Hi Tom Just depends what you want out of it. When you get these type of File briefs they do stipulate that it is "as of whatever date you buy it". However then the usually want you continue to subscribe for "updates" so as legislation changes you get new pages to add in and take out old ones. On a positive if you read all the updates it keeps you knowledgeable about new and changing legislation. On a negative they dont seem to tell you anything that you cannot pick up from other sources. Plus which you have everything in there. I prefer something like technical index so you can download PDFs of BS Standards [costs extra and guidance from HSE and industry. The negative is that this does not e-mail you or get in touch when things change. Personally these types of publication are not my cup of tea as when I am dealing with an issue I prefer to research all information not just Statutory Instruments but it is subjective. You cannot beat networking and asking other practitioners. Regards Martin

I would strongly agree with Martin. Health and safety is an extremely broad field where in many cases specialist expertise is required. It is quite common in my particular field to find that someone who may have general health and safety qualifications (CMIOSH, etc.) does not have the specialist knowledge and may give advice that is not correct. Just recently I had to write to the editor of a health and safety publication to point out that the information given in their "ask the expert" feature by a large, well known firm of consultants was incorrect and, if followed, could have created a significant risk of damage to health. I frequently find that inadequate advice has been given on the selection of suitable PPE (gloves) for protection against chemical hazards, sometimes even by the glove manufacturer's representative. So make sure that whoever you ask about a particular issue does have the knowledge to give you the correct advice. Chris