Training Skills Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

26/08/2017 Sound advice (in association with Casella) Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is a growing concern for many manufacturers, but more can be done to raise awareness of the risks amongst workers – particularly the youth. Chris Beck reports on the latest Works Management roundtable event » Read More

13/02/2017 Keeping guard When it comes to machine safety, failure to adhere to regulations can be an expensive business, but compliance need not be such an onerous task, as Mark Venables explains » Read More

23/11/2015 Lives and forks Reducing the number of incidents involving forklift trucks is all about encouraging a positive safety culture, as Ian Vallely discovers » Read More

07/08/2015 Thinking safety first with processes and people Most people think of ATEX as an equipment standard, but it also covers the processes within any hazardous environment, says Mark Venables » Read More

25/04/2015 Don’t be caught off guard There are compelling moral and business reasons to guard, quite literally, against the dangers posed by moving conveyors. Ian Vallely explains » Read More

25/01/2015 More than just a suitable case for treatment Setting up an occupational health department in your company or using an outside service for preventive healthcare can result in a healthy profit as well as a healthy workforce, says Ian Vallely » Read More

03/12/2014 Watch your step More than 29,000 people were killed or badly injured by slips, trips and falls in the UK in 2012/2013, but there are steps you can take to diminish the risks. » Read More

29/08/2014 Health check Everyone involved with notified hazardous areas should be well aware of the legislation and ACOPs, and the seriousness of their duties. But part of that includes more audit than some may realise, says Brian Tinham » Read More

27/08/2014 How to avoid the safety catch A forthcoming occupational health and safety management standard is set to help cut the awful toll of death and injury on Britain's factory floors, says Ian Vallely. » Read More

14/06/2014 Unsafe maintenance Sadly, maintenance engineers and technicians are still being seriously injured and even killed as they carry out their tasks. Brian Tinham asks HSE chair Judith Hackitt, why? » Read More

02/05/2014 First of Jan IOSH chief Jan Chmiel speaks exclusively to Max Gosney about the dawn of a new era of clipboard-light health and safety and why it demands more enlightened manufacturing managers » Read More

02/05/2014 “I thought ‘this is it’– I was bleeding at a phenomenal rate” Paul Mahoney had his arm torn off while attending a machine breakdown. He describes the accident scene and his mission to stamp out a laissez-faire safety culture. » Read More

01/05/2014 Staying safe Safety and Health Expo, which has moved from the NEC to the ExCeL centre in London, is set to be the biggest yet. Brian Tinham previews the highlights » Read More

18/01/2014 The 46 reasons to take falls seriously Gravity is good. It causes dispersed matter to coalesce and ensures this combined material – which includes you and me – remains intact. It is also, literally, the force of nature that keeps our feet on the ground. There are, however, ... » Read More

27/08/2013 Risk ramped up Loading bays – or goods in and out areas – are one of the most common places for workplace accidents. » Read More

05/08/2013 Intrinsically safe? In the rush to protect electrical equipment from causing fires in explosive atmospheres, it's easy to forget the basics of risk assessment, as enshrined in DSEAR. » Read More

05/06/2013 Accidents waiting to happen Common sense it may be, but all too often the use of machine guards falls way short of the legal standards. Brian Tinham talks to TÜV SÜD about problems and solutions. » Read More

15/04/2013 Education and innovation The forthcoming Safety & Health Expo promises to deliver a broad educational content, as well as a showcase of the latest products and services. We look ahead to the event and find out what visitors can expect to see and hear. » Read More

18/02/2013 A regulation tie-up? As part of its review of health and safety legislation, the government has been considering whether regulations covering related topics such as lifting and loading operations could be pulled together. Is a merger of PUWER and LOLER still ... » Read More

01/03/2010 Sensing invisible hazards There is a new state-of-the-art in toxic and flammable gas sensor technologies that changes the art of what's possible. Dr Tom Shelley reports » Read More

01/01/2010 Hone your skills Like a finely tuned instrument, investing in training and continuing professional development for plant engineers helps them to perform their roles with greater speed, accuracy and precision. Brian Wall provides some insights » Read More

01/12/2009 Raise high the pallet, engineers It's too easy to go for the same old equipment for yet another lifting or handling task. Brian Tinham examines some of the options and the engineering issues in specifying plant » Read More

01/06/2009 Safety first When it comes to automated plant, ensuring safety is not just about adherence to the IEC 61508 control system standard or its industry-specific derivatives (IEC 61511 for the process industries, IEC 62061 for machinery etc). It's also ... » Read More

01/06/2009 Safety first When it comes to automated plant, ensuring safety is not just about adherence to the IEC 61508 control system standard or its industry-specific derivatives (IEC 61511 for the process industries, IEC 62061 for machinery etc). It's also ... » Read More

01/06/2009 Hidden hazards Did you know that if dry wire wool - think of discarded Brillo pads - comes into contact with a dead nine-volt battery, it can spontaneously combust? Or that dust - for that matter, even sugar or custard powder - can ignite and unleash a ... » Read More