World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025 takes place on Monday 28 April
28 April 2025 | Personal Injury
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is held annually on 28 April. It was established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2003 to promote safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. The objective is to prevent occupational accidents and illnesses globally. This article looks at the theme of this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work and sets out a case study of one of Stewarts’ clients who sustained a life-changing injury at work.
In 2023-2024, the ILO published the following figures:
93 million workers die each year as a result of work-related factors.
395 million workers worldwide sustain a non-fatal work injury each year.
41 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat, partly due to global warming, each year resulting in 18,970 deaths.
$361bn billion could be saved globally by implementing improved safety and health measures to prevent injuries from excessive heat in the workplace.
This year’s World Day will focus on how new technologies are transforming occupational safety and health (OSH). This includes the automation of tasks, the use of smart OSH tools and monitoring systems, extended reality and virtual reality, and algorithmic management of work. Without proper OSH measures, digital technologies can cause accidents, ergonomic risks, increased work intensity, reduced job control and blurred boundaries. So, they may not be the panacea they might be thought to be, and their introduction needs to be properly risk assessed.
Case study
Stewarts frequently represents clients who have sustained life-changing injuries as a result of accidents in the workplace.
In 2022, Stewarts settled a case on behalf of a client, a full-time engineer, who caught his sleeve in a metal-turning lathe, resulting in his arm being pulled into the machinery. He had to have a traumatic amputation of his left arm above the elbow and also sustained serious injuries to his left shoulder and chest and fractures to his C6 and T4 vertebrae.
When the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the employer’s premises, they found many machines were unguarded and, therefore, not safe. The defendant was charged with breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of their employees.
As a result of our client’s injuries, he was unable to return to work. Stewarts helped the client recover significant provision for his future prosthetic and rehabilitation needs.
We have a film showing another example of how we have helped clients after they’ve sustained life-changing injuries at work.
World Day for Health and Safety aims to prevent accidents like this by identifying and mitigating risks early.
Understanding Step Potential and Touch Potential: Why It Matters in Electrical Safety
ReplyDeleteIn high-voltage substations and transmission systems, step potential and touch potential are critical safety concerns.
Step Potential is the voltage difference a person can experience between their feet when standing on the ground during a fault condition. If there is a ground fault, dangerous voltage gradients can develop across the ground surface and just taking a step could expose someone to severe electric shock.
Touch Potential refers to the voltage difference between a grounded object (like a structure or fenceing ) and the ground itself. When a person touches a conductive object during a fault, their body can become part of the path for fault current — leading to dangerous outcomes.
Mitigation techniques include:
• Proper grounding and grid design
• Gravel surfacing to increase ground resistance
• Maintaining safe approach distances
In the world of electrical maintenance and operation, understanding these potentials is not just technical — it’s about protecting lives.
WHAT and WHY of SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL (SAF) ?
ReplyDeleteSustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is a safe replacement for conventional (fossil-based) fuel that could reduce carbon emissions. It is almost chemically identical to traditional jet fuel. It is generated from feedstocks that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and provide a net reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to fossil fuels.
Today, SAF is blended with conventional kerosene in ratios of up to 50% SAF to ensure compatibility with aircraft, engines or fueling systems. Commercial flights are currently permitted to fly with a blend of SAF and conventional fossil-based kerosene.
Worldwide, aviation accounts for 2% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 12% of all CO2 emissions from transportation. Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation caps net CO2 aviation emissions at 2020 levels through 2035. The international aviation industry has set an aspirational goal to reach net zero carbon by 2050. SAF presents the best near-term opportunity to meet these goals.
With the growing demand of SAF which is expected to increase from 1.5 billion gallons in 2025 to 35 billion gallons in 2050 , there are some proven production pathways :-
1) Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Synthetic : Woody biomass is converted to syngas using gasification, then a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction converts the syngas to jet fuel.
2)Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids : Triglyceride feedstocks such as plant oil; animal oil; yellow or brown greases; or waste fat, oil, and greases are hydroprocessed to break apart the long chain of fatty acids, followed by hydroisomerization and hydrocracking.
3) Alcohol-to-Jet : Conversion of cellulosic or starchy alcohol (isobutanol and ethanol) into a drop-in fuel through a series of chemical reactions—dehydration, hydrogenation, oligomerization, and hydrotreatment.
SAF must be blended with Jet A prior to use in an aircraft. If SAF is co-processed with conventional Jet A at an existing petroleum refinery, the fuel would flow through the supply chain in a business-as-usual model via pipeline to terminals and onwards by pipeline or truck to airports.
With an aim to decarbonize the Aviation Industry , SAF is poised to play a key role and ATJ looks to be the preferred pathway!