Welcome to the May issue of the AGS Magazine, which is the last edition published within my two-year tenure as Chair. It has been a pleasure to work with all involved in producing the magazine, which has a reach of over 5000 industry colleagues.
I also very much enjoyed meeting many of you at the AGS Annual Conference at the Barbican Centre in London last month and I hope that you found the event as fun and informative as I did. Many thanks to all those who attended and who contributed to making the conference such a successful day. In this issue we feature an overview of the conference, and we have more events lined up for you so read on for details of those and I hope to see you there.
In the meantime, in this edition our Safety Working Group Leader, Jon Rayner, reports on accident statistics in our industry and how we can improve. We are very grateful to AGS members for sharing data to inform this study and I encourage continued participation in this endeavour. Continuing the safety and security theme, we also feature an article on Cyber Insurance,
which is unfortunately becoming an essential part of loss prevention within our industry.
It remains for me to thank all contributors to this publication over the last two years and to remind you to keep those entries coming in for our Photography Competition! Please keep up the engagement, as contribution by members and feedback are the only ways the AGS will continue to improve and stay an effective trade association for its members.
We are always on the lookout for additional, informative content for the magazine, so if you have a case study or technical article that you think the wider geotechnical and geoenvironmental public would find beneficial, please do get in touch.
We would be interested in your feedback on the magazine and our future plans. Please contact ags@ags.org.uk if you have any comments.
Sally Hudson AGS ChairABOUT THE AGS
The Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) is a not-for-profit trade association established to improve the profile and quality of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The membership comprises UK organisations and individuals having a common interest in the business of ground investigation, geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and other related disciplines.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Sally Hudson, AGS Chair
Caroline Kratz, Forum Court Associates (FCA)
Katie Kennedy, FCA
Julian Lovell, Equipe Group
Calum Spires, Equipe Group
David Entwisle, BGS
Chris Vincett, Hydrock
Lauren Hunt, Arcadis
Adam Latimer, Ian Farmer Associates
Dimitris Xirouchakis, Structural Soils
Emma Anderson, HaskoningDHV UK
Daniele Fornelli, Geotechnical Observations
EDITORIAL STORY
If you have a news story or event which you’d like to tell our editorial team about, please contact the AGS on 020 8658 8212 or ags@ags.org.uk. Please note that articles should act as opinion pieces and not directly advertise a company. The AGS is under no obligation to feature articles or events received.
CONTACT US
AGS
Forum Court, Office 2FF, Saphir House, 5 Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD
ags@ags.org.uk
020 8658 8212
Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists
@agsgeotech
www.ags.org.uk
FEATURE
PAGE 26
COVER STORY PAGE 18
Jon Rayner and the AGS Safety Working Group review and compare accident stats from 2022.
The sophistication, frequency and severity of cyber losses are growing. As the economy has increased its dependency upon technology, exposure to Cyber losses has surged.
In this article, Griffiths & Armour provide an update on regulatory changes and advice of Cyber Policies.
AGS ANNUAL CONFERENCE REVIEW
PAGE 10
A brief review of the AGS Annual Conference which took place at the end of April.
AGS GROUND RISK CONFERENCE
PAGE 12
Details on the upcoming live event in November focussing on ground risk.
AGS WEBINAR - INSTRUMENTATION AND MONITORING: HOW NOT TO GET IT WRONG
PAGE 15
Details on the latest webinar from the AGS.
PAGE 4
News in Short: Incl. upcoming AGS Events
PAGE 28
Standards Update: March 2023
PAGE 32
Upcoming Events & Courses
As announced in the March issue of the AGS Magazine, the AGS is holding a new photography competition for 2023.
We’re on the lookout for your most creative images which are reflective of the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry.
Entry into the competition is free and the winner of the competition will win a food hamper basket from luxury retailer, Fortnum and Mason, worth over £75. Three runners up will each win a bottle of Champagne.
Please email your image with;
A short description of what it showcases and where it was taken (up to 50 words)
• Image credit information (if applicable)
• Your full name Company name
• Postal address
to ags@ags.org.uk with the subject ‘AGS Magazine: Photography Competition 2023’ in the email.
There is no limit to the number of images you enter. The deadline for entries is 7th July 2023. Entry into the competition is free.
The full image requirements and terms and conditions can be viewed on the AGS website.
For this year’s AGS Awards, a select number of AGS Working Group Members were nominated by their Working Group Leaders to highlight their contribution and dedication to the AGS over the past year.
We’d like to say a big thank you, and a welldeserved congratulations, to the following Award and Commendation Winners.
AGS Loss Prevention Working Group
Chris Hoskins (Award Winner)
Hugh Mallett (Award Winner)
Zita Mansi (Commendation)
AGS Safety Working Group
Liz Withington (Award Winner)
Adam Latimer (Award Winner)
AGS Geotechnical Working Group
Emma Cronin (Award Winner)
Katharine Barker (Commendation)
AGS Data Management Working Group
Tony Daly (Award Winner)
AGS Contaminated Land Working Group
Angela Haslam (Award Winner)
To view our AGS Awards Video featuring acceptance speeches from our winners please click HERE.
The top three AGS publications in last month:
1. AGS Loss Prevention Guidance 2022
2. AGS Guidance on Waste Classification for Soils – A Practitioners Guide
3. AGS Guide to Ground Investigation Reports
Recent AGS publications available on the AGS website:
• AGS Loss Prevention Guidance 2022
LPA 74 – The Building Safety Act 2022: Significant Changes to the Limitation Period Under The Defective Premises Act 1972
• LPA 75 – Safeguarding Contractual Caps on Liability
• Safety Share – Piling Contractor Strikes Water Main
• Client Guide for Ground Engineering and Project Timelines
• LPA 76 – Reliance on another Company’s Report
To download the publications for free; click here.
The SiLC Annual Forum took place virtually on Wednesday 29th March 2023.
This half day event (9:30am – 13:30), Chaired by Tom Henman (SiLC PTP Chair), bought together industry professionals for a stellar programme of presentations and discussions centred around Climate & Sustainability and Looking into the Future. Presentations on the day included:
• Delivering Effective and Sustainable Materials Management on National Infrastructure Projects (Carrie Rose, Associated Technical Director at Atkins and Ian Evans, Senior Technical Director at Arcadis Consulting (UK))
• The Development and Application of Carbon Calculator Tools to Sustainable Development (Sarah Cook, Associate Director, Leap Environmental)
Understanding the Relationship Between Soil Biodiversity and Soil Health (Dr Felicity Crotty, Senior Lecturer in Soil Science and Ecology at the Royal Agricultural University)
• Post-Brexit Regulation of Excavated Materials: Waste Not Want Not; Waste, Want or Not; Want, Not Waste; Not Want, Waste (Paul Nathanail, Director at LQM)
• Evolving Environmental Risks and the Insurance Market (Robert Wade, Environmental Underwriting Manager, The Hartford and Thomas Hughes, Senior Market Services Executive, International Underwriting Association)
• PFAS: What the UK can learn from Jersey and Guernsey approach to PFAS (James Lemon, Associate Technical Director, Arcadis)
In addition to the main programme of presentations, those who attended were able to enjoy insights from Early Careers Professionals on what sustainability means to them, as well as a moving poetry reading from The Scottish Centre for Geopoetics.
A panel discussion on the topic ‘What do land condition professionals consider they need to understand to tackle climate change and sustainability challenges?’ Chaired by Claire Dickinson, (Director, Geo-environmental Matters) also provided an interesting conversation amongst panellists Amy Juden (Associate at The Environmental Protection Group), Martin Ballard CEnv CMgr FIEMA (Group Head of Environment, Wates) , Robert Tyler (Environmental Quality Officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea), Nina Pimblett (Sector Guidance Lead, Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) Secretariat), and Mark Hill (Climate & Sustainability – Lead at The Pensions Regulator).
The event was sponsored by Jackson Remediation, Vertase FLI, AECOM, Statom Group, Element, Arcadis, Evonik, and Unyte Waste.
If you have any queries about this event or if you would like to access the event recording, please contact us via email on SiLC@SiLC.org.uk
Breaking Ground, a podcast collaboration between Ground Engineering Magazine and the Ground Forum, have released a new episode which is available for free listening:
Î Carla Martín Clavé on Carbon
Hosted by Steve Hadley, Breaking Ground covers a wide range of ground engineering related topics. Key themes include sustainability, design, commerce, diversity, health and safety, welfare, construction techniques, education, and industry challenges. Episodes also profile industry members' careers within the context of discussing industry issues, construction techniques and case studies.
Breaking Ground is available for free download on channels including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.
For further information on the podcast or for podcast sponsorship opportunities please email gforum@ground-forum.org.uk.
The AGS Loss Prevention Guidance is a collection of papers providing members with guidance on particular issues that could affect legal liability and financial exposure. Guidance papers address issues such as those relating to liability, contract, insurance and health & safety.
Papers published prior to 2017 (collectively referred to as the Loss Prevention Tool Kit) were reviewed in 2017 by the AGS Loss Prevention Working Group and a practising
barrister to ensure that the legal basis on which the guidance was based, and the guidance itself, was current and relevant. Where this was not the case the paper was either updated or archived by the AGS. The contents of the Loss Prevention Guidance were similarly reviewed and updated again in 2022 and this version was published in February 2023.
The Loss Prevention Guidance 2022 is free for AGS members and has a charge of £50 + VAT for non-members. The Loss Prevention Guidance 2022 can be downloaded from the AGS website HERE. If you want to view the contents page for the Loss Prevention Guidance before purchasing, it can be viewed HERE.
Enhance your status in the industry. Make a statement about quality and good practice. Participate in the AGS Working Groups and help shape the industry and set the standards.
■ Good practice in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering
■ Quality companies providing a quality service
■ Health and Safety
■ AGS Data Format
For further information on the AGS and details on how to become a member visit www.ags.org.uk
Established in 1988, the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists is a not-for-profit trade association which represents over 140 leading companies specialising in site investigation, geotechnics, geoenvironmental engineering, engineering geology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, and other related disciplines.
■ Guidance to good practice
■ Listing in the Directory of Members
■ AGS Magazine focused on ground engineering ‘hot topics’
■ Legal helpline
■ Chemical safety helpline
■ AGS Loss Prevention Guidance Document
■ Seminars, meetings, conferences and webinars
■ Collaboration with other bodies
■ Liaison with UKAS
■ Lobbying on matters important to the sector
■ Developing and maintaining the AGS Data Format
MEMBERS CAN CONTRIBUTE BY PRODUCING SUCH DOCUMENTS AS:
■ AGS good practice guidance
■ AGS publications
■ AGS safety guidance
■ AGS client guides
MEMBERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN AGS WORKING GROUPS:
■ Laboratories
■ Contaminated Land
■ Safety
■ Business Practice
■ Loss Prevention
■ Data Management
■ Executive Committee
■ Geotechnical
■ Instrumentation and Monitoring
The AGS Annual Conference returned to the Barbican Centre, London on 27th April 2023 with just shy of 200 delegates in attendance.
Chaired by AGS Chair, Sally Hudson and AGS Chair Elect Vivien Dent, the event featured six guest speakers covering a range of geotechnical and geoenvironmental topics, alongside the AGS Working Group Leaders who provided updates on activities and focuses from the past 12 months.
Keynote speaker, Nick Sartain (Head of Geotechnical Engineering, HS2), started the proceedings with an informative presentation outlining what is necessary for excellent communication of digital information. This was
followed by Luke Deamer (Group Sustainabiltiy Manager, Keller) who provided the forum with information on the wider opportunities of sustainability to geotechnical companies. AGS Chair Elect, Vivien Dent (Technical Specialist: Green Growth and Delivery, Environment Agency) also took to the stage to give an update on Environment Agency issues, projects and guidance.
After a busy lunch of networking with industry colleagues and the 17 event sponsors, Joel Carson (CEO Executive Director, Geoprofessional Business Association), who had travelled from USA to attend the Annual Conference, presented on how the industry
can learn from other people’s mistakes. This was followed by Chaido Doulala-Rigby (Chief Civil Engineer and Business Development, Tensar International) who gave a brief historic review from the origin of stabilised earth concept to today’s use of polymer geogrids in construction. Finally, guest speaker, Edd Lewis (Data Standards Lead, British Geological Survey) gave an interactive presentation on Subsurface Data Sharing and The Geospatial Commission’s Construction Playbook.
It was a great event and a brilliant opportunity for the industry to gather, network and exchange ideas.
The AGS would like to take this opportunity to thank of our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors including Soil Engineering, Geosense, Geotechnical Engineering, In Situ Site Investigation, Seequent, SOCOTEC, Groundsure, Dunelm Geotechnical & Environmental, Equipe, BAM Ritchies, Concept Consultants, AFITEXINOV UK, Envirolab, British Geological Survey, Fugro, Brimstone and 1st Line Defence.
If you missed the AGS Annual Conference 2023, you can download the majority of the speaker presentations HERE
SPONSORED BY
The AGS is pleased to announce that our next live event, Ground Risk Conference: Are you Managing Risks or Taking Risks? will be taking place in London on Wednesday 22nd November.
This full day, CPD event will be brought to you by the AGS Geotechnical and geoenvironmental working groups. The conference will examine risk related matters and how we can better manage them.
Ground Risk Conference will take place between 9am – 4:30pm at One Great George Street, London.
Tickets for this event are priced at £160 for AGS Members and £230 for non-AGS Members. Prices exclude VAT. A limited number of student, local authority and Environmental Agency places are available for £95, ex VAT. For further details please email ags@ags.org.uk
We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available for both Members and non-Members of the Association who wish to have a presence during the event. Please see packages below:
(AGS Member Rate: £1500 / Non-Member Rate: £1800)
• Company logo on each attending delegates’ lanyard
• Two – three page company Q&A in AGS magazine (over 5,700 subscribers)**
• Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400)**
• Entry for four delegates into the event
A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Company logo and overview on the event programme
Company overview and URL on the AGS website
Company logo on promotional emails
Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3490 followers)
Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers).
Company mentions in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*one package available
**terms and conditions apply
(AGS Member Rate: £1300 / Non-Member Rate: £1650)
Catering sponsor with logo on menu
Two – three page company Q&A article in AGS magazine (over 5,700 subscribers)**
Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400)**
Entry for three delegates into the event
A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
Company logo and overview on the event programme
• Company overview on the AGS website
• Company logo on promotional emails
• Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3490 followers)
• Three announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)
• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*one package available
**terms and conditions apply
EMERALD SPONSOR
(AGS Member Rate: £1100/ Non-Member Rate: £1350)
• Entry for three delegates into the event
• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
• Full page advert in AGS Magazine (worth £400, over 5,700 subscribers)**
• Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
• Company logo and overview on the event programme
• Company overview on the AGS website
• Company logo on promotional emails
• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3490 followers)
• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)
• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*Limited packages available
GOLD SPONSOR
(AGS Member Rate: £950 / Non-Member Rate: £1250)
• Entry for two delegates into the event
• A designated area to exhibit company initiatives, research and software. This
exhibition space can also showcase marketing materials, literature and banners
• Company logo on the event PowerPoint presentation holding slide
• Company logo and overview on the event programme
• Company overview on the AGS website
• 1/4 page advert in AGS magazine (worth £160, over 5,700 subscribers)
• Company logo on promotional emails
• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3490 followers)
• Two announcements of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)
• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
*Limited packages available
ASSOCIATE SPONSOR
(AGS Member Rate: £550 Non-Member Rate: £700)
• Entry for one delegate into the event
• Company directory in AGS magazine (worth £50, over 5,700 subscribers)
• Company logo on event PowerPoint Presentation holding slide
• Company logo on the event programme
• Company overview on the AGS website
• Company logo on promotional emails
• Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS Twitter page (over 3490 followers)
• Announcement of your company’s involvement on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (over 7,290 followers)
• Company mention in pre and post-event articles in AGS Magazine
If you’d like to confirm your support, please contact Caroline Kratz or Angharad Lambourne-Wade on ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 27th October Please note that packages are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis.
To promote the publication of the AGS Loss Prevention Guidance 2022, the AGS held a free to attend webinar on 22nd February entitled, Loss Prevention Guidance: What You Don’t Realise You Need To Know (2022 Updates).
The webinar was chaired by Jo Strange (Technical Director at CGL) and included presentations from Dr Russell Jones (Commercial Director at WSP UK), Hugh Mallett (Technical Director at Buro Happold), Neil Parry (Director at Geotechnical Engineering) and Antonio Rotolo (Regional Counsel, AECOM Europe).
Russell Jones provided a talk highlighting indemnity issues, Hugh Mallett discussed reliance on third party reports and the possible liabilities associated when you use or rely upon information provided by a third party’s report. Neil Parry gave an overview of the current market conditions that affect PI premiums, and the issues which a consultant or contractor undertaking professional services should consider when procuring PI insurance. Finally, Antonio Rotolo discussed limit on liability clauses.
Thank you to Geotechnical Engineering for sponsoring the webinar.
If you missed the webinar, the replay and all speaker presentations are available for free view on the AGS website. Click HERE to view the replay.
The AGS is pleased to announce the next webinar will be taking place on the topic; Instrumentation and Monitoring: How Not to Get it Wrong, on Wednesday 21st June 2023 at 11am.
Instrumentation and Monitoring: How Not to Get it Wrong is a CPD webinar which will identify the importance of instrumentation and monitoring (I&M) in Geotechnical Engineering and, as such, will focus on how to obtain reliable field monitoring data.
Sponsored by Geosense and Terra Insights, this webinar will underline the need to give early consideration to the definition of the I&M scope and I&M plan, taking into account the specific risks and opportunities of each project and the transversal nature of I&M across several disciplines.
The fundamental importance of correctly installing the right instrument in the right place will be illustrated with the help of practical examples for a selection of exemplar instruments. To this extent, the webinar will focus on typical instruments choices and installation issues, and how to avoid these. The need for dedicated, focussed training and education will also receive attention, together with considerations around field monitoring data validation, analysis and interpretation.
The webinar will be of benefit for professionals, technicians and specialists involved in Geotechnical projects.
Tickets for this webinar are priced at £25 for AGS Members and £30 for non-Members. Prices exclude VAT. To register for the webinar, please click HERE
Associate Sponsorship packages available for the webinar, please see details below:.
ASSOCIATE SPONSOR - Price: £150 (members) or £240 (non-members)
*10 packages available per webinar
Î Logo on sponsor slide during the webinar
Î Logo and overview in the event program
Î Company mention during webinar opening & closing address
Î Logo featured in promotional marketing emails
Î Company directory insert in AGS Magazine, worth £50 (5,800 subscribers)
Î One complementary webinar registration
Î Company logo and overview on the AGS’ Twitter page (3,500 followers)
Î Company logo and overview on the AGS’ LinkedIn page (7,500 followers)
Î Company mention in a follow up article in AGS Magazine (5,800 subscribers)
Î Company overview on the AGS website
Î Company logo featured on replay email campaigns
All prices exclude VAT.
To confirm your support, please email Angharad Lambourne-Wade on ags@ags.org.uk before Friday 26th May. Packages are offered on a first come, first served basis.
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Within the wider construction industry, the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry has been criticised, sometimes for good reason, for a poor safety record. It is true that this industry has not had the level of investment that mainline construction enjoys and there is internal, and client led pressure to deliver cost effective practices that can sometimes slow safety improvement and at worst negatively impact it.
To quantify the safety performance of the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry and
provide a benchmark from which to measure improvement, the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (AGS) requested all members to volunteer accident data for the past two years as part of the annual members survey. From the members, an above statistical threshold (twenty-one) of twenty-seven organisations provided data.
Applying Health and Safety Executive (HSE) frequency and incident rate formulas to allow benchmarking against the HSE published Construction Statistics in Great Britain 2022, a direct industry comparison can be made.
From the HSE data, a construction workforce headcount of 2,048,611 can be identified, and a 2022 construction industry Accident Incident
Rate (AIR) of 239.28, (35 fatalities + 4,185 non-fatal accidents / workforce) x 100,000 = 239.28.
In comparison the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry (from the data provided) has an AIR of 31.28 in 2022 and 81.63 in 2021. On face value, an AIR seven times lower than the construction industry should be celebrated, however the wider picture needs to be examined before the bunting comes out.
“ On face value, an AIR seven times lower than the construction industry could be celebrated, however the wider picture needs to be examined before the bunting comes out.
While some activities within the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry are high risk, such as the person plant interface during drilling activities and underground utilities, the exposure to many additional high-risk construction hazards are limited, such as working from height, confined spaces, lifting activities, etc. Therefore, a like for like comparison with construction provides little
value, as the risk profiles differ vastly. Yes, drilling is a hazardous operation, but it is only one element of the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry, and yes, the construction industry does consist of many low risk tasks, but these are surrounded by other high risk activities.
What can the data tell us?
The real value within the data can be seen when we start to look at how different size organisations compare to each other and by setting a benchmark for subsequent years incident data to be measured against.
Before looking at the incident data by organisation size, it can be assumed that small organisations have less incident reporting processes than larger organisations, as it is not needed, organisational leaders have line
of sight of the incidents and can document them. Likewise, it is less likely for a small organisation to formally record hazardous events, as they are seen first-hand, and these are a much smaller group to share information with, word of mouth is sufficient.
Likewise larger organisations have tried and tested systems, with dedicated safety professionals, supported by supervisors and managers to ensure that all incidents are reported, and hazardous events recorded, with learning shared across the workforce.
The organisations which can sometimes be weaker in incident reporting, incident management and incident learning are the medium size organisations. This is dependent on the time they have been operating in this space and particularly affects small
organisations which have experienced rapid growth, with little time to implement improvements in their incident management and learning.
Within organisations with smaller headcounts, a single RIDDOR reportable accident can have a significant impact on their AIR. As an example, an organisation within the medium contractor group, with a combined head count of 594 has recorded one accident, resulted in an AIR in 2022 of 168.35. Compare this with a single accident recorded by large organisation in the same year produced an AIR of 67.29. To produce benchmarkable AIR targets an average is required across a longer sample period, as our group size is relatively small.
The above chart details the average AIR across
“ The organisations which can sometimes be weaker in incident reporting, incident management and incident learning are the medium size organisations.
two years for each organisation size, which is a better demonstration of the performance of the different size organisations, together with an overall industry average. This allows comparison against similar organisational performance and future safety improvement within the industry as a whole.
When examining the small and medium contractor accident data, 39% of organisations did not record any accident, near misses or hazard events over the two-year period, highlighting a poor reporting culture and indicating a potential higher AIR than 0.00 for small and an increased rate for the medium contractors than is shown.
The Accident Frequency Rate ((AFR) total injuries / hours worked x 1,000,000)) provides a better indication of overall safety performance, as the rate is inclusive of minor injuries as well as RIDDOR reportable, which can sometimes be under reported.
Like the AIR, with 39% of small and medium contractors recording no accident data, the
AFR for small and medium sized contractors could be significantly higher than detailed. This is a clear area of improvement for the industry, both in improving accident reporting and record keeping by the small and medium sized organisations and targeting these small sized organisations to develop safer working practices which will reduce harm.
The AFR across all organisations remains relatively close within 2022, ranging from 6.23 to 41.58 and an overall geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry AFR of 21.56. This provides a useful benchmark for the industry and individual organisations to measure their performance against.
Going further, to look at industry accident and incident reporting culture, the data needs to be compared with a suitable reporting frequency model. The original “accident pyramid” published by Herbert Heinrich in 1931 found that in a grouping of 330 similar accidents, one will result in serious injury (fatality, disability, lost time, medical treatment), 29 will result in
minor injury (first aid), and 300 will result in no injury. Comparing industry data to an accident frequency model like this provides awareness of industry culture, as the model has been tried and tested and is relevant. But is there a better model to use?
Looking at more recent studies there are two which go further. In 1969, Frank E. Bird conducted a follow-up study using a larger, more-randomized sample size (1,753,498 accidents). Bird found a ratio of one serious injury for every 10 minor injuries, 30 propertydamage accidents, and 600 near-miss safety incidents. Due to the rigor of the study, this 1-10-30-600 ratio was accepted as an archetypal ratio in occupational health and safety.
The most recent major study of the safety ratio was undertaken by ConocoPhilips Marine in 2003. It placed the Safety Triangle within a modern occupational context and found that for every single fatality there are at least 30 lost workday cases, 300 minor injuries, 3,000 near misses (estimated), and 300,000 behaviours not consistent with proper safety procedures (estimated). Aligned to the advancements in safety delivery from 1969 up to 2003, this model is more suited to today’s standards.
From this comparison several statistical features can be observed.
Firstly, looking at the relationship between lost time injuries and fatalities it can be suggested that every 7.5 years a person working in the industry will lose their life to a workplace accident. Although not measurable over a single time period, over 37.5 years the average of 1 fatality every 7.5 years would be correct, providing there is no changes to the current working practices, and no course change between now and 2060.
The relationship between minor accident and lost time accident reporting rates statistically holds up to the ConocoPhilips Marine triangle. As these are harm accidents, it is common for these to be the most robustly reported, as following first aid administration, the first aider has a duty to report.
Looking down the triangle from minor injuries, there are clear industry weaknesses within near miss and hazard reporting. The current industry near miss reporting rate is showing an under-reporting value of 39%, highlighting a need for improvement.
“ Comparing industry data to a accident frequency model like this provides awareness of industry culture, as the model has been tried and tested, it is relevant.
Focusing on hazard reporting, 57% of the contractors stated that as an organisation they did not record hazard events and this shows, although not to a sufficient level to bring the hazard report rate in line with our accident triangle model. If the 57% reported hazardous events and at risk behaviours at the same rate as those in the industry that do, a total value of 11,924 reports would be made against a target rate of 80,000. Ignoring such an uplift, the industry hazardous event reporting rate is at a dismal 5.6% against the statistical target.
Both near miss and hazard reporting are proactive tool which can be used to prevent accidents from occurring. An improvement across both near miss and hazardous event reporting, learning and communication of the learning, would significantly reduce the amount of people harmed because of working within the geotechnical & geoenvironmental industry.
While we can not benchmark our industry
accident data against the construction industry effectively, what we can do is learn from those that have walked the well-trodden path before us, in this case the drive within the construction industry to promote the importance of near miss and hazardous event learning to prevent harm.
If the organisations within our industry invest in putting in systems to capture, learn from and communicate our near miss and hazardous event learning, as an industry we can drive down the industry accident rates and improve prevention. Ultimately, we can delay, with the desire to prevent, the once in a seven and half year fatality to our workforces, colleagues, and friends.
Author Note: The sharing of accident data by AGS members has allowed the collective data to be examined to identify what, as an industry, we should be focusing on to reduce harm to our members. Please continue to share this information as it is requested each year, so we track the progress of our industry and focus our efforts within the areas which will have the most impact.
“ If the organisations within our industry invest in putting in systems to capture, learn from and communicate our near miss and hazardous event learning, as an industry we can drive down the industry accident rates and improve prevention.
We can help to reduce risk and increase confidence throughout the engineering, design and construction phases of your project.
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June 14 | September 13 | December 7
Calling all gINT and HoleBase users!
Our Ground to Cloud webinar series is designed to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest advancements in geotechnical data management. We are committed to helping you make informed decisions moving forward, and we want to keep our current users engaged and satis ed with the OpenGround platform.
Register for our quarterly webinars:
The sophistication, frequency and severity of cyber losses are growing. As the economy has increased its dependency upon technology, exposure to Cyber losses has surged. As hybrid working has become the new normal, and with an over reliance on an ever integrated global supply chain, the attack surface for criminal activity has expanded. These foundational changes to the way we work has further increased organisational exposure to growing systemic risks. Threat actors are using these expanded threat surfaces, and new tactics, to expand their scope to cause harm.
Ransomware events also continue to grow
significantly and remain a worry for both clients and insurers alike. A recent insurer report found that ransomware events have increased dramatically in recent months, up 323% from Q1 2019.
This raises the question of how businesses are dealing with their cyber risk. Historically, businesses have chosen to manage their exposures by investing in their IT systems to defend against cyber-attacks, as well as focusing on the education and training of staff against cyber threats. Alongside this, businesses may have relied on the expectation that their existing insurance policies provided some element of cover for their cyber exposures, however regulatory changes over recent years have meant that insureds have needed to reconsider this approach.
“ A recent insurer report found that ransomware events have increased dramatically in recent months, up 323% from Q1 2019.
In 2019, the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) advised all UK insurers that they must have “action plans to reduce the unintended exposure that can be caused by nonaffirmative cyber cover”. Lloyd’s also advised that all policies must be clear on whether coverage is provided for losses caused by a cyber event. The intention was to eliminate silent cyber exposure and with it the doubt and uncertainty that existed around coverage. As a result of this, Insurers must now explicitly exclude cyber exposure where appropriate, or affirmatively cover it.
What we have seen over the last few years is insurance policies being re-drafted to accurately describe what cyber cover (if any) they will provide. For example, where historically some protection may have been afforded under widely worded Professional Indemnity insurance policies, cyber exposure is now routinely excluded by insurers.
Due to the regulatory changes and as a result of the increasing reliance on technology to conduct business today, we have seen an uptake in the demand for standalone cyber policies. There are various products available in the market that will provide appropriately tailored and value for money cover for those firms that wish to understand, address and where appropriate transfer their specific exposures via an insurance solution.
Cyber insurance is designed to protect businesses against financial loss resulting from a range of cyber events, including extortion, data breaches, and system interruption. Cyber
insurance is of growing importance because as businesses increasingly use technology to operate, the digital assets they hold are becoming more valuable and therefore more vulnerable.
Cyber policies are generally split into three categories: first-party losses; cover for incident response costs; and third-party losses. Firstparty and incident response cover provides an indemnity to the insured and includes cover for the cost of investigating a cyber attack, appointing forensic IT services to identify and remedy breaches, recovering lost data and restoring computer systems. Third-party cover includes cover for damages and settlements that result from the insured being blamed for causing another firm’s cyber losses and the cost of legally defending the insured against claims of a data breach.
If this area has not yet been considered, we would recommend any business assesses its cyber risk and if appropriate makes enquiries into stand-alone cyber cover. As the world becomes increasingly more reliant on the use of information technology to conduct business, it is more important now than ever to ensure that a firm’s assets, and those of its customers, are adequately protected. For further details see: Cyber Insurance - Griffiths and Armour
Griffiths & Armour is a leading independent and privately owned UK insurance broker and risk management adviser. If you have any queries regarding cyber insurance or any questions in relation to this article, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Griffiths & Armour is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
“ What we have seen over the last few years is insurance policies being redrafted to accurately describe what cyber cover (if any) they will provide.
BS EN ISO 112682:2023
BS ISO 13914:2023
Soil quality – Effects of pollutants on earthworms – Part 2: Determination of effects on reproduction of Eisenia fetida/Eisenia Andrei and other earthworm species
Soil, treated biowaste and sludge – Determination of dioxins and furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls by gas chromatography with high resolution mass selective detection (HR GC-MS)
BS
BS EN 17503:2022
Soil, sludge, treated biowaste and waste – Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
BS
BS EN ISO 19204:2022
BS EN ISO ISO 22476-1:2023
Soil quality – Procedure for site-specific ecological risk assessment of soil contamination
Geotechnical investigation and testing – Field testing –Part 1: Electrical cone and piezocone penetration test
BS
BS
BS
quality – Guidance on soil temperature measurement
CD 7303
quality - Simplified method for oral bioaccessability of metal(oids) in soils
quality – Bioaccessibility of organic and inorganic pollutants from contaminated soil and soil-like material
Will ISO DIS 11074 Soil quality - Vocabulary BS ISO
CEN FprEN 17516 Waste – Characterization of granular solids with potential for use as construction material – Compliance leaching test – Up-flow percolation test
Characterization……upward FprCEN/TS 17943 Characterization of waste - Determination of the content of elements and substances in waste
ISO DIS18400-301 Soil quality – Sampling – Sampling and on site semi-quantitative determinations of volatiles in field investigations
ISO DIS 22036 Soil treated biowaste and sludge – Determination of elements using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) Includes ISO CD 24212 Soil quality - Remediation techniques applied at contaminated sites
(a) This table is derived from the work programmes of BSI Technical Committees EH/4-Soil quality and available for review and comment via AGS.
Text identical to that in revised standard
CEN TS 16637-3 Construction products –Characterization……upward percolation test
Includes merger of ISO TS 16965 & EN 16171
B/526/3-Ground investigation and ground testing. Copies of draft standards (e.g. CD, DIS) are usually
STANDARD
SUBJECT / TEST SUPERSEDED/WILL
CEN EN 1997-1 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – General Rules Will
CEN EN 1997-2 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – Ground properties Will
CEN EN 1997-3 Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design – Geotechnical structures Will
ISO CD 18674-7 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Geotechnical monitoring by field instrumentation – Part 7: Measurement of strains: Strain gauges New
ISO DIS 18674-8 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Geotechnical monitoring by field instrumentation – Part 8: Measurement of forces: Load cells New
ISO FDIS 22476-5
CEN fprEN 22476-5
Geotechnical investigation and testing – Field testing –Part 5: Prebored pressuremeter test
ISO DIS 22476-16 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Field testing –Part 16: Borehole shear test -
ISO DIS 22477-2 Geotechnical investigation and testing – Testing of geotechnical structures –Part 2: Testing of piles: static tension load test New
Accredited to ISO17025 and MCERTS, we don’t compromise on quality. We use our industry-leading experience to ensure the highest standard is set every time.
Contact us on 01613684921 or ask@envlab.co.uk
FREE TO ATTEND
5TH & 6TH JULY 2023
Whether you are a Client looking for assistance with your latest project, a Consultant looking to establish new working relationships, a Contractor in need of a platform to discuss your specialist services, or a Supplier with a new product to promote, Geotechnica is the place to achieve your goals.
Build business relationships, introduce new products, stay up-to-date with all of the latest industry developments. Communicate. Promote. Network. Learn.
Equipe Training: Specialist Geotechnical Courses
Equipe Training's specialist geotechnical training courses are delivered both in person at our dedicated training facility just outside of Banbury, Oxfordshire, and also online via Zoom!
Available upcoming dates are provided below:
Î 17th May 2023 - Basic Foundation Design
Î 14th June 2023 - Professor David Norbury’s Rock Description Workshop
Î 20th June 2023 - Professor David Norbury’s Soil Description Workshop
Î 22nd June 2023 - Slope Stability Design (Online)
Î 13th July 2023 - Earthworks Design and Construction
Î 5th October 2023 - Further Foundation Design
Places on these courses can be booked online here, or via contacting Equipe on +44 (0)1295 670990 or info@equipegroup.com
Equipe Training: Specialist Geotechnical Heath and Safety Courses
Equipe Training and their health and safety training partners RPA Safety Services and EB Safety Solutions are delighted to announce their collection of specialist health and safety courses for the geotechnical market have resumed being delivered in person, as well as being delivered online where required.
These courses are approved and certified by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and meet the requirements of UK Health and Safety regulations for working on geotechnical and land drilling sites. Upcoming courses have limited numbers of places available in order to maintain social distancing within the classroom environment. Upcoming dates include:
Î 25th May 2023 - IOSH Avoiding Danger from Underground Services
Î 30th May 2023 - Safe Working on Geotechnical Sites
Î 6th – 8th June 2023 - IOSH Safe Supervision of Geotechnical Sites
Î 13th Sept' 2023 - Managing and working with Asbestos Risk in Ground Investigation (MARGI)
Places on these courses can be booked online here, or via contacting Equipe on +44 (0)1295 670990 or info@equipegroup.com
COURSE DATE: 16TH JUNE 2023 DELIVERED ONLINE
This one-day course will provide a deep dive into the AGS data transfer format for geotechnical and geoenvironmental data. The focus will be on the data itself, not its implementation in software. The course will cover fundamentals such as the data structure and encoding rules, before going on to look at some of the common problems that can arise and strategies that can be adopted to avoid them.
This course is suitable for anyone involved with the specification, production or use of AGS data, i.e. clients, contractors or consultants. Experienced users will benefit from the deep dive into common problem areas, but no prior knowledge of AGS data is required as the course will start with the basics.
The course will be presented by Neil Chadwick, a geotechnical engineer with special expertise in data management and the application of digital technologies in ground engineering. He recently founded Digital Geotechnical Ltd to focus on this special interest.
Neil has over 30 years of industry experience including many years at Arup working on major projects in the building and infrastructure sectors, such as Crossrail, Westfield Stratford City and the London 2012 Athletes Village. He has seen and worked with a lot of AGS data during his career!
Neil is a member of the AGS Data Management Working Group, who maintain the AGS format. He is also the lead author of AGSi, a new format for the transfer of ground model and interpreted data.
Course Cost: £250 + VAT per person
An online advertising campaign within the AGS Magazine will help to build and increase industry awareness of your company’s profile, initiatives and offerings.
The AGS can help build a package to suit your needs and budget; whether it’s a series of adverts across multiple issues, a combination of event sponsorship and advertising, or a single advertorial.
The AGS Magazine is a free email publication that looks at a range of topical issues, insights and concerns, whilst publishing new guidance notes, working group activities and information on upcoming industry seminars.
With 6 issues each year, our subscribers include industry professionals such as practitioners, chartered specialists, senior decision makers and managing directors
To receive a media pack or to discuss advertising rates, please contact Caroline Kratz on 0208 658 8212 or email ags@ags.org.uk
FULL PAGE
W: 210mm
H: 297mm
RATE: £400
HALF PAGE
W: 210mm
H: 145mm RATE: £250
QUARTER PAGE
W: 105mm
H: 145mm
RATE: £160
DIRECTORY
Company name, address, contact number, email and one logo.
RATE: £50
All adverts should be sent in a PDF, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD (Photoshop) or EPS (Illustrator) format.
All advertising artwork must be supplied in 114 dpi resolution.
Artwork must be delivered to the AGS using the agreed artwork specification size listed left.
Artwork should be emailed to ags@ags.org. uk no later than 10 days prior to publication.
AGS Members all share a commitment to quality in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental industry. This has become widely recognised by clients, governmental bodies and other associations that touch issues to do with the ground.
We welcome both companies and individuals who want to be recognised for their quality of practice to join our growing membership of over 130 Members. We shape our industry, continually improve practice and collaborate on issues that affect us all; from clients, all the way through to the people who use the land and the buildings we help develop.
To become a Member of the AGS, please visit http://www.ags.org.uk/about/become-a-member and submit your application online. Please note that all membership applications are reviewed by the Membership Committee 6 weeks in advance of each quarterly Executive meeting. The deadline for the next round of completed applications is 10th August 2023
All Members of the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists are entitled to free chemical and contractual advice through the use of Loss Prevention Committee Members, Marquis & Lord and Beale & Co.
For advice on chemical safety and best practice, Marquis & Lord will provide 30 minutes of free advice to all AGS Members.
Additionally, if you’re an AGS Member and are looking for legal advice, please contact Beale & Co and quote ‘AGS Helpline’ where the first 15 minutes of legal advice will be free of charge.
CHEMICAL SAFETY HELPLINE
Marquis & Lord
Tel: +44 (0) 121 288 2386
www.marquisandlord.com
(Please quote ‘AGS Helpline’)
LEGAL HELPLINE
Beale & Co
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 0400
www.beale-law.com
If you have any queries regarding AGS Data Format, there is a discussion forum on the AGS Data Format website, where queries can be posted and answered by the Data Format team.
If a Member has any issues with regard to Safety, Contaminated Land, Geotechnical, Instrumentation & Monitoring or Laboratories which you think the industry should be aware of please email ags@ags.org.uk, we will then forward your email to the relevant AGS Working Group.
All articles in the AGS Magazine are the opinions of the authors and are not intended to be a complete or comprehensive statement of the law, nor do they constitute legal or specialist advice. They are intended only to highlight current issues from date of publication that may be of interest. Neither the writer(s), nor the AGS, assumes any responsibility for any loss that may arise from accessing, or reliance on the material and all liability is disclaimed accordingly. Professional advice should be taken before applying the content of the articles to particular circumstances.
