FOREWORD : ISSUE 106
In this issue of HSE International :
In light of recent political and economic developments - the Brexit vote and Donald Trump ’ s inauguration as 45th President of the United States - many clients and friends have expressed their concern regarding the future of standards in health , safety and environmental management . With an unsettled global climate , challenging times lie ahead , and we believe it is important to ensure that standards are upheld .
Organisations such as ISO ( International Organization for Standardization ) have , for 70 years , developed and published International Standards . ISO standards provide requirements , specifications , guidelines or characteristics to ensure that products and services are safe , reliable and of good quality .
In addition , BSI is the business standards company helping organisations all over the world make excellence a habit . For more than a century BSI had challenged mediocrity and complacency to help embed excellence into the way people and products work .
We present exclusive articles with both organisations who share our admiration for the spirit of innovation and education for all .
We are also very pleased to reveal our recently announced Media Partnership with Safety & Health Expo 2017 ; the UK ’ s largest health and safety event that offers CPD accredited education , the latest health and safety products and services , valuable networking opportunities and much more .
Safety & Health Expo is the only place in the UK where all key health and safety associations , manufacturers , distributors , consultants , industry leads and influencers come together , giving you access to unrivalled expertise and networking under one roof . The RoSPA Awards and BSIF Awards are also hosted and presented during the show . We will produce a full event review of Safety & Health Expo 2017 in a forthcoming issue of HSE International . Whilst it is important to learn from the lessons of the past by upholding and maintaining standards , it is also beneficial to move with the times by incorporating and embracing new technology . Our cover story this issue features a comprehensive interview with David Harmer , Head of Category Management at MWUK LTD t / a Alexandra .
By working in close partnership with fabric and garment technicians , Alexandra continues to drive innovation . David comments :
“ We ’ ve had an exciting project running for the past 18 months that focuses on the development of wearable technology and its importance to our customers . One of the most interesting points about a number of the wearable technology innovations is the fact that they not only seek to improve employee safety from specific risks , but also seek to improve their general welfare . It ’ s an incredibly broad topic , focusing on traditional points of concern such as being visible in low light conditions , or improved worker productivity through the access to information via heads-up displays , to being aware of someone ’ s mental alertness or hydration levels .
“ The developments based around welfare are some of the most important . Receiving an alert that your concentration level is falling is proactive - helping to avoid an incident taking place . You may be doing something that ’ s excessively strenuous or perhaps something you ’ re not used to . All of a sudden , your brain activity drops significantly . This technology alerts you to the fact you need to take a break , refresh , and gather your thoughts and composure .
An intelligent development for a world that never stops …
Contributors BSI HSE BSIF ISO BTA
For more information , please contact a member of our team at : info @ hseinternational . co . uk www . twitter . com / hse _ int 0800 612 5845
Olympus Publishing Limited 42 Crosby Rd Waterloo Liverpool L22 4QQ
Jonathan Seale Magazine Manager
HSE INTERNATIONAL 5