Posted By Jay Joshi The new HSE Books website,formally to be launched on 1 September 2009, is being made available now to obtain user feedback. The content of some 230 priced publications are now freely available in PDF format. Printed copies can still be purchased through the new website. The option to view a pdf is shown under the paragraph headed 'Downloads' on each stock record in the new site. HSE will be making some 50 or so of its most popular titles freely available in 'printer friendly' format from 1 September. The remaining 180 or so publications will be converted to this format by 31 March 2010. Visitors can view 'Essentials of health and safety at work' in printer friendly format on the new website. PDF formats of priced publications have the same content as the printed formats, both have equal status in law. No changes will be made to one format in isolation from the other. http://books.hse.gov.uk/hse/public/home.jsf

Posted By Peter Zunda Thanks for the heads up!

Posted By Graham Bullough It has been something of an anomaly that HSE Books have charged for most of their publications until now while most or perhaps all/nearly all publications from the Government's Dept for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF) and its predecessors have apparently been available for years without charge to schools and anyone else who orders them from the same address at Sudbury in Suffolk. I've just done a quick internet check and note that most or all of DCSF Publications has moved to Nottingham. By the way, whenever I've needed to quote the initials DCSF when working with schools I've tended to get the initials mixed up. However, one headteacher told me earlier this year that an easy way of getting the initials right was to think of DCSF as the "Dept for Carpets and Soft Furnishings". In turn this prompts me to mention that "Private Eye" magazine has long offered highly satirical alternative suggestions for the initials of some other government departments. However, to avoid any possible breach of an AUG, I'd better refrain from quoting any on this forum.