Free Working Well Together Event 22/11/2023 - Construction Skills & Modern Methods of Construction

“We need to support the construction industry to have a skilled, competent and inclusive workforce, now and in the future” CITB

The way we are building and what we are building is changing, Technology is being used to build better, there are new technologies enabling us to build more sustainable buildings that have a lower carbon footprint and reuse, and retrofit are becoming in many cases the preferred alternative. But how do we prepare our workforce so we can embrace the new technology and future proof the workforce?

This free Working Well Together (WWT) event will give helpful background and advice on how to adapt and continue to improve use of Modern Methods of Construction. It will take place at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium from 08:30 to 12:30 on Wednesday 22nd November 2023. To book:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/construction-skills-and-modern-methods-of-construction-tickets-706723146957?aff=oddtdtcreator

BHSEA Construction Matters Event - 09/10/2023, 13:30-15:30, Bescot Stadium, Walsall

This free event features presentations on Contaminated land - Material Management and Remediation from Speller Metcalfe, and Fire – temporary fire protection from Bull Products. Site Assessment & Training Services will also be delivering a presentation on Accreditations and the Common Assessment Standard. For more information and to book: https://www.bhsea.org.uk/events/construction-matters-october-2023

Free Event: WWT Welfare Provision on site and Asbestos with respect to refurbishments 08/06/2023

A free Working Well Together (WWT) event is taking place on Thursday 8th June from 08:30am-12:30pm at Walsall FC Banks's Stadium, Walsall.

The HSE supported event, targeted at small Construction companies is a must!  The programme includes:

Keynote Speech – HSE Campaign - Asbestos and You Update and latest on Asbestos Regs
Asbestos Training – Paul Beaumont – IATP
Asbestos Surveys – Types, Reasons and Pitfalls – Matt Dawes - MDD
Emergency Planning – when you discover Asbestos
Update on Welfare Provision, CDM regs requirements – HSE
Welfare Provision – Equality and Diversity – Marisa Firkins – Safety Forward
Short Duration Work and refurbishment – welfare provision or Domestic Work provision

The above details can be found on the following link:

https://www.bhsea.org.uk/events/wwt-welfare-provision-on-site-and-asbestos-with-respect-to-refurbishments

To book your FREE place, go to eventbrite here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/580641092137 

Free Event: Managing and Planning Temporary Works Safely - Wednesday 23 November

Please see the below flyer for the free event being run on Wednesday 23rd November 2022 on the subject of Temporary Works which we strongly recommend. The event will give information on the following:

• Temporary works – what is it?
• Excavations and associated hazards
• Legislations, standards and codes
• History of Temporary Works Management
• Roles & Responsibilities
• Temporary Works Process
• Implications of change

Background:

If you are ever in charge of Construction Sites, then you will have responsibilities regarding planning and managing Temporary Works - Temporary Works provide an engineered solution that is used to support or protect: a structure during construction; an item of plant or equipment; the sides of an excavation during construction operations; or to provide access. The law says any temporary structure must be designed, installed and maintained to withstand any foreseeable loads which may be imposed on it and that it be only used for the purposes for which it was designed, installed and maintained.

Temporary works to provide structural support include:

• Shoring for excavations

• Propping for walls and floors

• Falsework for above ground concrete pours

• Scaffolds for access

• Haul roads and working platforms for plant including cranes

• Permanent works used for temporary purposes during construction

Temporary works such as scaffolding, excavations, cofferdams and caissons must be inspected by a competent person on a regular basis.

Other items on a Construction Site that are considered Temporary Works include:

• Site fencing and hoarding

• Welfare and office units

• Earthworks, including stockpiles, that will be removed later

Free Event 18/05/2022 - Mental Health Risks in Construction

This is a free HSE Working Well Together event aimed at small and medium sized Construction companies

It is a fantastic opportunity to listen to some great speakers and access some free resources. Speakers include Mark Ashby from HSE, Nicola Hodkinson, from Seddon Construction, Phil Newton from Pinsent Mason, Sarah Meek from Mates in Mind, Kiren Gill from FMB, Lorraine Shepherd from Lighthouse Club and Neil Ward from W A Management. This promises to be a fantastic and informative morning. Free breakfast rolls served from 8.00 am. To register, click on the “Click Here” on the flyer below.

SATS Ltd are now a CITB Approved Training Organisation

Site Assessment & Training Services (SATS) Ltd are very pleased to have achieved CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) status.

This covers our following training courses. It means that eligible CITB Registered Employers can receive grants for their employees & Labour Only Subcontractors who successfully complete each course:

• Asbestos Awareness Training as both face to face & e-learning options - Grant rate of £30 per person

• Health & Safety Standard for Painters & Decorators - Grant rate of £70 per person

NOTE: Please ask about grants when booking the above courses with us. Provided that we have all the necessary information available, we will carry out the admin work to claim the CITB grants for each achievement.

SATS Ltd are proud to be Associate Partners of the Painting & Decorating Association (PDA)

We are pleased to announce that Site Assessment & Training Services (SATS) Ltd are proud Associate Partners of the Painting & Decorating Association (PDA) and have worked with them to:

> develop the Training Standard for a new course - Health and Safety for Painters and Decorators. PDA Members who are also registered with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) can claim £70 for each delegate who successfully completes the course.

> update the original PDA Health & Safety Handbook & provide content for their new web app version. For PDA Members, to view the handbook, simply visit http://handbook.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk and enter the email address and password you use to log in to the PDA website.

> we continue to be active members of the PDA's Safety, Health & Environmental (SHE) Committee.

For further information, contact :

John Sneath on 07824 514894 or Stephen Pearson on 07913 607252

COVID-19 Coronavirus Guidance

Although the UK Government has officially removed the statutory rules the published sector specific guidance on working safely to protect people from Covid makes sense to be continued when dealing with people who may be vulnerable - these documents are available via the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

The following sectors are covered in this guidance:

• Close contact services - Guidance for people who provide close contact services, including hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, tattooists, sports and massage therapists, dress fitters, tailors and fashion designers.

• Construction and other outdoor work - Guidance for people who work in or run outdoor working environments.

• Factories, plants and warehouses - Guidance for people who work in or run factories, plants and warehouses.

• Heritage locations - Guidance for people who work or volunteer in heritage locations.

• Hotels and other guest accommodation - Guidance for people who work in or run hotels and other guest accommodation

• Labs and research facilities - Guidance for people who work in or run indoor labs and research facilities and similar environments.

• Offices and contact centres - Guidance for people who work in or run offices, contact centres and similar indoor environments.

• Other people's homes - Guidance for people working in, visiting or delivering to other people's homes.

• Performing arts - Guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants.

• Providers of grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities - Guidance for people who work in grassroots sport and gym/leisure facilities.

• Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services - Guidance for people who work in or run restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes or takeaways.

• Shops and branches - Guidance for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments.

• Vehicles - Guidance for people who work in or from vehicles, including couriers, mobile workers, lorry drivers, on-site transit and work vehicles, field forces and similar.

• The visitor economy - Guidance for people who work in hotels and guest accommodation, indoor and outdoor attractions, and business events and consumer shows.

For the Construction Industry, there is also a range of helpful information available - notably the Site Operating Procedures published by the Construction Leadership Council - a document the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are likely to use as a reference point when inspecting sites. At the time of this post, the current version is version 6, and can be accessed via the following web address:

https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/site-operating-procedures-update-version-6-now-available/

SITE ASSESSMENT & TRAINING SERVICES LTD ARE HAPPY TO SUPPORT YOU IN HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE MEASURES OUTLINED IN THE VARIOUS GUIDANCE IN YOUR BUSINESS - CONTACT STEPHEN PEARSON (07913 607252) OR JOHN SNEATH (07824 514894) TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN HELP.

Finally, please remember the following message from the Government and stay safe!

Latest Guidance on Working Safely During Coronavirus

The Government has released updated guidance on working safely during Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This updated guidance is aimed at those in Construction and other outdoor work, and covers:

1. Thinking about [Assessing] the Risk

2. Who Should go to work

3. Social Distancing at Work

4. Managing your customers, visitors and contractors

5. Cleaning and sanitising the workplace

6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings

7. Managing Your Workforce

8. Inbound and outbound goods

9. Links to sources of other information

Please use the following link to ensure you always access the latest version:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/construction-and-other-outdoor-work

MANAGING SMALL PROJECTS EVENT 9TH MARCH 2020

We are pleased to confirm that Site Assessment & Training Services Ltd are once again supporting the Working Well Together initiative by delivering a free (yes FREE!) Managing Small Projects session on 9th March 2020. This follows on from two similar successful events we did in 2018 and is being put on with the help of the Birmingham Health, Safety & Environment Association (BHSEA). The event is aimed at small Construction companies involved with Refurbishment, Maintenance and New Build who may not have undertaken formal Health and Safety training and gives an introduction* to managing such works in the context of the hazards involved and the duties of a Construction Contractor.

*Please note this event is an introduction only so will not in itself ‘qualify you’ to be a Site Manager, and does not replace courses such as the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) course.

Please see the flyer for more information.

HSE Construction Inspection Initiative 7 October to 1 November 2019

HSE have announced details of their October Inspection Initiative, so please be aware of and prepared for the possibility of a visit. What you are doing to: control/suppress the production of dusts/fumes/gases/vapours; safely extract any dusts/fumes/gases/vapours produced; provide adequate ventilation; and protect your workers through appropriate Respiratory*/Personal Protective Equipment (R/PPE) will be of particular interest to Inspectors (*NB if the work being undertaken necessitates RPE, the filtering must be the correct type and give the correct level of protection. Remember, if the RPE is a mask that relies on a fit to the face, then the person should have been face fit tested for the mask and be clean shaven). For any hazardous substances you are using, then an up-to-date CoSHH Assessment would also be expected to be available.

Details released by the HSE are as follows:

"WHAT:

Between 7 October - 1 November, HSE will be carrying out its latest construction inspection initiative.

This will continue the focus on health, in particular the measures in place to protect workers from occupational lung disease caused by asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts when carrying out common construction tasks.

WHY:

Priority is often given to safety but thousands more workers suffer ill-health at work than are harmed by at-work accidents.

Asbestos and dust are slow killers. HSE estimates that annually there are around 8,000 work-related cancer deaths a year. The construction industry accounts for around 3,500 of these with asbestos and silica the major causes. Construction businesses and workers need to be aware of how dangerous and hazardous to someone’s health such substances can be.

HOW:

Inspectors will be looking to ensure those involved with construction projects know the risks, properly plan their work and use the right controls.

For more information see:

• Working with Asbestos

• Construction Dust Information sheet

• Construction Dust Busy Builder sheet

Where poor standards are found, enforcement action will be taken.

Follow: To keep up to date with the initiative follow HSE on Facebook (SaferSites) and Twitter using the hashtags #Dustbusters and #WorkRight.

Support: Resources are available to help you take part and show your support. Use the HSE's selfie cards and promote your good practice."

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES ARISING FROM THE ABOVE, PLEASE CONTACT EITHER STEPHEN PEARSON (07913 607252) OR JOHN SNEATH (07824 514894)

Free Temporary Works in Construction Event - Wednesday 17th July 2019

A FREE ‘Temporary Works in Construction’ event is taking place on Wednesday 17th July 2019 at the National Metalforming Centre as part of the Working Well Together initiative.

What are ‘Temporary Works’? - The HSE Website states as follows: ““Temporary works” is a widely used expression in the construction industry for an “engineered solution” used to support or protect an existing structure or the permanent works during construction, or to support an item of plant or equipment, or the vertical sides or side-slopes of an excavation, or to provide access. The construction of most types of permanent works will require the use of some form of temporary works.”

The event will cover:

• Protecting your workforce - protecting your business

• Protecting others - protecting the environment

• What you need to do to get it right

• The cost of getting it wrong

Please see the flyer below for more information and how to book

Avoid paying the HSE £154 per hour under FFI

Now that the HSE charge for their time to deal with "Non-Compliance's", it is more important then ever to take our advice, follow the good practice we encourage & above all plan your work carefully. IF YOU ARE COMPLIANT THERE ARE NO HSE FEES-We can help with preventative measures to avoid non-compliance which will keep people Healthy & Safe too!

Next HSE Inspection Initiative starts 17 June 2019

A little advanced warning based on an HSE Communication we recently received:

HSE CONSTRUCTION HEALTH INSPECTION INITIATIVE - 17 JUNE 2019

WHAT: Starting on 17 June, HSE will be carrying out its latest construction inspection initiative by visiting construction workplaces. This initiative will continue the focus on health, in particular the measures in place to protect workers from occupational lung disease caused by asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts when carrying out common construction tasks.

WHY: Priority is often given to safety but thousands more workers suffer ill-health at work than are harmed by at-work accidents. Asbestos and dust are ‘slow killers’. HSE estimates that annually there are around 8,000 work-related cancer deaths a year. The construction industry accounts for around 3,500 of these with asbestos and silica the major causes. Construction businesses and workers need to be aware of how dangerous and hazardous to someone’s health such substances can be.

HOW: HSE inspectors will be looking to ensure those involved with construction projects know the risks, properly plan their work and use the right controls. For more information see:

• Working with Asbestos

• Construction Dust Information sheet

• Construction Dust Busy Builder sheet

Where poor standards are found, enforcement action will be taken. 

———————————————————

It is a good idea to have arrangements in place in case of such a visit - e.g. sign the inspector into site.  They should be offered a brief induction to the Site and then accompanied by your Site Manager/Site Supervisor.  The relevant Company Manager overseeing the Site/Project should be notified of the visit as soon as possible.  Do your best to co-operate with the Inspector’s requests but if you do not know the answer to a specific question be honest about this and offer to find out the answer at our earliest opportunity.

Expect an Inspector to be asking to see copies of Refurbishment Surveys for Asbestos Information, and that any works where dusts might be created are being controlled - e.g. with on-tool extraction, dust suppressants, screens to prevent spread, mechanical extraction/ventilation, and that suitable Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is being worn correctly* for the dusts being created by the operative and anyone else in the immediate work area.  Also for any clean up activities, the expectation will be that a vacuum cleaner (minimum M type Hepa filtered) or that any sweeping will only be done once dampened down.

If you would like advice on any of the above, please get in touch.

Feedback from free Working Well Together Event on Asbestos

As trailed on an earlier post, the free Asbestos - Still out there - still a Killer event put on as part of Working Well Together took place on 30th April. The event was well attended and stressed just how much of an issue asbestos still is - with it appearing occasionally in products imported to the UK even now(!), and with an estimated 5000 deaths a year in the UK from related diseases. Key messages included:

• anyone undertaking notifiable non-licensed work is required to have health monitoring;

• if you are responsible for commercial premises, a reminder of your duty to manage asbestos, including:

  • take reasonable steps to find out if there are materials containing asbestos in non-domestic premises, and if so, its amount, where it is and what condition it is in.

  • make, and keep up-to-date, a record of the location and condition of the asbestos- containing materials - or materials which are presumed to contain asbestos.

  • assess the risk of anyone being exposed to fibres from the materials identified.

  • prepare a plan that sets out in detail how the risks from these materials will be managed.

  • take the necessary steps to put the plan into action.

  • periodically review and monitor the plan and the arrangements to act on it so that the plan remains relevant and up-to-date.

  • provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them.

• If you undertake construction or premises maintenance works on pre-2000 buildings you need:

  • to ensure your workers have had the appropriate training, and that this is refreshed annually (see our Asbestos Awareness online training which is aimed at those who are not expected to actually work on asbestos containing materials but is to make them aware of the risks and help them spot such materials).

  • ensure the appropriate level of Pre Construction Information is available for the works you are undertaken e.g. Refurbishment Survey covering the work area and that this is up-to-date before starting works.

  • Where licensed removal works will be required, ensure that sufficient time is allowed for this in the project timeline as there is a minimum 14 day notice period to the HSE before such works start.

  • to have emergency procedures in place in case you accidentally disturb asbestos, and remember to report any such disturbances as Dangerous Occurrences under RIDDOR. You should also keep records indefinitely of anyone who may have been exposed to fibres.

  .

  If you need advice on any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

ADDITIONAL ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE NOW!

We are pleased to to have an extensive range of online courses to our e-learning Portfolio, with courses in: Health & Safety; Business Skills, Leadership & Management; and Health & Social Care.

Do click on our Online Training page for more information & access a FREE TRIAL before you buy. Our courses are competitively priced in three bands - £15 each, £25 each or £35 each (excluding VAT).

A few examples are: Customer Service @ £25; Data Protection @ £25; Fire Safety & Fire Awareness@ £15; Project Management @ £25; and Social Media for Business @ £35-see the full library by clicking the “ONLINE TRAINING” link.

ASBESTOS Still out there - still a killer - Free Event 30/04/19

We will be attending the next in the excellent series of Working Well Together Events at the Bescott Stadium, Walsall on 30th April. It would be nice to see lots of people there to hear about the important subject of Asbestos. As per the flyer, the event will look at:

Protecting your workforce – protecting your business

Protecting others – protecting the environment

What you need to do to get it right

The cost of getting it wrong

Feedback from the Working Well Together - Scaffolding & Work at Height Event

The free event run Under the Working Well Together Campaign on Tuesday 11th July 2017 looked at issues and developments relating to Scaffolding and Work at Height, with presentations / sessions on items such as: what the HSE looks for when they visit site and the very real human cost if things go wrong which is what we are all looking to avoid; information on tool tethering (with some scary videos on what can happen to a hard hat when tools drop from height showing why it is important); plenty of information regarding scaffolding (with a practical inspection exercise); tower scaffold and Podium demonstrations; other lower level solutions mainly used by bricklayers; what to look for when purchasing harnesses and inspection requirements; and safe ladder usage. 

From the scaffolding perspective, there are a few key documents that must be kept on site - a copy of the Scaffold Design or TG20 Compliance Sheet (unless it is a 'System Scaffold' in which case something confirming that would be good); Signed Handover Certificate; and Completed inspection records (inspections to be done by a Competent person every 7 days - good practice is also to attach Scafftags or similar to the scaffold).  Not having any of these could lead to HSE actions against you.