construction safety

Newsletter May Have Sharp Edges

www.infinitesafety.co.uk

Issue One : October 2014

For Client Eyes Only

Things Change, Even Health & Safety

Since setting up Infinite Safety


way back in 2006 things really haven’t

changed that much. Until this year.

Suddenly, the recessions over and basic compliance is not

good enough. Basic Compliance gives the wrong message to

potential clients. It says “Safety is important because we

can’t win work without it”

There’s a housing boom, competition is fierce and businesses

will only be successful with the right attitude. In safety terms

that attitude must be pro-active. CHAS, SMAS and

Constructionline are no longer the entry level. It’s the

International Standards that differentiate the competitors.

OSHAS 18000, ISO 14001 and the new Corporate

Responsibility Standard ISO26000.

We’re changing too. Joyce has been appointed to take care

of the admin. Qualified to Certificate level Joyce has the

safety understanding you need an administrator to have. Our

inspections are now inputted via an app and every client will

have online access to documents. We’ve also partnered with

Halo HR to give clients access to Employment Law and HR

Advice from HR Director Samantha Moxham.

So we’re striding ahead the extra mile to make our clients

the best they can be. Are you with us?

Caution: Newsletter May Have Sharp Edges:

Welcome to the New World Order

Let’s Start Positive… Site inspections aren’t all “This is Wrong. That is Wrong” We heap

praise on individuals where credit is due and highlight this in our

Site inspections and reports.

Here’s this month’s gallery of Good Work.



It’s All About The Attitude

“Recognition is the greatest motivator.” Gerard C. Eakedale

A staggered barrier gate makes drivers

stop and think

Mick Rushton for Melrose Construction

A clean and tidy, equipment-free drying

room wins HSE points

Gary Pepper for McDermott Homes

If there’s no sign – make one!! Some

hazards need immediate action

Les Sandham for F Parkinson Ltd

The CDM

Regulations

Replacement

The HSE are

proposing the current

2007 Regulations are

replaced with an

easier to understand

document and that the

Approved Code of

Practice is withdrawn.


The consultative document has

made it clear those working in

the Construction Industry or in a

Construction based role will not

be exempt from compliance with

health and safety legislation.

The work is deemed as high risk

and therefore, regulation and

compliance is essential.

Read more about this at

http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/

condocs/cd273.htm


Proposed Legislation

TAKE ACTION:

Contractor

Competence is a big

deal in the new CDM

Get your Subbie

assessments up to

date

In my opinion, the CDM ACoP is

one of the best and sets the

standard for good practice across

the industry. Yes, it may need

updating, but certainly not

removing.

The public consultation has now

closed and the HSE report that

the response is in favour of

replacing the CDM Co-ordinator

with a Principal Designer, that the

requirements for assessing

competence need to be changed

and that limited duties should be

placed on Domestic Clients to

improve safety on small jobs.

The wheels are still in motion

on this one and I’ll update you

when new info is released.

You can download the results

at

http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus

/meetings/hseboard/2014/1308

14/paugb1462.pdf

Following the pledge

to cut health and

safety red tape, the

Lofstedt Report has

suggested that people

in certain self

employed roles are

excluded from Health

& Safety Legislation.

Self Employed

Persons

Regulations 2015

Many of us are Landlords and are familiar with the

Housing Act but are we all aware of other legislation that

we must comply with?

Many, many landlords are being prosecuted.

Generally the rogue ones but some who

genuinely didn’t keep up with legislative

changes are receiving hefty fines and in

some cases imprisonment.



Landlord Issues

TAKE ACTION:

Find out when the

checks were done

and put reminders

in your diary at least

1 month before they

are due

One landlord has received a six month

suspended sentence, 200 hours of

community service and instructed to pay

£8,211 costs when their tenants

suffered carbon monoxide poisioning.

Two brothers have been found guilty of

putting tenants lives at risk by not

having gas safety checks carried out.

They were fined £3,000.

So what do you need to do?

Annual Gas Check

All landlord supplied gas appliances

must be checked annually by a GasSafe

Registered Engineer. Double check

they are registered. Many

prosecutions are brought on

unregistered Gas Engineers.

Electrical Wiring Checks

Houses of Multiple Occupation must have

the electrical system checked every 5

years by a qualified electrician.

Portable Appliance Testing

It is the landlords responsibility to ensure

any electrical items supplied as part of the

tenancy are safe at the outset of the letting.

Houses of Multiple Occupation over 3 or

more floors with 5 or more tenants may

need an HMO license from the local

authority.

HMO Licencing



Mind Map: Construction Health & Safety Blitz

TAKE ACTION:

Book your site

inspections NOW

Make sure the HSE

can read an

inspection from the

last month

HSE Construction

Blitz

Mid Sept To Mid Oct

Staff Holidays

Noise

Dust

Long Term Health Issues

Face Fitted Masks

Manual Handling

Location of paperwork

1st Aid Cover

Site Security

Toolbox Talks

Signage

Ear Plugs

Dust Supression

Lock Gates

Traffic Management

Banksman

Segregation

Each year the

European Agency for

Safety & Health at

Work run a

worldwide campaign

This year the focus is

on workplace stress.



European Week for Safety & Health

TAKE ACTION:

Download Bill’s

Ultimate Stress Guide

at

http://www.metrostr

ess.co.uk/stress-

tips.aspx

The Construction Industry is known for

its high stress levels. Many workdays

are lost to stress, having a massive

impact on projects, both time and from a

financial aspect.

Bill Dove recognised this when working

as a Head Teacher, a position which

saw him dealing with stress, both on

himself and his colleagues on a daily

basis.

“Stress is a major corporate problem today” says Bill, MD of Metrostress. “Work-related stress accounts for over a third of all new incidences of ill health and can lead to an average of 30.2 working days lost. The CIPD report stress related illness is at an all time high. “Many good employees are lost to stress related illness. Early identification and a holistic approach to helping them through a tough time can save a company fortunes” Is stress treated as a problem in your Company? Employees can claim Personal injury for Stress-Related illness Can you afford the tribunals and damage award?

So what legislation actually covers stress?

It’s the Health and Safety at Work Act

itself. You have a duty to ensure the

health, safety and welfare whilst at work

of your employees. If their health is

affected by stress incurred at work then

you have failed in this duty.



European Week for Safety & Health

TAKE ACTION:

Carry out a Stress

Audit.

Identify Stressors

and those at risk of

suffering the effects

How do I know if an employee is stressed? You Will Know. You know your

employees and so do their colleagues.

Someone suffering stress will show

signs. Their body will be tensed up,

maybe hunched over their workstation.

They will look tired and worried. Very

few people can hide the signs of stress.

You will also know from the workload

placed upon them. If they can’t cope,

they are probably suffering some form of

stress-related illness and are unable to

work efficiently and effectively.

It is not always work related, but personal stress can be

brought into the workplace and affect the employees

productivity. The only way to find out is to speak to the

employee. If you don’t have the rapport with them, ask someone

who does if they can get to the bottom of the problem. You may

not be able to help but you may be able to point them in the right

direction for help such as Relate for relationship issues or the

Money Advice Service for financial problems.

What do I need to do Now to Protect My Company?

Undertake a Stress Audit to see if

Work Related Stress is a risk to your

business. We can provide this service to

ascertain what is the best way to protect

your business and your employees.

Joyce is fully trained to undertake stress

audits in the workplace. Samantha can

meet with you to provide a Stress

Management Policy with procedures that

work for you and Claire can follow this up

with implementing your system as a

trained Stress Management Coach.

Together we can get you through this

and we’d love to work with you on this

one.

So, what do you

need to do this

month?

Put a great big cross

through the boxes as

you do them.



This Months Actions

TAKE ACTION:

When you’ve done

all these actions,

leave a message on

our facebook page

for a surprise

Delivery!

UPDATE YOUR

SUBCONTRACTOR APPROVAL DATABASE

UPDATE STRESS MANAGEMENT

POLICY

LIKE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BLACKPOOLHEALTH

ANDSAFETY

In Next Month’s Issue



Look Ahead

Electrical Safety – Do’s, Don’t and Definitely Don’ts

What Standard Are You? And more importantly what that

says about your company

How to Communicate with Your Staff

The Secret of Sub-contracting – How some clients go from

job to job

The Environmental Complaince Cheat – Be Complaint Quick

Corporate Manslaughter Update

Safety or Health and Safety...? A series of studies have identified that Safety is often controlled on

site yet Health is not so high on the agenda with the causes of chronic illnesses often seen as low priority. The Fit For Work UK group warns that by 2030, almost half of UK workers will have a chronic health condition which will affect their productivity at work. Although this sounds like an age away, it is only 16 years away. Think back 16 years. What was the workplace like? Was it significantly worse than it is now? Have things really changed that much? Consider how the NHS and the Benefits system will work in 16 years time? I doubt we’ll be able to access services for free as we do now and the back up of sick pay is likely to be non-existent. I feel the burden will fall on your Company’s Employers Liability Insurers at the time the illness was sustained. And that can only mean one thing, increased premiums. Review your Risk Manual today and see if you are really addressing the Health AND Safety issues and not just taking the quick fix option of managing safety. It could cost you massively in the future.

Asbestos Deaths on the Rise...The HSE have this week reported that workplace fatalities are at an all

time low. Being cynical, I feel this is proportionate to the number of people in work during the reporting period of April 2013 and March 2014. What is alarming is that the number of deaths caused by Mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer, have risen from 2,291 in 2011 to 2,535 in 2012. Although it could be presumed that these deaths are a result of poor realisation of the dangers of asbestos years ago, but there will be an element of new exposures since the ban of asbestos use and the tightening up of the regulations. Plumbers, electricians and maintenance operatives still today remain wide open to asbestos exposure unless the asbestos management of the building and detailed work instructions are in place. Have your employees received asbestos awareness training? Its a quick online course costing less than £40 per employee and could literally be a lifesaver.

From the Blog…

Dates for Your Diary October 2014


8-9 October

Health & Safety North Expo Bolton Arena

Anticipated End of H&S Blitz

Infinite Safety Price Increase

17 October

1 October

20 October

22 October

31 October

Claire available for meeting Lancaster or Lakes Area

Claire available for meeting Preston, Chorley or Blackburn Area

Hallowe’en!! Check our Facebook Page for Frightening Offers

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