Archive for November 2009

What’s Your Business About? - Values

I went to Twickenham the other Saturday to see Australia beat England! I’m not an Aussie.

In the programme it went to great lengths to emphasise the core values of rugby:

  • Teamwork
  • Respect
  • Enjoyment
  • Discipline
  • Sportsmanship

Its not just sport that needs clear values businesses do to. This has clear benefits for employees and customers to name just two.

So what are the values your business operates to?

Keeping your Company Driving Policies in Line

Managers are not doing enough to prevent accidents in their vehicle fleets, research by a leading insurer has found 87% of fleet drivers on the road don’t have basic eye checks and Companies do not carry out checks on the licenses of driving employees. You’re probably breaking the law!! 

We can work with you to produce a Driving at Work Policy and Fatigue Management Plan. Contact us now - enquiries@emseff.co.uk

Written by one of our H&S practitioners

Personal Protective Equipment

Are you providing adequate PPE? A factory was fined £27,500 and ordered to pay £10,700 costs on 9 September after pleading guilty to breaching reg.6(1)(a), 7(1), and 7(3) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The Company had failed to provide adequate PPE to an employee who had contracted dermatitis after being regularly exposed to hazardous substances. The continued exposure with his skin caused him to suffer skin irritations across large parts of his body. As a result of the illness he has been left with permanent scarring and has to avoid contact with a large number of substances that cause further skin irritation. He has been unable to return to work and has been forced to retire on medical grounds at the age of 48. 

Do you need an assessment of your workplace to ensure compliance with legal and other requirements? If so why not give

EMS a call.

Written by one of our H&S practitioners

You need H&S but don’t forget about first aid

First Aid - Amended guidance to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 comes into force soon, which will see a major change in the training regime for first aid at work (FAW).From 1 October, the mandatory four-day FAW training courses will be reduced to three days, while small businesses will have the option of a one-day course. All qualified workplace first-aiders will still have to undergo a two-day requalification course every three years.

·        First Aid at Work – Minimum 18 hours training

·        Re-qualification course – Minimum 12 hours training

·        Emergency First Aid at Work – Minimum 6 hours training

The new guidance also suggests that refresher training taken annually would be beneficial to first-aiders and their employers, with staff feeling better placed to deal with an incident in their workplace.  To see the list, and for more information on the guideline changes, visit www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid

Companies should review their First Aid needs by conducting a Risk Assessment and then re-assess the First Aid cover they need. 

EMS can provide this service if required.

Written by one of our H&S practitioners

Don’t Waste Your Time During Air Travel!

I’ve just got back from delivering a Leadership course in the

Middle East.

 During my outward flight I’d watched some films and taken a nap. Waking up I struck up a conversation with the passenger next to me. We exchanged general information and I explained I was on my way to

Dubai to train School leaders in Leadership and Management techniques. She said this was really interesting as her mother was really interested in setting up Leadership Training in

India and was keen to strike up a link with a UK University.

 I invited them to meet me during my stay in the

Middle East to find out more, but fully expected her not to turn up.

 She did and brought brochures of the

Indian

College that had the need! We now have an opportunity to facilitate links with a UK University and deliver leadership training in

India.

 

Quite a productive time on an aeroplane!

Written by Liinda Trapnell

Environmental Help

Our environmental expert has identified the following help for businesses. The Carbon Trust is offering expert guidance and £100m in interest-free loans to companies prepared to do away with old, power-hungry equipment and replace it with modern energy-efficient equivalents. For more details have look at the following link www.carbontrust.co.uk or contact enquiries@emseff.co.uk

|