Newsletter June 2023 – M&E

by | Jun 6, 2023 | Newsletters

COMPANY NEWS

TRAINING

When booking courses, all necessary criteria and restrictions will be personally communicated both directly at the time of booking and again through joining instructions ahead of all planned courses. It is vital that these are understood and relevant information clearly passed to candidates.

And do please be sure to inform us ahead of the course date of any candidate who may require assistance in any way, especially with reading or writing; we need advance notice to be able to provide this help.

Please contact Vicki at Wenlock Health & Safety Ltd (WHS) on 01952 885885 or enquiries@wenlockhs.co.uk
or vicki@wenlockhs.co.uk to book places. In addition to those below, please enquire about our other courses available; the full range is also detailed on our website: https://wenlockhealthandsafety.co.uk/

FIRST AID

1-day Emergency First-Aid at Work course dates are listed below; Covid-specific controls will still apply for this particular course for the moment and they will be advised within the joining instructions. Demand is always high, so book places as soon as possible to avoid disappointment:

Dates:

  • 26 June 2023 (Monday)
  • 21 July 2023 (Friday)
  • 23 August 2023 (Wednesday)
  • 27 September 2023 (Wednesday)
  • 30 October 2023 (Monday)
  • 29 November 2023 (Wednesday)

Cost: £85 + VAT per person

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

1-day FAA Award in First Aid for Mental Health (Level 2 RQF)

Duration: 1 day
Dates: 4 July 2023 (Tuesday)

Cost: £85 + VAT per person

IOSH MANAGING SAFELY

3-day IOSH Managing Safely course

Duration: 3 consecutive days
Dates: 18, 19 & 20 July 2023 (Tuesday – Thursday)

Cost: £395 + VAT per person

CITB COURSES

It must be noted that CITB attendance rules are very strict; they must be understood and are reiterated here:

  • CITB specifies that candidates must be available to attend each session within the course; failure to do so may require a repeat course.
  • Attendance is absolutely vital once booked; because of CITB rules, we may be forced to cancel a course on that morning if some candidates fail to take part, to the detriment of all candidates.
  • Basic refreshments will be available; however, no lunch is provided and candidates are to make their own provision (bring their own or there are shops nearby and a small café on site).

Candidates must arrive by 8.15*am for registration; all courses start at 8.30am and finish at around 4.30pm.
* Please reiterate to all candidates the absolute need to make their way up to the WHS offices and log their vehicle registration numbers immediately upon arrival in the car park to avoid being charged for parking.

  • Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)

Duration: 5 days; 1 day per week
Dates:

14, 21 & 28 June; 5 & 12 July 2023 (Wednesdays)
fully booked but a waiting list is operational
27 July; 3, 10, 17 & 24 August 2023 (Thursdays)

Cost: £495 + VAT per person

  • Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) Refresher

Duration: 2 days
Dates:

7 & 8 August 2023 (Monday & Tuesday)
16 & 17 October 2023 (Monday & Tuesday)

Cost: £285 + VAT per person
(10% discount when booking 2 or more people on all courses)

  • Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS)

Duration: 2 days
Dates:

24 & 25 July 2023 (Monday & Tuesday)
13 & 14 September 2023 (Wednesday & Thursday)

Cost: £250 + VAT per person
(10% discount when booking 2 or more people on all courses)

  • Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) Refresher

Duration: 1 day
Dates:

21 August 2023 (Monday)
11 October 2023 (Wednesday)

Cost: £170 + VAT
(10% discount when booking 2 or more people on all courses)

  • CITB 1-Day Health & Safety Awareness

Duration: 1 day
Dates:

17 July 2023 (Monday)
21 September 2023 (Thursday)

Cost: £145 + VAT per person
(10% discount when booking 2 or more people on all courses)

CITB ASBESTOS AWARENESS

Half-day CITB asbestos awareness open course.

Date: 16 June 2023 (Friday)
Cost: £60 + VAT per person

UKATA ASBESTOS AWARENESS

Half-day UKATA asbestos awareness open course.

Important note: Those who currently hold a UKATA certificate must undertake a further course within the following 12 months, before the certificate expiry date.

Date: 29 June 2023 (Thursday)
Cost: £60 + VAT per person

HSE NEWS

ANOTHER HSE DUSTS CAMPAIGN

The issue of dusts and respiratory health risks has been a priority for the HSE for many years now (as you well know from the many, many times this has been discussed in previous newsletters!) and the HSE has launched yet another high-profile campaign (from May to the middle of July) specifically targeted at how dusts are managed on site.

Be warned yet again – go around your sites and make sure your systems for dust control and respiratory protection are exemplary, right down to the maintenance of respiratory protection. Helpful information can be freely downloaded from the HSE and campaign websites:

  • https://rb.gy/t5r1f
  • https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis36.pdf
  • https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis78.pdf

This issue has been around for so long, so much information has been published and WHS has raised this issue so many times through training, site inspections and these newsletters, there really is no excuse for non-compliance and no grounds for appeal should anyone receive an enforcement notice from the HSE.

DUSTS IN INDUSTRIAL CLEANING

Whilst on the subject of dusts, the HSE has produced a report on dust exposure during the vast array of industrial cleaning processes, including construction (just think about the effect of dry sweeping!). RR1192 makes interesting reading for those involved in this type of work and can be downloaded from:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr1192.pdf

HSE CAMPAIGN ASBESTOS

And following on from the subject of dusts, but dusts which are far more harmful (lethal!), the HSE has enhanced its ongoing campaign to further raise awareness of the extreme hazards from inhalation of asbestos fibres. This campaign is aimed particularly (but certainly not exclusively) at renovations and refurbishments where the knowledge, or acceptance of the risks, is still generally low.

Valuable information can be found on the HSE and campaign websites:

  • Essential information: https://rb.gy/y5nzv
  • Asbestos task sheets: https://rb.gy/91buk
  • An essential brief guide to asbestos facts: https://rb.gy/rt2rr
  • The Silent Killer, a tragic video by some of those affected which certainly hits home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0VRsRvXKsg

Bearing in mind that asbestos has been banned since 2000 and significant legislation placing responsibilities on all construction parties followed on very shortly afterwards, any non-compliance is inexcusable and will be dealt with heavily by the HSE. NEVER cut corners; your employees’ health is at risk – and so is the health of your company!

Just take the following very short test to gauge exactly how much you do know: https://rb.gy/mphsv

ANYONE working with, or connected in any way to, renovations, refurbishments, modifications, alterations or any other interaction with existing structures must have asbestos awareness training. If you or your employees lack this training, OR if you or they have not had refresher training within at least the last 2 years, OR if you or your employees fail the short test, contact WHS immediately.

REVISED ELECTRICAL GUIDANCE

The HSE Has published a revised version of HSG141, Electrical Safety on Construction Sites; download from:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg141.pdf

Further specific information also available on the HSE website: https://rb.gy/ar0eu

DISABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE

We are all under an obligation to support our workers in whatever way necessary to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing, and this obviously requires special attention when it comes to employees with particular disabilities. The HSE has recently added a further range of excellent support materials to their websites to help both employers and employees:

  • The principles of support and best practice: https://rb.gy/v9htq
  • The ‘Talking Toolkit’ and best practice: https://rb.gy/xvdns
  • An in-depth podcast hosted by experts: https://rb.gy/gz938

In addition, an online support service has been developed on GOV.UK which gives essential support for employees and managers: https://rb.gy/vzto3

SIMPLIFICATION OF HSE WEB INFORMATION

The HSE has recently completed a wide-ranging exercise to revise much of its main online advice, which had become repetitive and cumbersome over the years. The main improved and more concise information sites are as follows:

  • Introduction to health & safety management: https://rb.gy/ncnsx
  • Risk management: https://rb.gy/42wfg
  • Managing some of the basic risks for all workplaces: https://rb.gy/ig3w9
  • Principles for senior and middle management and where you can subscribe for updates, always useful: https://rb.gy/tm08j

All information, as usual, is freely downloadable and can be extremely useful to refer to alongside the in-depth resources provided to all WHS customers. Do take a look; it’s all very easy to digest.

HSE LAW POSTER

Did you obtain your legally required HSE Law Poster from WHS or elsewhere? If elsewhere, did you get it direct from the HSE or a legitimate provider?

The law says that you MUST display an approved version of the poster in each workplace or, where this is just not possible, provide each worker with a copy of the equivalent leaflet (provided in the templates section of your WHS resources). The current approved design (which has been out for ages) is shown here; if you still have a cream-coloured version without pictures, get a new one quickly!

It has come to the attention of the HSE that there are many fake posters in the marketplace now and displaying one of these is illegal; the business displaying a fake poster will be subject to HSE enforcement so check now!

Posters from 2009 onwards have enhanced security measures within the poster itself; check online whether your posters are legitimate and, if not, order a replacement immediately from the HSE: https://rb.gy/t9zjw

INDUSTRY NEWS

TELESCOPIC LADDERS

There is a continued and serious warning from the Ladder Association about the safety of telescopic ladders.

WHS highlighted this issue in 2022 when the LA reported that an alarming 82% of all telescopic ladders tested failed, were found to be non-compliant and, in most cases, were totally unsafe to use. Now the LA have reported a second time (April 2023) and an even more alarming 100% of those previously tested types still failed and are still total unsafe for use. Read both reports and the background to the issue on the Ladder Association website: https://rb.gy/7zq58

And, if you do own one of these ladders, you would be strongly advised to take it out of use and buy or hire an alternative – before it’s too late.

YOUNG PERSONS WORKING

With the school holidays fast approaching, there is a tendency for those classified as ‘young persons’ to earn a bit of spare cash. All WHS customers have information in their health & safety packs about the legal necessity to carry out a Young Person’s Risk Assessment for anyone under his/her 18th birthday and to abide by strict rules as per the Health & Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997.

However, there are other legal requirements related to any child / young person aged 13 – 18 years (it is illegal for anyone under the age of 13 to be employed in any shape or form, no matter how minimal) under the Children & Young Persons Act 1933: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/23-24/12/contents

The NNCEE (National Network for Children in Employment & Entertainment) website explains what needs to done, rules to be followed and permits to be obtained, together with providing 2 relevant posters: https://www.nncee.org.uk/page/45/employment

The Shropshire Council website also provides valuable succinct information:
https://rb.gy/pjxxb

For those in any type of workplace which does or may interact with children (obviously schools, leisure facilities, etc, but also gyms, sports coaching, local authority work, etc) it is advisable to gain at least a basic qualification in child protection such as the Introduction to Safeguarding Children Training Course (Level 1 Safeguarding) offered here: https://rb.gy/0q57d

And never forget that any employment of those under 18, whether paid or unpaid, voluntary or work experience, MUST be specifically covered by your insurance.

PPE – STANDARDS MARKINGS

Having issued the instruction that all PPE must be UKCA marked from the beginning of this year, the requirement has now been rescinded until 1 January 2025….make up your minds!!

So, apologies to those WHS customers who already have the UKCA PPE marks mentioned in their health & safety policies (obviously from the previous instruction); the CE marking will stay as the legal minimum requirement until 2025. If anyone would like us to issue a fresh policy electronically (only), please contact the WHS office.

ADEQUATE INSURANCE

Whilst on the subject of insurance, we all know (or should know!) that Employer’s Liability insurance is compulsory for any business or person who employs another in any shape or form. But how many businesses really know which other types of insurance are advisable according to the nature of the business in which they are engaged? For instance:

  • Professional indemnity insurance or PI is (hopefully!) taken out as a matter of course by designers, but how many others would be advised to do the same to cover advice given by them to their clients? According to AXA, PI insurance should be taken out by any business who may “provide designs, specifications, advice or instructions as part of your job”. Does this apply to you; apart from design (and remember the CDM definition of ‘design’), do you provide specifications and instruction in any shape or form?
  • Public liability insurance or PL is often, but by no means usually, taken out by contractors, retail and other businesses who interact with the public. To quote AXA, PL “covers you for claims made by a third-party. This could be from a customer, a client, or a member of the public”, so does this apply to you?

There are many more types of insurance which can be taken out as separate policies or appended to others; whatever the nature and extent of your work, it is essential to cover yourself against any potential eventualities. As with home insurance, when money’s tight, it’s all too easy to be tempted to cut corners with insurance – but what happens when that eventuality, however unlikely it may seem, does actually happen? Resultant claims and court cases could spell the death of your company.

As with health & safety, never be tempted to cut corners. Get expert advice and do what’s necessary to safeguard both your business and anyone affected by what you do.

AND FINALLY

Public protection

  • RJ McLeod (Contractors) Ltd was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60,000 after a 10-year old boy died on a building site in Glasgow. The youngster had got into the McLeod site one evening and fell down a manhole; emergency services rescued him but he tragically died from his injuries. The site was part of a surface water management project and there had been very little attention paid to establishing and maintaining adequate perimeter fencing despite being situated very close to housing.

Plant & machinery

  • Two major transport companies, Turners (Soham) Ltd and The Haulage Group Ltd, were fined £1.9 million and £30,000 respectively and both ordered to pay costs of £75,500 each, after the depot manager of Turners was hit and killed by an HGV. The vehicle had been reversing from a parking space at The Haulage Group premises; both companies had failed to recognise the hazards of reversing vehicles, particularly in areas of poor visibility and neither had established safe systems of work.
  • Eco Waste & Recycling Ltd was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay over £3,000 costs after an employee was run over by a telehandler and had to have his leg amputated. The company had failed to properly risk assess and to segregate plant from pedestrians.
  • Akso Nobel Packaging Coatings Ltd was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay over £3,000 costs after a worker’s leg was crushed by a forklift. The victim had been walking across a pedestrian crossing at the site when he was hit by the forklift; the driver’s vision had been obscured by multiple containers on the forks and he had not slowed down as he approached the crossing. The HSE found inadequate risk assessment, with a lack of supervision and management resulting in poor practices becoming commonplace.
  • E Jackson (Chatburn) Ltd was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay almost £4,000 costs after a mechanic died whilst repairing a forklift. The victim had been working with a new employee as they attempted to fix a steering fault. He had told the inexperienced employee to move the forklift forwards; however, he moved it backwards instead, trapping the victim against a trailer and causing fatal head injuries. The requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) had been totally ignored and no systems established for the legally required testing and inspections, nor for repair and maintenance of the 30-year old truck.

Work at height

  • Patrick McCarthy (trading as All Care Home Improvements) was jailed for 14 months after a worker fell almost 5 metres from a pitched roof and died a week later. No scaffolding or other fall prevention measures had been established, unbelievable complacency from McCarthy.
  • Henry Construction Projects Ltd was fined £234,000 and ordered to pay costs of over £12,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries falling 3 metres from a platform during demolition work. It can clearly be seen in the photo that no fall prevention measures had been established.
  • CP Button Ltd was fined almost £63,500 and ordered to pay almost £4,000 costs after a worker fell 6 metres through a grain shed roof whilst cleaning gutters. The victim was using crawler boards but no other fall prevention measures were in place, nor was he made aware of the fragility of the roof panels.

COSHH

  • F&E Joinery Ltd was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs for failing to control employees’ exposure to wood dusts; the visit which identified the multiple failings was part of the HSE’s current campaign against dust exposure. The failings included the disconnection of LEV systems and no appropriate cleaning regime.

WHS is working for you; help us to help you.
Our aim is to keep people safe and to keep your company working.
To contact WHS, ring: 01952-885885