How does shift work affect employees? If your business employs shift workers or is considering doing so, you need to consider how this type of work affects your employees. Employers are duty bound by law to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work. The onus isn’t all on the company though,… Read More
On 6th April 2015 the existing CDM Regulations will be repealed and replaced with the above. The changes being made are far reaching and, in our view, seek to place greater control over smaller construction projects and the role of contractors. This is a fundamental change and you are advised that having a good knowledge… Read More
There are many reasons why more and more companies are choosing to educate their employees through e-learning, so we decided to compile a list of the top three benefits that can arise from this form of employee education. Even if you’re choosing to study as an individual to further your career prospects, e-learning can be… Read More
NEBOSH training courses are recognised globally as one of the best qualifications designed to meet health, safety and risk management needs in any place of work. This means that there are a great many benefits that come along with completing such a useful qualification; benefits that can not just improve safety, but can also boost… Read More
Asbestos was commonly used within machinery, homes and commercial buildings up until 1999 when it was banned. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that asbestos kills approximately 5000 workers every year, more than the number of people killed on the road. It can take 15 to 60 years for any symptoms to develop after… Read More
Being a first aider involves many important responsibilities, varying from keeping the facility’s first aid kit supplied to providing medical assistance to an injured person. It’s a very important role, requiring initial and frequent refresher training. A first aider may need to provide anything from training assistance, showing people where plasters are and helping with… Read More
The HSE are launching a new initiative to raise the awareness of construction works to the risks arising from exposure to asbestos. While this is not new, what is of interest is the statistics attached to the campaign and a rising number of companies being prosecuted for material breaches of safety around asbestos, this is… Read More
At SAMS today we read with some amusement the blog from the head of the HSE Judith Hackitt concerning the views of Bear Grylls (Chief Scout) over the refusal of the administrators of an allotment to allow scouts to be allocated one on the basis of health and safety. Mr Grylls felt so strongly about… Read More
Employing the services of a contractor is a little bit like marriage – you don’t really know what you are getting until 12 months later! On many occasions, issues reported by the HSE on where something has gone wrong involve an external contractor. Take for example the recent incident where a construction project had to… Read More
Why on earth would I voluntarily put my company through an audit? Well the answer may surprise. At SAMS we are happy to have had our CHAS registration renewed for 2014 in respect of our CDM services to construction projects. Although some may shudder at the thought of being audited, we have found that being… Read More