Tag Archives: health and safety

We’re hiring – Senior Health & Safety Consultant | Glasgow

We’re looking for a Senior Health & Safety Consultant to join Amalgamate in Glasgow.

But we’re not looking for just another consultant…

We aren’t looking for someone who just wants to deliver consultancy — we’re looking for someone who wants to help build a consultancy.

We are looking for someone who is:

Commercially minded.
Entrepreneurial and proactive.
Client-focused.
Confident dealing with senior stakeholders.
Comfortable developing business and selling professional services.
Credible and technically knowledgeable.
Practical rather than overly bureaucratic.
Organised and self-motivated.
Comfortable working independently.
A strong communicator.
Professional and personable.
Able to balance technical compliance with commercial realities.
Interested in helping a small consultancy grow.

Amalgamate is a growing health and safety consultancy providing practical, commercially focused health, safety and risk management solutions to clients across the UK and internationally.

We work with organisations across a range of sectors, providing professional advice, competent person support, risk management, auditing, training and consultancy services.

As a small and growing consultancy, we are looking for an experienced Senior Health & Safety Consultant who can combine strong technical capability with excellent commercial awareness and client management skills.

This is not simply a technical consultancy role. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the continued growth of Amalgamate, develop client relationships, identify opportunities and generate revenue for the business.

The Role

The Senior Health & Safety Consultant will provide high-quality health and safety consultancy services to Amalgamate’s clients while playing an important role in developing and growing the company’s client base.

You will be expected to operate confidently at a senior level, working directly with clients, senior management teams, directors and project stakeholders.

The role will involve a combination of consultancy delivery, client management, business development and technical leadership.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working at a senior level within a UK health and safety consultancy, with demonstrable evidence of:

Managing significant client relationships.
Developing new business opportunities.
Generating revenue for previous employers.
Retaining and growing existing client accounts.
Delivering commercially successful consultancy projects.
Providing credible advice to senior management and directors.
Identifying opportunities to expand consultancy services.
Working independently while contributing to a small, collaborative team.

Key Responsibilities

Health & Safety Consultancy

Provide competent and professional health and safety advice to clients.
Undertake health and safety audits, inspections and compliance reviews.
Develop and review risk assessments, policies, procedures and management systems.
Carry out Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Risk Assessment Reviews where appropriately qualified and experienced.
Provide CDM and construction health and safety advice where appropriately qualified and experienced.
Support clients with incident investigations and corrective action programmes.
Provide advice on UK g& international health and safety legislation and recognised standards.
Support clients with the development and implementation of health and safety management systems.
Prepare high-quality technical reports and recommendations.
Deliver client presentations, workshops and toolbox talks where required.
Provide practical solutions that recognise both legal requirements and the client’s operational and commercial needs.
Identify the need to source additional SME support as and when required.

Client Management

Act as a senior point of contact for key clients.
Build and maintain strong, long-term client relationships.
Understand client businesses, operational risks and commercial drivers.
Attend client meetings at senior management and board level where appropriate.
Manage client expectations, deliverables, deadlines and commercial requirements.
Identify opportunities for additional consultancy, training and support services.
Ensure high levels of client satisfaction and encourage repeat business.
Develop trusted-adviser relationships rather than simply providing compliance advice.

Business Development & Commercial Growth

A significant part of this role will be supporting the continued commercial growth of Amalgamate.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

Identify and pursue new business opportunities.
Generate leads through existing networks, professional relationships and business development activity.
Develop proposals, scopes of work and commercial quotations.
Participate in client presentations and tender processes.
Convert opportunities into profitable consultancy work.
Develop existing client accounts and increase client spend where appropriate.
Maintain an understanding of market conditions, competitor activity and client requirements.
Contribute to Amalgamate’s marketing and business development strategy.
Develop a personal network of professional and commercial contacts.
Meet agreed revenue and business development targets.

A proven history of generating revenue and winning consultancy work is an essential requirement for this position.

Technical Leadership

Support the development of junior and consultant-level staff.
Provide technical mentoring and peer review.
Contribute to the development of Amalgamate’s consultancy standards and methodologies.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance and industry good practice.
Support the development of new consultancy services and training products.
Represent Amalgamate professionally at client meetings, industry events and networking opportunities.

Qualifications

The successful candidate should hold, as a minimum:

Essential:

NEBOSH National Diploma / Level 6 qualification in Occupational Health and Safety or equivalent
Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH) or working towards Chartered status.
Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD).
Full UK driving licence.

Desirable:

NEBOSH Fire Safety qualification or equivalent.
CDM-related qualification or significant practical CDM experience.
Relevant auditing qualification.
Environmental or quality management qualifications.
Training/teaching qualification.

Key Requirements

Essential

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

Significant professional experience within UK health and safety consultancy.
A proven track record operating at Senior Consultant, Principal Consultant, Consultancy Manager or equivalent level.
Significant experience managing client relationships.
Demonstrable experience winning or generating consultancy revenue.
A history of developing new and existing client accounts.
Experience preparing commercial proposals and quotations.
Experience delivering consultancy services directly to clients.
Experience advising senior management and directors.
Strong understanding of UK health and safety legislation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously.
Ability to work autonomously and manage workload effectively.
Strong commercial awareness and understanding of consultancy profitability.
Applicants must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Note: Amalgamate is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position unless expressly confirmed as part of the recruitment process.

Desirable

Experience working across multiple industry sectors.
Experience managing or mentoring consultants.
Experience with large construction or infrastructure projects.
Experience working with international clients.
Experience working with multinational organisations.
Experience delivering health and safety services within the renewable energy sector.
Experience in fire safety consultancy.
Working knowledge of European Union occupational health and safety legislation.
Experience working across UK and European jurisdictions.

Package

Salary dependent on experience and commercial track record.
Hybrid working arrangement, with the role based primarily from Glasgow.
Flexible approach to client and project working.
Opportunity to work across a diverse range of sectors.
Exposure to UK and international clients.
Opportunity to play a significant role in the growth of a small consultancy.
Professional development and CPD support.
Opportunity to develop new services and areas of specialism.
Significant autonomy and responsibility.
Opportunity to progress within the business as Amalgamate grows.
Company pension (NEST).
34 days’ annual leave (bank holidays are included but can be taken whenever)
Wellbeing days – 3 per annum
Mobile phone and laptop
Business expense reimbursement
5 month probationary period

Location & Travel

The position is based in Glasgow, Scotland, with hybrid working available.

The role will involve travel to client sites throughout Scotland and the wider UK, with occasional international travel potentially required depending on client requirements.

A full UK driving licence and ability to travel to client locations is therefore required.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced health and safety professional who combines technical credibility, commercial awareness and a genuine ability to win and develop client relationships, we would like to hear from you.

Please to submit your CV to careers@amalgamate-safety.com together with a covering letter outlining:

Your relevant consultancy experience.
Your current professional qualifications and memberships.
Your experience managing significant client accounts.
Examples of business or revenue you have generated.
Your experience developing new consultancy opportunities.
Why you would like to join Amalgamate.

Amalgamate is an equal opportunities employer.

September 2020 Legal Updates

Introduction

We want to detail the 2020 Legislation Updates for Health and Safety. As a H&S company, we want businesses and employers to be aware of the current legislation to ensure the safety and compliance of everyone in the workplace. The current Covid-19 crisis has resulted in legislation updates surrounding exposure and control. Below, we will talk you through the new legislation and regulation updates.

Coronavirus Act 2020

The Coronavirus bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 19 March 2020. It received Royal Assent on 25 March 2020 and is now in force. The purpose of the act is to enable the government to respond to an emergency and manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation includes:

Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020
Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020
Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Brexit

Minor amendments have been made to regulations to remove EU references, but the legal requirements for employers remain the same as before Brexit day (officially 31 January 2020). Therefore, duties to protect the health and safety of those affected by your work have not yet changed.

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 has been passed into law and implements the agreement made between the UK and the EU regarding the arrangements for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Grenfell

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has been suspended for the foreseeable future after the prime minister tightened restrictions on social distancing, in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The full report on Phase 1 of the Public Inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower was published in October 2019.

Phase 2 was underway before the suspension, calling witnesses involved with refurbishing the tower and installing the cladding, including members from Kensington and Chelsea borough council and the private construction companies responsible for the design. It seeks to identify how the building failed so drastically to prevent a disaster of this scale.

Budget 2020

Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged an extra £1 billion in a new building safety fund. The funding will go “beyond ACM to make sure that all unsafe cladding will be removed for all social and residential buildings above 18 metres high.”

Fire Safety bill

The Fire Safety bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 19 March 2020 (bill 121).

Its purpose is to clarify that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order) applies to external walls (including cladding, balconies and windows) and individual flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings. The provisions in the bill extend and apply to England and Wales.

Key legislation and guidance that has come into force

Carcinogens and Mutagens (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020

These regulations came into force on 2 March 2020 and aim to:

Protect workers, and seafarers who are not workers, on United Kingdom ships from the risk of harm from exposure to carcinogenic or mutagenic substances at work
Ensure an equivalent level of protection for workers on ships and seafarers who are not workers, as for workers ashore
Increase protections for those coal mine workers who work below ground in relation to exposure to one carcinogen, namely respirable crystalline silica dust (RCS dust)

EH40/2005 (updated to 4th Edition)

In January, the HSE published a revised version of EH40/2005 which details some new and revised Workplace Exposure Limits for 13 carcinogenic substances. These revised limits may mean that you need to review your COSHH risk assessments to ensure exposure is controlled to as low as reasonably practicable.

The new or revised entries are for the following substances:

Hardwood dusts
Chromium (VI) compounds
Refractory ceramic fibres
Respire crystalline silica
Vinyl chloride monomer
Ethylene oxide
1,2-Epoxypropane
Acrylamide
2-Nitropropane
O-Toluidine
1,3-Butadiene
Hydrazine
Bromoethylene

Welding fume risk

At the start of the year, the HSE announced that during the period January 2020 to March 2020 they would be inspecting sites across the country which carry out metal fabrication work to check that employers are controlling exposure to welding fumes and metalwork fluids.

HSE has now revised its Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) direct advice for welding:

COSHH advice sheets: welding, cutting and surface preparation

WL0 – Advice for managers
WL2 – Welding in confined/limited/restricted spaces
WL3 – Welding fume control
WL14 – Manual gas and oxy-gas cutting
WL15 – Plasma arc cutting: fixed equipment
WL16 – Arc-air gouging (air-carbon arc gouging)
WL18 – Surface preparation: pressure blasting (small items)
WL19 – Surface preparation: pressure blasting (medium-sized items)
WL20 – Surface preparation: pressure blasting (large items)
WL21 – Weld cleaning with pickling paste.

New Building Safety Regulator

The Government announced that a new building safety regulator, which was established immediately, would be part of the HSE. The purpose of the new building safety regulator is to improve building safety and performance standards, including overseeing a new, more stringent regime for higher risk buildings.

Building Safety Advice for Building Owners, Including Fire Doors

Issued in January, this document brings together a number of advice notes for building owners on the measures they should take to ensure their buildings are safe.

It covers the safety of external wall systems (including spandrel panels and balconies), smoke control systems, fire doors and what short-term measures should be put in place should a significant safety issue be identified. It additionally reflects the independent panel view that cladding material comprised of ACM (and other metal composites) with an unmodified polyethylene core should not be on residential buildings of any height and should be removed.

To Conclude

If you want more details about the 2020 Legislation Updates, you can download Barbour’s full Health and Safety Legislation Update for April 2020 and Beyond from this page.

You can also check out the Legislation and Guidance Updates section on our website here.

If you have any questions or want to get in touch please contact us on t: +44 (0)141 244 0181 or e: info@amalgamate-safety.com

Supporting dyslexic employees

Background

At Amalgamate we believe that Health & Safety is an integrated part of every business – and people make businesses. That is why we’re focused on the individuals and them being effective at work.

Worksmart’s Managing Director, Steve Neilson, approached Amalgamate asking for support in implementing procedures to help dyslexic workers within their company.

Worksmart Contracts are a leading solutions based Interior Fit-Out & Refurbishment Contractor. They deliver Projects on Time with Value for Money, Quality with Communication and Determination throughout Scotland and the UK.

This infographic illustrates how to support dyslexic employees including common strengths and challenges and how you can provide a Dyslexia-Friendly Workplace. — This infographic from Dyslexic Advantage illustrates common strengths and challenges that are often involved with dyslexia and how you can provide a Dyslexia-Friendly Workplace.

Managing Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling. It is estimated that between 5-10% of the worldwide population is seriously affected by this.

Dyslexics are present in every industry, including high risk ones such as construction. Realising that risk, Worksmart requested guidance for managing dyslexic workers in order to maximise their potential at work and ensure that safety critical information was communicated effectively.

Support

Our Consultant Roza Ketner provided Steve and his team with comprehensive guidance on managing dyslexia in construction. She has also adapted existing safety documents being used on Worksmart sites into a dyslexia friendly format.

Our ‘Managing Dyslexia’ guidance provides information about dyslexia, its challenges and practical advice on how to support dyslexic employees in the workplace. It has been written and formatted in a dyslexia friendly format. This works well for everyone in the workforce – not just the ones with additional needs.

In addition, we have also reformatted Worksmart’s site induction presentation to support dyslexic users. The presentation is now being used across the company ensuring that all safety critical arrangements are fully understood by everyone.

To Conclude

We will continue to support Worksmart by developing all of their safety toolkits into a dyslexia friendly format including method statements and risk assessments.

We believe that it is worth going the extra mile in order to ensure that everyone at work is safe and thriving – because a business can’t thrive without its employees.

For further information on supporting dyslexic employees in the workplace, click here.

We have also been helping to provide support for Polish employees, to read more about this click here.

If you require support with managing dyslexia on site or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call us on t: +44 (0)141 244 0181 or email: info@amalgamate-safety.com

Creating an Ergonomic Workspace

Introduction

We’ve put together some useful tips and tricks on creating an ergonomic workspace to alleviate pain and discomfort whilst maintaining work productivity.

Upper limb disorder/discomfort

Upper limb disorders (ULDs) include aches and pains in the shoulders, arms, wrists, hands and fingers, as well as in the neck. These may be caused or made worse by using a computer.

ULDs are more common in work that involves:

Prolonged, repetitive work particularly using the same hand or arm action.
Uncomfortable or awkward working positions.
Sustained or excessive force.
Carrying out a task for a long time without suitable breaks.
Working with hand-held power tools for long periods of time.

Other influences may be:

A poor working environment.
Poor work organisation.
Individual differences and vulnerability.

Workers may have symptoms in their upper limbs such as:

Aches and pains, tenderness, weakness, tingling, numbness, cramp, burning, redness and swelling.
Stiffness, pain or reduced movement in their joints.

Alleviating discomfort

Creating an ergonomic workspace is highly effective at alleviating discomfort. Below is a variety of quick stretches you can perform to prevent discomfort at your desk:

Neck glides – sit or stand up straight, glide head back as far as it will go, keeping head and ears level, then glide head forward. Repeat 3 times.
Shoulder shrugs – sit or stand up straight, circle shoulders backwards 3 times with arms relaxed by your side.
Upper Back Stretches – cross arms and raise hands to rest on the front of the shoulders, using your arms push shoulders back and keep elbows down. Hold for 15 seconds, repeat 3 times.
Forearm Stretches – sit or stand up straight, extend one arm in front, elbow straight and hand flexed. Stretch forearm muscles by placing the palm of the other hand across the front of the first hand and push towards the body.
Forward presses – gently interlock your fingers, press your palms away from your body, gently stretching the forearm muscles, fingers and the muscles between your shoulder blades. Hold for five seconds.

Posture

Poor posture can result in chronic pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and injuries all of which impact long-term health and productivity. To reduce those risks and enhance wellbeing, it’s important to implement healthy habits that will improve your posture.

Tips for improving posture:

Practice neutral posture

This is the spine’s natural alignment position. This can be achieved by keeping your computer monitor at eye level, keep your back flat against your chair, rest feet flat on the ground or even use a lumbar support tool.

Regular breaks

Regular movement every 20-25 minutes increases blood and nutrient flow and also loosens up your body so prevents stiffness. A brisk walk around the room can help boost circulation and energy.

Ergonomic aids

There are excellent supports available on the market to encourage neutral posture and promote better ergonomic habits. A good office chair can be one of the best ergonomic aids to relieve discomfort and prevent injury. Other aids include sit-stand desks, office footrests, monitor arms, and keyboard trays.

This infographic details how to achieve the correct sitting posture when creating an ergonomic workspace. — This infographic from Yorback details how to achieve the correct sitting posture, click here for their full article containing this image.

Seating

Seating is highly important in creating an ergonomic workspace. If you don’t have space for an ergonomic chair, you could make some comfortable adjustments to your current chair. For example sitting wedges to angle your pelvis forward slightly for a better posture, or better yet, a back-friend to make it a little bit more supportive. If you are able purchase a new chair, there are thousands of Ergonomic or task chairs on the market to choose from in a range of prices.

Chairs should be adjustable, comfortable, sturdy, sourced from a reputable supplier, and come with at least a 5 year guarantee. If your chair can be adjusted, make sure you take time to adjust the chair appropriately. The chair arms should be adjusted or removed if they’re preventing the user from getting into the ideal seating position.

Once the chair height is set to the optimum position, check to see if a footrest is needed. Once set, the chair and the height of the backrest should not be adjusted as these are based on the person’s height, which won’t alter.

Hydration, diet, and breaks

Our diets can drive anxiety and worsen mood which is what makes our food choices so important. Planning meals and being mindful of the types of food we buy can hep to reduce anxiety. When focusing on numerous different tasks, staying hydrated can be easily forgotten. Dehydration can cause headaches and decreased memory, and therefore decreased work productivity. Proper hydration boosts metabolism and reduces daytime fatigue, so its important to make sure that you’re increasing your water intake.

Working Environment

It’s important to have a working environment that will prevent distractions and discomfort. Finding a suitable and quiet area or separate room to set up your workspace will help to reduce distracting noises. Natural light is preferred to artificial light and can help to reduce dry or strained eyes. Temperature can also have an effect on work so make sure you are comfortable. If it’s too cold wear a jumper or put the heating on and if it’s too warm open a window or use a fan where possible.

To Conclude

It’s clear just how important creating an ergonomic workspace is in maintaining your physical wellbeing whilst you are working. You can also click here to read our article on working from home during COVID-19 for more tips on creating an efficient workspace.

If you require any further information or support, please don’t hesitate to contact us on either t: +44 (0)141 244 0181 or e: info@amalgamate-safety.com

Supporting Polish employees

Background

At Amalgamate we believe in supporting all employees and that’s why we’re providing extra help for supporting Polish employees.

Our client, Steve Neilson of Worksmart Contracts Limited, approached Amalgamate asking for support for Polish workers. Worksmart employs a number of polish operatives and regularly engages with polish sub-contractors and therefore asked if we could translate their safety procedures into Polish.

Polish Workforce

Since 2004 nearly a million Polish citizens have migrated and found a new home for themselves in the UK, assimilating very well to their new lives.

Polish employees are present in every industry, and usually their English is good enough to freely communicate around the workplace. However, some industries, especially high risk ones like construction, may request additional support for their Polish employees. This is to ensure that safety critical arrangements are effectively communicated, understood and implemented correctly.

At Amalgamate we have always been welcoming towards newcomers in both our own and our client’s businesses. We are dedicated to supporting our clients and their employees.

Toolkit Development

Our Consultant Roza Ketner (also a Polish national) translated Worksmart’s safety management toolkit into Polish on their behalf. This included the company’s H&S Policy, site inductions, risk assessment, method statements and toolbox talks. These are now used across all Worksmart sites, ensuring that safety critical arrangements are fully understood by all of their workforce.

We will continue to support Worksmart with all aspects of Health and Safety. This initiative enhances their ability to manage their construction sites safely and communicate effectively with all of their workforce.

Literacy, Knowledge, and Understanding

It’s important to emphasise that levels of English literacy must be assessed for foreign candidates before employment. This is to ensure the safety of both this individual and all other people in and around the workplace.

Both Amalgamate and Worksmart are determined to continue to build a strong and safe future for ourselves, our workforce and our clients.

We’ve also been helping to provide support for dyslexic employees in the workplace, to read more click here.

If you would like to discuss how our consultants can support you and Polish employees please contact us on t: +44 (0)141 244 0181 or e: info@amalgamate-safety

We’re in the driving seat for safety with West Coast Motors!

From directors to drivers, West Coast Motors take pride in their safety management. So we’re delighted to announce a new health and safety partnership with the privately owned transport group.

Based in Campbeltown and established in 1923, the company employs approximately 415 staff, and has a fleet of 220 buses, coaches and boats. It owns and operates the following transport companies:

West Coast Motors
City Sightseeing Glasgow, Bute and Oban
Glasgow Citybus
Kintyre Express
West Coast Tours
Fairline Coaches Ltd; and
Perryman’s Buses Ltd.

Amalgamate have been engaged to undertake a gap analysis exercise to review the company’s current safety management system. Our gap analysis will include a detailed examination of the company’s health and safety arrangements, including their health and safety policy, responsibilities and arrangements, records of training, risk assessments, safe systems of work, management of contractors, and maintenance records.

As well as the gap analysis exercise, we’ll be working in partnership with West Coast Motors’ senior management team to further enhance the company’s safety management system. This project will include an overhaul of their current policy and arrangements, development of a new safety manual and employee induction programme, and ensuring that the enhanced system is being implemented consistently across all of their locations.

We’re very pleased to be working with all the staff at West Coast Motors, and are looking forward to helping the company drive things forward!

For more information on our health and safety services click here, call us on +44 (0)7808 391228 or email annette@amalgamate-safety.com

2016 Sentencing Guidelines Update

On the 1st of February 2016, the new Sentencing Guidelines for corporate manslaughter, health & safety, food hygiene and food safety offenses came into effect. The introduction of the guidelines from the Sentencing Council is undoubtedly going to lead to increased fines being imposed on organisations, and increased custodial sentences for individuals. It is important to note that the guidelines will only apply to England and Wales, however there is no reason to doubt that the Scottish courts will follow the same principles.

The main objective is to ensure a consistent approach is being taken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) when handing down sentences, and will take into account the level of culpability, the risk of harm, and the turnover of the organisation being sentenced. These three points will be the basis for the CPS’s starting point for determining fines and custodial sentences appropriate to the offence.

In order to determine culpability, harm and turnover, defined categories have been developed on a matrix system and can be found via this link – Sentencing Guidelines.

Micro-organisations

Micro-organisations (those with a turnover of up to £2 million) could face fines of up to £450,000 for serious health and safety breaches, or up to £800,000 for corporate manslaughter.

Small organisations

Small organisations (those with a turnover of £2 million – £10 million) could face fines of up to £1.6 million for serious health and safety breaches, or up to £2.8 million for corporate manslaughter.

Medium organisations

Medium organisations (those with a turnover of £10 million – £50 million) could face fines of up to £4 million for serious health and safety breaches, or up to £7.5 million for corporate manslaughter.

Large organisations

Large organisations (those with a turnover of £50 million or more) could face fines of up to £10 million for serious health and safety breaches, or up to £20 million for corporate manslaughter.

What is very disappointing is that ‘Very Large’ organisations have not been defined in the guidelines, which only go on to say: “Where an offending organisation’s turnover or equivalent very greatly exceeds the threshold for large organisations, it may be necessary to move outside the suggested range to achieve a proportionate sentence.” This could be described as a missed opportunity, as there are a significant number of organisations in the UK which could fit this description.

The liability for individuals has been well defined and holds the potential for custodial sentences of up to two years being imposed.

Ironically, there have already been inconsistencies with how the guidelines have been applied since they came into effect, which was the very problem they were meant to alleviate; and the legal issues surrounding each of the above points (turnover/culpability/likelihood of harm) have been subject to considerable debate within the courts.

What is clear is that the level of fines and potential for custodial sentences is much greater, and will continue to rise over the coming months and years as the courts build their confidence in using the new guidelines.

Notwithstanding the existing requirement for your organisation to remain compliant with health and safety legislation, the new sentencing guidelines increase the risks of more serious prosecutions.

How compliant is your organisation? To find out more about how we can help, call us on 0141 244 0181 or e-mail info@amalgamate-safety.com.

Win a free AA Emergency Car Kit

Business leaders are responsible for ensuring their employees’ safety, and when winter comes around it’s important to remind them of the need to pay attention to safe driving issues. So this month we’re giving away an AA Emergency Winter Car Kit to help draw attention to the subject.

Read on for winter driving tips to share with your staff, and to find out how to win…

The kit fits easily into your car boot, and includes:

Foldable snow shovel
Emergency foil blanket
9 LED torch with batteries
High-visibility vest
Snow and ice grips
Booster cables
Ponchos

Safer Driving in Winter

We all prepare to some extent for the winter, whether it’s with a boiler service or getting a new winter coat. But have you made sure that you’re ready for the changeable driving conditions that winter brings?

Have you:

Checked that your lights are clean and the car battery is fully charged?
Made sure that your tyres are in good condition?
Cleaned your car windows – on the inside as well as the outside? It’ll really make a difference when that low angled sun is shining.
Made sure that your brakes are working well and your tyre pressure is correct?
Checked that your oil, anti-freeze and windscreen wash are all topped-up?

It’s also a really good idea to keep an emergency kit (like the AA one shown above) in your car during the winter months. If you’re assembling one yourself, consider including a warm coat or blanket, a snow shovel, wellies, a hazard warning triangle (many cars have these included), a torch and a first aid kit. Having a bottle of water and a couple of cereal bars is a good idea too. We’ve all heard stories from when people got snowed into their cars for hours on the motorway a few years back – having access to food and being able to keep warm makes all the difference in an uncomfortable situation like that.

Before setting off on a long journey always make sure that:

You have plenty of fuel
You’ve checked the weather reports for the area you’ll be travelling through
Your mobile phone is fully charged before you set off
You’ve let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to arrive.

Driving in Snow
As always, it’s vital to adapt your driving to the weather conditions. Slow down, remember your stopping distances, and avoid harsh braking and acceleration.

Getting stuck in snow can be a real pain. Trying to power out is not the best option; instead try to rock your car back and forth gently using a high gear. If this doesn’t work you might need someone to give you a push or get that snow shovel out and start digging.

Driving in Rain
I’m sure we’re all pretty experienced at driving in the rain, but always remember – it can require twice the normal braking distance to stop when the roads are wet, so be extra aware of how close you are to the car in front.

Driving in Fog
Here are a few tips to consider:

Switch on your headlights/fog lights if visibility is reduced;
If you can see a car behind you, they can see you and your rear fog lights could be dazzling them. Switch them off when visibility improves;
Rear lights of the car in front of you can sometimes provide a false sense of security, be careful not to get too close; and
Fog can be patchy so be careful not to speed up as soon as visibility improves slightly, you could find yourself in thick fog again very quickly.

For more information / advice on driving safely visit gov.uk or the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

To win a free AA Emergency Winter Kit worth £28.99 for one of your employees, send a message to Annette@amalgamate-safety.com before the 21st of December, telling us what efforts you’re making to help ensure staff safety this winter. A winner will be picked at random from all the entries.

New H&S Sentencing Guidelines – Are you ready?

New Sentencing Guidelines come into effect in February 2016. Is your business ready?

The Sentencing Council’s new guidelines aim to ensure a consistent approach to health and safety, corporate manslaughter, and food safety and hygiene cases, and will lead to a more severe response to these cases, and potentially higher fines.

Company directors who are found guilty of “consent, connivance or neglect” in relation to an offence could face unlimited fines, as well as up to 2 years in prison.

Serious health and safety breaches could result in fines exceeding £10million, and corporate manslaughter cases could exceed £20million.

Different fine ranges will apply depending on the size of the organisation. However it’s entirely possible that the fines could be of sufficient size to put a company out of business, which may be decided to be an acceptable consequence, if the offence is severe enough.

When a fine is being decided, the court will consider the overall seriousness of the offence based on the offender’s culpability and the risk of serious harm, even if no harm was actually caused. They will also take into account various factors including, amongst others, whether the business has:

any previous convictions
taken action to improve the situation
co-operated with the investigation
a history of relevant offences
committed the offence for the purpose of financial gain.

It is clear that the regulatory authorities expect companies to take positive action, and really prioritise health and safety issues. And although the guidelines will apply only to England and Wales, health and safety law is generally consistent across the UK, so it’s likely that Scotland will follow suit and implement tougher fines.

This news is a timely reminder to ensure that your business is compliant with all the relevant Health and Safety legislation, and that your H&S management systems are truly effective. Taking action now could protect the financial standing of your business.

To find out more about how we can help, call us on 0141 244 0181 or e-mail info@amalgamate-safety.com

Asbestos and the CDM 2015 Regulations

Due to the shift in responsibilities under the new CDM Regulations, there is a potential duty for the Principal Designer and the client to ensure that exposure to asbestos is being managed throughout a construction project.

In the HSE guidance on the new CDM Regulations it places more explicit requirements on duty holders to follow the general principles of prevention.

The HSE has also indicated that the new regulations are more focused on the client’s duties and making the client “accountable for the impact their decisions and approach have on health, safety and welfare on the project”.

We have put together a document to help you understand the implications of the new regulations, and what your responsibilities are. Read more here: Asbestos and the CDM Regulations