Health and Safety / CDM Update Seminar
The BSA team will hold their next seminar at the Holiday Inn Guildford, Egerton Road, GU2 7XZ Guildford on Tuesday 6th October 2009.
The meeting time is set for around 6.00pm (evening buffet) for a 6.30pm start. The formal program finishes at 8.00pm but there will be an informal networking and catch up session afterwards.
- CDM Review, the calls for change and how the impact they may have
- Current and forthcoming HSE initiatives
- The new guidance for Asbestos Regulations
We are planning to hold one more seminar later this year: Mirfield, West Yorkshire on 10th November 2009.
To attend, BOOK NOW please download a form from http://www.bernardsimsassociates.com/page/events
The cost is £25 per company or organisation for up to 3 people and includes the buffet
Work related driving - Controlling the risk - Update
One of the greatest risk faced by many workers is when they are driving. If there is a risk and you can reasonable seek to reduce or manage that risk, then it makes sense to do so: Jonathan Heap and Paul Davies from our West Yorkshire office have now completed the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) "Skills for Life" scheme.
Following three drive outs on various road types with IAM mentors, they booked their Advanced Driving Test with the local examiner, a serving police traffic officer!
All went well and both Jonathan and Paul passed the advanced test. Both have commented on how they feel their driving attitudes have changed, driving has become smother, less stressful and both have recorded better fuel economy.
A 2006 report by Brunel University, following an 18 month study, concluded that "advanced driver training produces safer drivers and lower accident involvement", with measurable improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude.
For more information please check out the website at www.iam.org.uk or contact us.
Party Wall Act 1996
The Party Wall etc Act 1996 gives homeowners rights to do work to the party wall (shared wall) and when excavating or building close to the boundary line. The main obligations are to tell the neighbour that the work is to be done and to repair any damage that might be caused by the work.
We offer a bespoke professional and personal service to residential and commercial occupiers and owners affected by party wall matters. If you have been contacted by a Party Wall Surveyor regarding work being done to an adjacent property, you are entitled to have a Party Wall Surveyor represent your interests at the cost of the building owner. To find out more about party wall issues, please call any of our offices for more information or click BSA/Party Wall.
Legionnaires' disease prevention
At this time of year the ambient temperature is reaching its maximum. Cold water is sat in reservoirs and is being heated by the sun. It then becomes the mains water supply and once above 20°C any legionella bacteria will increase in numbers. If the hot water systems in buildings do not heat water above the 50°C level then legionella can reach dangerous levels in the 20-45°C range.
The number of cases of Legionnaires' disease in the UK is low but the Health Protection Agency have noticed growing numbers due to warmer summers. So it may be a good time to review your legionella risk assessments and control programmes. It is a legal requirement under COSHH to have a risk assessment and then manage the risk. Whilst it might not be on 'your radar' it could be one of those areas that is worth looking at.
Bernard Sims Associates are pleased to work with Archer & Stone, legionella control specialists who can offer a genuine 10% discount for risk assessments.
For more information contact Archer & Stone: karlcollingwood@archerandstone.co.uk www.archerandstone.co.uk
Gas Safe Register
A gas fitter was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £20,632 at Rugby Magistrates Court on 15 July 2009. The gas fitter was found guilty of two charges under Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 of carrying out work as a gas engineer while not a member of the approved gas registration body.
Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, as amended, states: "No employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and no self-employed person shall carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of this paragraph."
http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm
Are you managing your site transport???
A contractor must pay fines and costs of more than £180,000 after being convicted of Health and Safety Breaches following the death of an employee.
The employee was crossing a one way traffic route and hit by a telescopic handler fitted with a loading shovel.The HSE inspector noted that the storage area was not adequately segregated and a sufficient pedestrian crossing did not exist. CCTV footage taken over a four week period exposed 167 contraventions of the Contractors own site transport rules.
Although the contractor employed a Banks Man, no one was supervising the reversing vehicle at the time of the incident.
