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.

01/06/2009 Flawed floor? A recent survey of 1,500 IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety & Health) members revealed that slips and trips are the most recognised safety hazard in the workplace. Yet just 22% of respondents use key preventive measures, such as ... » Read More

01/04/2009 Belt and braces Can you recall some of the more extreme reactions from the general public when the idea of compulsory seat belts was first mooted? They ranged from: 'No one can make me put one of those things on' to 'No [expletive deleted] way!' In short, ... » Read More

01/06/2008 Fair enough Line managers in engineering companies worry that the law of the land seems to be tilted in favour of their employees, and increasingly fear they need to tread carefully. But what does ?carefully' mean? How much of what we hear is just bar ... » Read More

01/03/2008 Passport to safety No one would disagree with the HSE's insistence that health and safety training, as well as engineering competence, must be demonstrated before employees, contractors or visitors are allowed on-site. That's the proof we all demand of ... » Read More

01/03/2008 Law in your own hands You could be forgiven for thinking that on 6 April the eyes of the legal profession will be firmly on the Corporate Manslaughter (Corporate Homicide in Scotland) Act, as it comes into force. But you would be wrong. Why? Because for the ... » Read More

01/03/2008 Electric shock Electrical standards governing design, build, installation, commissioning, testing and maintenance of electrical and electronic systems are changing - and the changes do impact engineering choices, methods and responsibilities. They also ... » Read More

01/12/2007 Lifting the lid on lifting Most plant engineers probably have a horror story about lifting equipment that failed or malfunctioned. For many, the experience will have resulted in neither serious injuries nor fatalities. But the truth is, we all know they so easily ... » Read More

01/06/2007 Safe passage UK employees suffered 10,835 major injuries as a result of slipping and tripping in 2005/06, according to the HSE, so such accidents remain serious problems - accounting for 38% of all major injuries. » Read More

01/02/2007 Laser-guided track to safety The increased loading of the rail network, along with the greater speeds of modern trains, has led to higher stressing of the rails. The track itself is therefore the most important safety aspect and so needs to be inspected regularly to ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Alarm ringing for new regulations The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced earlier this year that the new fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales would come into force on 1 October 2006. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Don't trust to luck While the risk of a prison sentence as a result of an accident resulting from the non-observance of safety regulations remains small, it is a possibility. The legal complications and potential damage to a business as a consequence of a ... » Read More

01/03/2004 Inhaling fumes should not damage your health A new laboratory in a leading research institute in the UK has just been dedicated to improving the welding working environment and making it safer. » Read More

01/03/2004 Face to face - A healthy attitude When Maureen Kingman began her career as a factory inspector for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) 25 years ago, the health and safety picture in factories was quite different from that seen today. "Back then, there were some machines ... » Read More