FACT – It is a legal requirement to provide construction / construction workers with asbestos awareness training* ANNUALLY

CHAS Assessors are also increasingly looking for full compliance as part of the application process

 These construction trades include:

 We are running a 3 hour Asbestos Awareness Course, in Sheffield, on Saturday 14^th May starting at 930 – cost is only £30 per person.

NB:We are registered on the Occupational Safety Consultants Register – we guarantee quality training.

Don’t delay – book today……contact us on info@spectrumrisk.co.uk for a booking form

*Reg 10 Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2006

The HSE has provided new information for designers on how to comply with their duties under CDM 2007 and have produced a CDM Red, amber and green list advising what a designer should be eliminating / avoiding when designing a project and what to encourage

As CDM places certain specific duties directly on designers to eliminate hazards where feasible and reduce risks from those hazards that cannot be eliminated; the practical guide will provide extremely helpful

Check it out at http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/hse-rag.pdf

Installers, designers, maintenance firms and manufacturers of electric gates, are being urged to seriously consider new safety advice issued by the HSE following the recent deaths of two children.

The safety alert points out that limiting the closing forces of gates alone will not provide sufficient protection to meet the relevant standards, and installers must fit additional safeguards to gates in public areas.

HSE’s Director of Field Operations said:

“When manufacturing, designing or installing electric gates, it’s crucial to consider who will be in the area when it’s operating. If general public can access the gate then additional protections should be in place. These protections can be in the form of creating safe distances, installing fixed guards, limiting the forces or installing sensitive protective equipment – among others.”

HSE’s advice today also reminds those in control of the maintenance of electric gates to regularly review their risk assessments, taking account of or any changes to the operating conditions or environment.

An architect’s practice and a construction company involved in a development have been fined a total of £195,000 following a fatality on site.

The construction company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health &Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to safely manage subcontractors working for it; they were fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £68,000

The architects pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 13 & 14, of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, which require designers to take safety considerations into account; they were fined £120,000 & ordered to pay costs of £60,000……more than the construction firm!!!!

The decreased was working for the construction company’s sub-contractors and was working on the air conditioning plant, which was built on a platform accessed via a ladder at the edge of a flat roof. The roof only had a low parapet, which was not high enough to prevent the decreased falling nine metres to the ground.

The HSE stated:

“While it is rare for designers to be charged with breaching health &safety legislation, they must be aware they can be held responsible where bad design is an important contributory factor to a work-place fatality.

“Designers must ensure that plant and equipment can be accessed safely, and that safety harnesses are only used as a last resort.

“HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any company or individual who fails to carry out their health and safety duties, especially when that failure results in a tragedy, as in this case.”

For more information on Architects duties under the latest legislation – CDM 2007, contact Andrew today on 07870 777303

Architects are doing something creative and positive every working day by supporting the building of new homes, schools and hospitals. They are the core of construction and in a position to improve the performance of health and safety on site and for end users even before the construction has begun.

By consideration of health and safety, the whole project team can provide the Client with a project that is focused on design risk management and the health and safety needs of those constructing, maintaining and using the buildings and structures.

The following ten tips have been provided by the HSE to assist Architects during design development to consider health and safety risks that maybe created and encountered by their designs and to support them in meeting their legal obligations under CDM2007.

For more information on architects duties under CDM contact Andrew on 07870 777303