Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503
Upcoming Courses
P2-3
Going Overboard
P4-5
SSIP Accreditation
P6-7
What Electrical Checks are Needed
P8-9
Make Sure Welfare is in Order
P10-11
Q and A - Do You Need a Fire Blanket
P12-13
In the Spotlight
P14
February 2018
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P2 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
OUR UPCOMING TRAINING COURSES…. Ask us about our special offers: Pick n mix sessions, free seminars and discounts for retained clients. Tuesday 6 March 1 – 4 pm Fire Marshall Training 1 – 4 pm £75.00 + VAT pp Wed 21 March FREE GDPR Workshop 2 – 3.30 pm Thurs 29 March One Day Emergency First Aid £85.00 + VAT inc Lunch Wed 11 April ‘Pick n Mix’ training day: Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling, Work at Height and other topics as requested. All 1.5 hour sessions. Thurs 26 April One Day Emergency First Aid £85.00 + VAT inc Lunch
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P3
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P4 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Going overboard with health and safety? Some of your staff are complaining that you’re going overboard with health and safety. A regular comment is that others don’t waste their time with pointless rules and regulations. How do you deal with these comments and maintain a positive Health and Safety culture?
What’s the point?
To make matters worse
Certain factions in your workforce have decided that you’ve lost the plot when it comes to health and safety. Apparently, you’ve got it completely wrong by going overboard with your rules and regulations.
When staff see workers at other sites not having to follow so many rules, rather than thinking that they’re the lucky ones because you protect their health and safety, they often think precisely the opposite.
According to your workforce, those who work for similar businesses locally don’t have to put up with anything like as many rules.
What to do?
Just to be awkward Obviously, you didn’t create your rules and regulations because you wanted to make life difficult for your workers. You can think of many things you would rather spend your money on than safety glasses and high-viz vests. Plus, there are better ways to occupy your time on a Monday morning than telling your staff to put their kit on.
For the user If this frustrating scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many staff still seem to think that health and safety is only there to make things more difficult than they need to be. They overlook the fact that the control measures which have been put in place really only benefit those who complete the job. For example, if someone is asked to wear safety glasses, this demand isn’t to make a fashion statement, it’s to protect the eyesight of the individual wearing them. However, the look and comfort factor of the glasses can be much more important to some than the fact that their eyes are being protected from flying objects.
Rather than dismissing the feedback your staff have given, consider whether they’re making a valid point. Is it possible that you have gone overboard? If so, revisit your risk assessments and consider downgrading appropriately. This creates a double-win as staff are happy and you save yourself the time and cost of enforcing rules that add little or no value. You should only downgrade is you have strong reasons for doing so. For example, if you’re demanding that staff wear high-visibility clothing when there are no vehicle movements, the risks are low. Tip 1. Explain to staff why your rules have been implemented and what you’re trying to achieve. Sometimes a lack of understanding as to why the rules are in place can prompt a negative response. Tip 2. It’s a bit of a cop-out, but sometimes you can win support for your rules by explaining that they are being forced on you - blame the HSE or Comply at Work! Empathise with your staff, but explain that as you have no choice, they don’t either. If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contat us for advice and guidance. We are here to help! To summarise: Unfortunately, many staff see others not managing risks properly and assume that they have got it right. Don’t automatically ignore claims that you’ve gone overboard. Review your arrangements and see if you can downgrade - doing so can save time, money and improve morale. Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P5
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P6 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
SSIP ACCREDITATION CHAS/SMAS/SAFE – eTC… What information do you need to gather? If you work on sites controlled by others, you may be asked to go through a Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) accreditation process like CHAS or Safe Contractor. Comply at Work assits many businesses every year with these schemes to a successful conclusion. Let us know if we can help your business grow by gaining SSiP approval.
Selection process When the HSE introduced the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015, it stated that they should reduce the paperwork burden on contractors. Plans to achieve this involved the recognition of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) contractor competency assessment scheme (http://ssip.org. uk/). This meant that contractors would only have to complete a single SSIP recognised assessment, rather than one for each of their clients. Note. There are many organisations, such as Chas, SafeContractor, SMAS, and others that complete SSIP assessments.
assistance, please get in touch. We have a huge library of forms, checklists and templates to help you. Tip 2. It’s unlikely the assessor will overlook any gaps. Rather, they will sit on your application until you’ve provided the information. As they receive so many applications, it can take some time before they’ll look at submissions of additional information.
Policy First and foremost, you will need to have a health and safety policy in place if you have five or more employees. As our form suggests, it will need to include commitments to ensure the health and safety of your staff, provide sufficient financial and other resources for its proper implementation and more. For your policy to be deemed satisfactory, it must have been signed by a senior manager or director in the last twelve months.
General requirements
Tip. Check out their pricing structures before signing up, as some can work out cheaper than others - the costs vary depending on the size and nature of your business.
Our checklist then moves on to training, risk assessments, method statements, etc. Here we identify the types of paperwork and training that the schemes expect your staff to have completed.
Help is at hand
Tip. Asbestos awareness training for your staff is a must. You will be asked to send certificates/evidence to show that staff have completed it. Plus, in many cases, they will need to have done it in the last twelve months.
We have produced a new SSIP accreditation application checklist to provide guidance on what arrangements you will need to have in place to pass a SSIP assessment (please drop us an email if you would like this). Tip 1. Run through our checklist to see where you may have gaps in your arrangements before you contact any of the SSIP assessment schemes. If you need any
Other training needs such as First Aid, Work at Height and Manual Handling are also taken in to account. Comply at Work holds regular training sessions in all these topics. Just get in touch for information or refer to the top of this Newsletter for upcoming courses.
Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P7
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P8 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
What electrical checks are needed? In a recent safety audit you were told that you need to arrange electrical inspections for the equipment in your premises. What exactly is involved and how often is it required?
What’s needed? There are two types of check to be carried out. Firstly, a periodic inspection of fixed electrical installations, e.g. distribution board, hand dryers and sockets. And secondly, a portable appliance inspection and test (PAT), for anything which is connected to the supply via a plug. If you ask the average worker when electrical checks were last carried out, they’ll often assume you’re talking about PAT, because it’s the better known process. But a check on the fixed installation is at least as important to ensure the safety of your premises.
Testing your installation A periodic inspection is carried out by a qualified electrician and checks the condition of an existing electrical installation. In doing this, the system is compared with the national safety standard for electrical installations, British Standard BS 7671:2008 referred to as “the IEE wiring regulations”. BS 7671 suggests maximum frequencies for periodic inspection, depending on the type of premises or installation. For example, commercial premises like shops and offices are five yearly; residential accommodation is five yearly; any buildings which are open to the public are three to five yearly; and industrial buildings are to be checked three yearly.
What’s involved? An inspection is undertaken along with testing of a proportion of the system. This will identify if any of the electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded, examines the equipment such as switches, fittings
and the fixed wiring system, as well as revealing any lack of protective earth/bonding. The process will also uncover any defective electrical work, detect potential electrical shock or fire risks, test safety devices, and discover any wear and tear, damage or other deterioration. Tip 1. When the report is received there will be a list of “observations”, i.e. action points. You will need to address any which are classified as C1 or C2 as a matter of priority as these are either dangerous or potentially dangerous. C3s are recommendations which you may wish to discuss further with your engineer. Tip 2. If you want a “clean sheet”, i.e. no C1 or C2s on your report, arrange for the remedial work to be done before they finalise the report.
Portable appliances PAT involves a detailed visual inspection, and in some cases testing, of all portable appliances. After it’s been completed there should be a paper or electronic report, clear marking of items which are condemned and labelling of appliances with the date completed and the date of the next PAT. Tip. Traditionally PAT is carried out annually by an electrical testing company or electrician, but it’s acceptable to train someone in-house and for some items to be checked less frequently. You can find more information in the HSE’s free guidance.
If you would like us to email you a copy along with our summary sheet of testing schedules, please let us know. Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P9
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P10 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Make sure welfare is in order A recent survey has identified that on-site welfare facilities often aren’t up to scratch. What are the potential implications?
Ask the audience. According to a recent survey, the standard of welfare facilities on construction sites often fails to meet the legal requirements. The responses suggest that at one in six sites men and women were forced to share toilet facilities with no drinking water available.
responsibility http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/ safetytopics/welfare.htm
Findings. Other issues included poor arrangements for keeping the facilities clean. 4% of respondents said they were never cleaned, whilst 6% stated they were cleaned weekly. The survey findings have been passed on to the HSE.
Trap. The contractor will usually bear the brunt of any enforcement action. However, if they state that the client refused to allocate sufficient resources in their budget, the HSE will almost certainly look to take action against the client too.
Our experience is that they’re a top priority for HSE inspectors who are not against issuing notices to force improvements. If facilities are really poor, inspectors will almost certainly shut the whole project down until the matter is resolved.
Tip. If you’re engaging a contractor, even for a relatively small project, make sure that welfare arrangements are covered right from the start of the job. We have a FREE checklist to help you with this. Please get in touch if you would like us to email you a copy.
The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 state that the contractor should provide welfare facilities and the client must ensure that this happens.
Both in the dock. The provision of welfare facilities is one area in which the client and the contractor share
Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P11
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P12 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Q&A - do you need a fire blanket? Q. We’ve been told that we need a fire blanket in each of our office kitchen areas. Is this strictly necessary? A. It’s become so usual to see fire blankets mounted in every office kitchen that you would assume that it is a legal requirement. However, in many cases a fire blanket is not necessary. Tip. Put a fire blanket in your kitchen if you have a grill, hob or deep fat fryer. Mount it on the wall in an accessible place but not too close to the potential fire source. Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P13
Bu s By ine te ss
Free March Workshop Wednesday 21st March at 2.00 pm – 3.30pm approx.
IMPORTANT!! ARE YOU AWARE OF GDPR? (General Data Protection Regulations)
AND WHAT EXACTLY YOU NEED TO DO TO COMPLY? More data regulations are pending, and they’ll pose big challenges — and big opportunities — for all companies.
The latest to put companies on alert is the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation which will go into effect next year. In a recent survey, 92% of U.S. companies said GDPR is a top priority on their data-privacy and security agenda however in Britain that percentage is more like 10%. The law affects all companies that handle data about EU citizens and will be here from 25th May 2018.
The GDPR expands the rights of EU citizens around privacy and protection of personal data. Among other things, it requires that companies maintain adequate data records, disclose data breaches and increase optout options. Stiff fines may await those not in compliance. The GDPR and other regulations underscore just how serious regulators are getting about data protection given continued and high-profile breaches.
The toughened focus comes as breaches continue to mount, including recent ones reported by Uber, in which a data breach led to thousands of people’s information being stolen. Had Uber been prosecuted after May 2018, the fine would have been €20 million Euros!
Meeting the requirements of any one regulation will not be enough to seriously curtail data breaches. Instead, a full-scale shift in thinking about data security is required.
Do YOU know what is expected of you when the 25th May 2018 comes along? Don’t wait until it’s too late!
Come along to our FREE afternoon Workshop on Wednesday 21st March 2018 and ensure some peace of mind. Places are limited and going quickly; retained clients will get priority. Please contact us now on info@ complyatwork.co.uk to secure your place!
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Business Byte | P15
in the spotlight Congratulations to this month’s retained clients who have achived the following SSiP accrediattions: Monoroof Ltd, Horwich - CHAS and SMAS Advance Satellite Services Ltd, Bolton – CHAS and SMAS O.S.S (Manchester) Ltd - CHAS
Welcome to our new retained clients this month: Rob Edge Window Cleaning Service Ltd, Bolton
What our Clients say about us… We recently delivered Asbestos Awareness training on site at 7.30 am to the installation team at Bartell Cottage Furnishings at very short notice. But we managed it! Bartell Cottage Furnishings, Manchester
“Just a quick note to say thank you for sorting our Asbestos Awareness course out at such short notice! You really helped us out!! Really great Service as always!” Leanne Wanless, Factory Manager
We are once again exhibiting at the Bolton Expo in April please come and say hello at Stand 17 to Helena and Steve!
This newsletter has been brought to you by...
cloud ]achine tHE
Providing everything you need for promoting your business, from graphic design for print and web, to advanced marketing for iPhone, iPad, tablets and smartphones
saRa pascoe
www.thecloudmachine.co.uk Graphic Design | Web Design | App Design | eCommerce | eMail Marketing
Give us a call to see what we can do for you on
0777 337 1020
adve r tise with us for unde r ÂŁ10 pe r month Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503 e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
LRH SOLUTIONS
Your one-stop solution to all your maintenance requirements. Business or Domestic. No job too small.
LRH SOLUTIONS
Please call Les for a no obligation quote on: ✆ 07974 978386 lrh1@btinternet.com
COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC QUALITY SERVICE AT A COMPETITIVE PRICE
CONTACT RICK SCOTT ON
07808 162098 ALFA JOINERY LTD
e-mail:enquiries@alfajoinery.co.uk