WELCOME BACK

The Team at MS Associates

OUR WINTER GIVEAWAY WINNER

Congratulations Holly! Enjoy your £100 voucher at Miller & Carter.

Keep an eye out for our next giveaway!

PROJECT STARTS, SLOW

The value of underlying work starting on site fell 15 per cent in the three months to end of January against previous periods. Supply chain and labour issues have created challenges, with delays to starts blamed on clients reassessing project costs and deciding to hold off on work.Residential, civils, utilities and office sectors reported a continuing trend of falling project starts. Industrial builds, which had shown strong demand last year, also dropped 18 per cent in the three months to end of January 2022.Hotels and leisure stood as the only sector in growth, with output 35 per cent higher than the previous three months.

A senior economist said that even though the industry was off to a weak start, there were signs that the situation could improve. They said: “We are starting to see some of the socioeconomic challenges gradually easing, and this is being evidenced through a growing pipeline of planning approvals and main contract awards.”

Although project starts reached a low, orders in construction rose for the month of January, as a response to the easing of COVID restrictions. Commercial construction in particular saw a rise in new orders.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

There are times when the job of a H&S Adviser has its advantages, as this photos shows. It was taken by Matt from the top of his recent scaffold inspection. The sun coming up on a fresh spring day looking over Portsmouth.

Great view!

DIRECTOR PROSECUTED OVER FATAL ACCIDENT

The owner of a business based in Odiham, Hampshire has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after a fatal accident.

Colin Malam and his company Lubrication Management Services (LMS) Ltd pleaded guilty to health and safety at work offences following a prosecution brought by Hart District Council. The case followed the tragic death of delivery driver Michael Paull in 2018.

Michael Paull fell from the flatbed of an HGV which had not been risk-assessed. He died from his injuries 10 days later. Hart District Council Environmental Health Officers investigated the accident and advised LMS that systems were inadequate, and Improvement Notices were served in July 2018. However, the company continued to operate an unsafe system of work and legal proceedings commenced in 2019.

LMS and Mr Malam pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that employees were not exposed to risks to their health and safety whilst working from height on HGVs. In addition to the custodial sentence, LMS was fined £48,000 and costs of £110,000 were awarded to the Council.

Councillor Sara Kinnell, Cabinet member for Environmental Health, said: “This was a very sad and difficult case and my thoughts go to Mr Paull’s family.

“The standards of health and safety at Lubrication Management Services Limited fell far below the standard expected for a business of this nature. This ultimately led to Mr Paull’s untimely death. Michael Paull was a highly regarded member of the Odiham community who took great pride in his service to the community as a retained firefighter for over 40 years.

“We hope that the resolution of this case will give the family the much-needed closure to move forward with their lives. We would like to thank our partners in the Health and Safety Executive, Hampshire Constabulary and South-Central Ambulance Service for their assistance with this case.”

The coroner’s inquest will follow on from the court proceedings with a date to be confirmed.

TRAINING – COMING UP

Southampton

CITB Health & Safety Awareness

£130 + VAT per person

6th September 2022

CITB Site Management Training Scheme Ref

£325 + VAT per person

8th & 9th March 2022

19th & 20th April 2022

3rd & 4th May 2022

CITB Temporary Works Coordinator

£360 + VAT per person

16th & 17th March 2022

25th & 26th April 2022

26th & 27th May 2022

Fire Warden

£85 + VAT per person

30th June 2022

Booking is easy, just call Bex on 02380 669305 or email bw@msasafety.co.uk. Alternatively, bookings can be made online via the below button:

SCAFFOLDING CONTRACTOR FINED

A scaffolding contractor was fined after a worker fell approximately 8 metres resulting in serious injuries. Mr Barnett was dismantling temporary over-roof scaffolding, when he fell through the scaffolding landing on the roof of the property below, before rolling down on to the ground. Mr Barnett sustained two brain haemorrhages, six vertebra fractures, a fractured shoulder blade and multiple rib fractures in the incident. The HSE’s investigation found the company had failed to properly plan the works and Mr Barnett was only provided with a single lanyard harness that was not suitable for such works, rather than a twin lanyard harness. Zendrill Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4 (1) (a) and 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £16,667 and ordered to pay costs of £6,767 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector said “The case highlights the importance of following industry guidance in order to design and dismantle scaffolding in a safe manner with the correct equipment made available to those undertaking the work.

PPE UPDATE

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022

On 6 April 2022 the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (PPER 2022) come into force and amend the 1992 Regulations (PPER 1992). They extend employers’ and employees’ duties regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) to limb (b) workers. Employers need to carefully consider whether the change to UK law apply to them and their workforce and make the necessary preparations to comply.

What this means for employers

PPER 1992 places a duty on every employer in Great Britain to ensure that suitable PPE is provided to ‘employees’ who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work. PPER 2022 extends this duty to limb (b) workers and comes into force on 6 April 2022. Limb (a) describes those with a contract of employment. This group are employees under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and are already in scope of PPER 1992. Limb (b) describes workers who generally have a more casual employment relationship and work under a contract for service – they do not currently come under the scope of PPER 1992

HSE has prepared interim guidance explaining the changes. 

www.hse.gov.uk/ppe/ppe-regulations-2022

DON’T SKIP REFRESHER TRAINING

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on every sector and changed the way many people work. For the construction sector, a strong focus on preventing the spread of the coronavirus on site has sometimes meant a loss of focus on addressing other categories of hazard. This unwelcome consequence can be seen in the decreased uptake of the refresher training courses required to maintain safety knowledge.

Refresher training can address a wide variety of skills including first aid, crane operation, forklift truck driving, fire marshalling and manual handling. In construction, proof of competence and up-to-date training is a requirement for everything from entry to a site,

accreditation under the contractor health and safety certification scheme (CHAS), a CSCS card, and compliance with the terms of insurance policies. It is also often a client requirement to align with their own health and safety standards. Refresher training has dropped while the benefits of up-to-date training are widely acknowledged, there is no specific legal timeline from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), or any other body, that states exactly when each type of training must be refreshed. As a result, the frequency at which workers must refresh their training is typically based on a risk assessment carried out by their employer.

Since the pandemic started, the number of businesses undertaking their usual levels of refresher training has dropped considerably, across the board. One of the reasons cited most often is the lack of training course availability. However, for the majority of health and safety issues, refresher training has been available as usual for all but the initial three months when the pandemic began. Even where onsite training was withdrawn, there was a variety of online options.

What is more likely is that the cost associated with refresher training has been the biggest factor in businesses opting to postpone it, with many businesses facing financial challenges as a result of the pandemic. Although some businesses have had to make difficult financial decisions, the importance of refresher training should not be underestimated. Safety training should not be a negotiable item within your budget. If there is an incident, the competence of those involved will inevitably be questioned. If it is deemed that operatives were incompetent due to a lack of recent training, the employer will be held responsible. Further, refresher training is essential to ensure workers are actually kept safe on site, and that is something many clients will ask for proof of before appointing a contractor.

As a result, a lack of refresher training could prevent a business winning contracts, put staff in jeopardy and result in serious financial and legal challenges. Although it may feel like a significant outlay, businesses must prioritise ongoing training – not only for the health or their staff, but also for the long-term health of the business.

WHAT’S ON

Vegan Fiesta Basingstoke

Festival Place Shopping Centre

Artisan stalls with delicious deli, yummy cakes, natural skincare, eco-friendly gifts.

From 6th March to 7th August

www.sparkleveganevents.com

BBC Gardeners’ World Spring at Beaulieu

Beaulieu Motor Museum

What better way to inspire your gardening this Spring. 

From Friday 29 April to Sunday 1 May

www.beaulieu.co.uk

Canoe Easter Egg Hunt

New Forest Activities – April

Enjoy an egg-cellent guided paddle along the Beaulieu River in ‘Canadian style’ canoes.

www.newforestactivities.co.uk

Swanage Fairy Festival

A two day family festival overlooking the sea in beautiful Swanage Bay.

28 -29 May, 2022

www.visit-dorset.com

If you have a local event you would like to share, let us know. MSA cannot be held responsible for lack of enjoyment, financial loss or issues arising from these activities.  Activities are undertaken at the readers choice and own risk.