Newsletter January 2005
Ai Solutions Celebrate 10th Anniversary
It's hard to believe that we have reached our 10th anniversary this week. 2005 is our anniversary year and therefore particularly special; as are the initial customers who have stayed the course with us over that extended timeframe.
From the early days when we developed the first management CDM software in the market place, to the situation today where we continue to be a leading supplier of not only CDM software but asbestos software as well. We would like to say a grateful thank-you to all our customers who have supported and helped us through those years. Many of whom have been with us since the beginning. Edinburgh City District Council is a good example of one of them, as is Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the London Borough of Lambeth. All three became users of the original CDM ToolKit™ product in 1995 and are still users today.
As part of our celebrations, we are pleased to sponsor a special Health and Safety Seminar at the Royal Air Force Club in central London on the 1st of March. This is a very special location which is normally only open to club members. It is full of interesting memorabilia and amazing public rooms including the ballroom where we are holding our presentations. The seminar has been subsidised in order that we can attract as wide an audience as possible with a very special low rate for all our customers. So please join us if you possibly can and meet the team and other like minded customers wanting to comply with health & safety legislation.
We have special anniversary product offers for new and existing customers on our web site too!
Web Site Redesign
Our new website, designed to lead our sales and marketing for ToolKit™ Compliance Software, has made a successful launch with record breaking statistics. Many of you have commented on the site and the feedback has been very positive; in some cases positively blooming! The site is a complete make-over, with improvements to both style and content. Internet users can view general information about CDM and Asbestos legislation, and our supporting products and services. Those users who want to access even more information including our innovative and free 'Ask a Guru' feature, can do so when they subscribe to the site.
We are working on some new sections for the community section including information about health & safety issues that have gone wrong and another for cartoons, funny stories; even jokes. If you have any material that may be suitable for either of these sections, we would be pleased to receive them by e-mail.
Subscribing to the site is easy and free. Subscribers are protected by privacy terms which accede to the data protection and new freedom of information legislation as applicable. So, please, help us to help you by not only subscribing yourself, but also getting your colleagues to do so too!
Health & Safety Seminar
Managing Change in Health & Safety Practice
As trailed in our last Newsletter, we are holding a seminar at the Royal Air Force Club in Piccadilly, London on 1st March this year to celebrate our 10th anniversary. The agenda, Managing Change in Health & Safety Practice, addresses issues for anyone concerned with compliance to Health & Safety Law.
In particular, we will be addressing the CDM Regulations, the Asbestos Management (CAW 2002) Regulations, and Risk Assessment. We will be supported by our new business partners David Carr, Managing Director of Callsafe Services and James Steggles, Managing Director of Flint Environmental Services with presentations about the progress and implementation of current health & safety legislation.
Ewan A MacGregor, MSc CEng, Director of Legal & Risk Management at Griffiths and Armour Professional Risks will be presenting. Ewan will be discussing the effects of legislation on insurance including Professional Indemnity Insurance for health & safety (including asbestos) related issues and the effects of the legislation on applicants for business services generally. If you are concerned with the knock on effects of new health & safety legislation on your application for insurance or are concerned about what insurance cover is appropriate to support your own competencies, then this may be a presentation of particular relevance to you!
Please see our online links for information about the agenda, location, and how to enrol for the event. The cost for customers will be £65 plus VAT with further discounts for groups booking 10 people (£499 plus VAT). The cost for non customers will be £95 plus VAT. The seminar fee includes refreshments and buffet lunch. CPD certificates will be issued after the event for those who request them.
Asbestos Management Plans - Do they need to be written down?
We received a comment from an asbestos surveyor this week stating that one of their clients believes that a written management plan is not required, it simply needs to be 'in my head'. Not being the sort of people to let such a comment float by, we contacted our HSE contacts and this is their reply;
With regard to your question regarding the need for a 'Management Plan' - the legal requirement is set out in regulation 4 (8) (see p.17 of ACoP L127), which includes the need for a written plan to be prepared which sets out how the risks from any asbestos, or presumed asbestos, found during the assessment are to be managed. The plan can be a paper copy or a copy that is accessible from a computer database. Enforcement officers will request to see a copy of the Plan during their visits, therefore it needs to be readily accessible on site.
Calling all Asbestos Surveyors
If you are in the asbestos surveying business, we would like to talk to you. We have a new web based service to allow you to publish your clients asbestos management plans and asbestos registers and floor plans. Your clients can access these via a secure internet connection 24/7. Please call us for details of this new innovative service.
If you are a client with asbestos related information which you want to make available to your contractors via your intranet and are looking for a service provider, we can help you too, so please contact us for details.
Callsafe Services Newsletter
Our business partners, Callsafe Services produce their own monthly newsletter which contains several items of interests.
Getting a Perspective on Health & Safety Risk for Your Business
Please have a look at this useful link. It will give you a view on how to go about assessing your own organisation's performance in the health & safety area.
Health & Safety Performance Indicator
Dive Aid
The Tsunami disaster continues to draw our attention. The Dive Aid website has been setup to help support support diving instructors and Divemasters in Thailand, some of whom have been badly injured, and all of whom have lost their livelihoods.
Ai Solutions and our staff support the site and you may be interested in taking a look at it.
More Information
Please review our web pages or call us for more information on our CDM and Asbestos Management products. Product data sheets are available as PDF file downloads from our web site.