3761 693. 

Two women have been injured in a scaffolding accident in Leicester. It is believed that strong weather conditions caused the scaffolding to collapse on this busy Leicester street, injuring two women in the process.

As advocates of helath and safety procedures and legistlations, Label Source are regularly seen posting content both in our blog and across our social media channels condemning those companies who disobey health and safety legislation, or fail to meet the health and safety standards required of their business. However, on some unfortunate occasions, like this one it seems, accidents can happen through no fault of the company - or indeed anyone! 

If the wind is strong enough to pull down scaffolding and unfortunately injure civillians in the process, then indeed there is nothing any degree of health and safety legislation could have done to prevent such a tragic accident. Occasionally accidents are unavoidable. However, any business is required by duty to protect themselves, their staff, and the general public by ensuring they meet health and safety requirements at all costs, and this is the best thing we can possibly do to attempt to minimise awful accidents like this from happening. Health and safety legislations are there to protect us and ensure our safety, and abiding by them religiously is the best way to ensure this. 

Site safety notice scaffold banner 

If you're working with scaffolding, please ensure you have the appropriate safety signs, labels, notices and tape in place to minimise the risk of accidents at all costs. Our range of scaffolding safety products can be viewed here. 

For any advice on which scaffolding safety products you need, please don't hesitate to give us a call on 0800 3761 963.

Using asset tags helps you to keep your goods/assets organised, particularly if you are loaning them to other people or taking them off-premises on a regular basis. Also, if your items go missing, or if they are stolen, a unique asset tag will help you to track them down and verify that they belong to you.

Why Use Asset Tags?

A good example of a product that uses asset tags are library books, you will have seen how libraries keep track of their books using these tags. Asset tags allow them to check books out so they know where they are even when off premise. This also allows libraries to identify which books belong to them.

This is vital for products that are frequently lent to other people but have high value or are valuable in that they are often needed by other people. It also helps people tell the difference between what belongs to them or to wherever they are borrowing from. 

Examples of items that might be labeled with asset tags include:

• Computers and printers
• Electronic equipment
• Library books
• Tools

Plus any other assets that need to be monitored and/or may be at risk of theft.

Where to Buy Asset Tags

We sell a huge variety of asset tagging products here at Label Source, including barcode stickers (for electronic asset management) serial numbering labels (which can be branded with your company name and logo), and a variety of stencils that can be used to assert your ownership.

However, if none of our standard products meet your requirements, you may be more interested in our Custom Asset Tag Builder.

This tool is exclusive to Label Source, and it can be used to create completely bespoke asset labels. You can input your own text, select your preferred numbering/barcoding system, and even choose from 27 different colour combinations. Our custom asset tags come in a range of different sizes and materials, so no matter what you need, we are more than capable of catering to you.

Click here to start using our Asset Tag Builder, or contact Label Source for more information about implementing an asset tagging system and how we can help.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and the organisation is using this auspicious occasion to appeal to businesses in Wales and the rest of the UK.

In a press release - published earlier this week - the HSE stated that worker wellbeing should be the "top priority" for businesses in 2015, citing the following statistics:

• 7 people in Wales lost their lives at work over the course of 2013/14
   
• A further 4,291 people in Wales suffered worked-related injuries over that same period
   
• Some 56,600 people in Wales were made ill through their work over the same period
   
• 2013/14 statistics for the entire UK: 133 deaths at work, more than 79,500 work-related injuries, and over 1.1 million people made ill through work

These numbers are actually an improvement on the previous year, but while the world of work does appear to be getting safer, the fact remains that too many people are being put in unnecessary danger.

If you are an employer, we urge you to follow the HSE's advice and put the health and safety of your workers ahead of all other concerns. Here are a few ways in which to do this:

• Put up the correct safety signs where necessary. Ensure that the signs are as visible and as easy-to-read as possible.
  
  
• Have any electrical installations tested regularly by a certified inspector to ensure their continued safe operation.
  
  
• Think carefully about hygiene, particularly in bathrooms, toilets and kitchen areas. Ensure that all employees practise good hygiene.
  
  
• Familiarise all employees with emergency procedures - what to do if there is a fire, who to call in the event of a medical emergency, etc. We supply of health and safety posters for this purpose.

Health and safety, for the most part, is nothing more than common sense, but employers must be cautious and attentive to keep their employees safe. Don't let your company add to the HSE's injury total for 2015!