Every December, you hear dozens of ridiculous stories about health and safety and how it's ruining Christmas in one way or another. People are told that they can't put up decorations, throw snowballs, put coins in Christmas puddings, and so forth. All of this is nonsense; in fact, no less an authority than the HSE itself has published a list of safety 'myths' that circulate every Christmas.

As always, though, the biggest problem with these stories is the fact that they devalue health and safety as a whole, drawing attention away from real dangers that are actually worth thinking about. We're not here today to talk about snowballs and sixpences, but the holiday season does bring with it a few genuine safety hazards, and that's what we'd like to highlight in this blog post.

Here, then, are 5 simple safety tips for you and your family to bear in mind this December:

• Watch out for bad weather. The 'most wonderful time of the year' coincides with some of the nastiest - and most unpredictable - weather we see here in the UK. Pay attention to weather warnings, be cautious around icy surfaces, and if it snows, don't drive anywhere unless you really need to.
  
  
• Make sure the turkey is properly cooked. Food poisoning is sadly quite common during the holidays. If you're in charge of cooking the Christmas dinner this year, make absolutely sure that EVERYTHING is properly cooked before you serve it up. Don't let a pink bit of meat ruin your entire day!
  
  
• Don't drink too much. While we're on the subject of poisoning, let's take a moment to talk about alcohol poisoning - we all enjoy a couple of drinks on Christmas night, but go too far and your evening in front of the TV could become a night in A&E.
  
  
• Be careful with naked flames. What would Christmas be without a few candles (not to mention the open fire on which you're roasting those chestnuts)? Naked flames are fine, but keep them away from flammable items and be sure to blow out the candles when you leave the room.
  
  
• Don't hurt yourself while decorating at height. Yes, okay, we had to include one point about the decorations. The only real danger here is height: if you're putting up lights or tinsel in a high-up, hard-to-reach area, be sure to use a secure stepladder rather than balancing on a wobbly chair.

Have a merry Christmas, and be sure to stay safe!

You might think that electrical warning labels are only used in power stations and other industrial environments, but electrical hazards are all around us, and they all need to be properly labelled. By using the standardised black-and-yellow labels to identify potential electrical hazards, you are greatly reducing the risk of electrocution and injury by electric shock. This alone should be incentive enough, but consider also that unauthorised tampering with your electrical installations could severely damage your crucial equipment.

With all of this in mind, you need to stock up on electrical hazard labels if your electrical supplies aren't yet properly marked. Here are some of the relevant products that we supply:

 Voltage Labels

These laminated, self-adhesive labels are used to denote specific voltages (e.g. 240 volts), or simply to warn of non-specifc high voltage

Equipment Labels

These labels are used for individual items, such as computers and other electrical appliances. They gives specific instructions for the safe use of these items.

Electrical Warning Labels

We also sell a range of electrical hazard labels for general use around potential threats.

Click here to browse Label Source's entire range of electrical hazard labels and signs.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently conducted a month-long inspection programme to take a closer look at health and safety on Britain's construction sites. Its findings? 40% of the 1,748 construction sites visited failed the HSE's spot-checks. Worse still, 20% of the sites visited were so dreadfully non-compliant that the HSE was forced to pursue formal enforcement action against them - that's almost 350 sites in dire violation of basic health and safety laws!

Clearly, this country's construction industry needs to make more of an effort to protect its workers. Building sites can be very dangerous places, with all kinds of accidents just waiting to happen. Height safety was the area most commonly found lacking by the HSE's investigation, with workers repeatedly failing to take the measures necessary to prevent dangerous falls - this is particularly shameful, as height hazards tend to be very obvious and relatively easy to put right.

If you work on or are responsible for a construction site, you share in the responsibility to improve this dismal showing. Keep your eyes peeled for potential hazards, and if you see anything that you wouldn't want the HSE to see, act immediately! Health and safety regulations aren't there to cause headaches - they're there to save lives, and when all it takes is a safety sign or a strip of warning tape, there really is no excuse for letting your H&S standards slide.

Stock Control Labels are a simple and effective way of labelling your stock. Stock control labels are used for organisation and categorisation, as well as a wide range of other functions in warehouses and storage units. Our range of stock control labels come in a variety of colours and styles, with different text too - so you can rest assured that if you want to organise your warehouse or storage unit, all you'll need is a couple of clicks at Label Source and you'll be well on your way to perfectly organised stock in no time! 

Bin number label

There are stock control labels for assisting stock checks, inspections and dispatch or distrubution - as well as many other functions. No matter which sort of stock control label you're seeking, Label Source are guaranteed to be able to help - and for a competitive price too! 

Equipment number label

All our stock control labels are constructed from self-adhesive vinyl which allows easy application and a durable finish, meaning your stock control labels will withstand the test of time in almost any given environment. Our stock control labels come in rolls of 250 and are exceptionally well priced. 

Weigh counted label

The typical uses for our stock control labels include goods handling, re-ordering stock, stock replenishment, audits and stock takes, rotation, dispatch and distribution and inward inspection. They can also be used to identify products which are fault, expired or in need of quarantine. Indeed - we really do have a stock control label for everything! 

Rejected label

If you can't find what you're looking for here, then Label Source will always be more than happy to help. Give us a call on 0800 3761 693 and one of our experts will help find a solution that works for you. Alternatively, you can contact us by e-mail at info@labelsource.co.uk and we will help source the stock control labels that you need. 

Blank label

If within your workplace there are slippery or uneven surfaces, to comply with health and safety regulations you will need to get your hands on some professional and high-quality anti-slip tape. Anti-slip tape comes in a variety of colours and styles, and is a thick sticky tape which comes with a coarse & textured surface. The rough and textured surface provides added grip for any of these slippery or uneven surfaces within the workplace. 

Anti-slip tape, black and yellow chevron 

Slip-resistant tape can help minimise the risk of slips, trips or falls and is an extremely important health and safety measure to highlight any potential hazards for yourself, your work force and of course the general public too.

Anti-slip tape, clear 

Our professional and high-quality anti-slip tape is made from durable, waterproof film which is resin-bonded with mineral grains for an even tougher grip - no matter which colour or style anti-slip tape you opt for, they're all designed using the same technology. All of our anti-slip tapes are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and the durable film material makes the tape extremely durable; able to cope with pedestrian and even light vehicle traffic. Our tapes perform consistently well in any wet conditions - even with any oil or grease spillages. 

Anti-slip tape, red

Anti-slip tape is primarily used in the following areas:

• Steps/staircases
• Ramps
• Split/uneven floors
• Slippery surfaces 

Our range of anti-slip tapes can provide fantastic health and safety benefits to your business, dramatically reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls. If you have any questions about our range of anti-slip tapes, please don't hesitate to give us a call on 0800 3761 693.