Newsletter April 2008

Spring Fever

With Easter behind us, we have a clear run to the summer sun and, hopefully, some better weather!

But first some Spring cleaning needs to be done; judging by the results of a recent HSE campaign. Their recent 'intensive inspection campaign' noted that a third of all construction sites visited by them put the lives of their workers at risk and nearly 400 enforcement notices were issued stopping on-site work.

And the Corporate Manslaughter Bill comes into effect about now too. So if an employee suffers an accident, expect questions that could involve the employee's organisation as a result of the new Law. Attendees at our annual conference will be briefed by our legal advisers (Heald Solicitors) on the implications of the new Law; we will be providing a briefing note as well.

However, the good news that puts a 'spring' in our step, is that 12 months on from the new CDM Regulations, more and more customers are coming to us for training. This means that they can each gain the benefit of better use of our products and improve their efficiencies by using our ToolKit Compliance Software.

Annual Conference

Preparation for our Annual Conference is well under way and many of our users have already booked their places. The fact that so many attendees keep coming back and tell us that the conference is excellent in all respects is testament to the event's success. This year, we are offering an even wider brief than usual with the keynote presentation by Andrew East, the HSE's CDM chief policy maker. Andrew has become a very popular presenter as well as a senior member of the HSE team. We are particularly grateful, therefore, that he has found time to spend his morning with us for the second year running to add gravitas to our ever popular event.

The Annual Conference is held primarily for the benefit of our users with a supporting agenda targeted at their needs. This year it is wider than ever, representing a great opportunity to catch up on the affairs of the CDM neighbourhood at a very reasonable price. We would like all our users to send a representative to the event this year. So please visit our web site and sign up now.

Held at the prestigious Royal Air Force Club in Piccadilly London, the agenda includes presentations on:

• CDM One Year On
• Corporate Manslaughter
• Managing Compliance - CHAS
• Managing CDM within Budget
• CDM 2007 - Making a Difference

There appears to be more and more activity in the CDM environment as everyone from the Client to the Contractor strive to keep within the new 2007 CDM rules. We have themed the conference to embody those rules as the 4C's for Compliance:

  - Communication
  - Co-operation

  - Co-ordination
  - Competence Management

So please come and take part, do some networking with some likeminded professionals, or simply relax and take in the content of what promises to be another very worthwhile event.

The conference starts at 10:00, includes a buffet lunch and an optional tour of the Club. There is as small charge for the event which qualifies for CPD certificates if required.

Please register using our online form.

Bristol Event

Regular readers will know that we hold events from time to time to promote our ToolKit™ Compliance Software. This Spring, we are visiting Bristol for an event on 1st May 2008.

Held at Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh Bristol, the event will include presentations from the HSE and ourselves about the CDM regulations and how they can be managed successfully.

If you are headquarted in the Southwest, Birmingham or the South Coast, then this is your opportunity to meet us and find out first hand about our very successful compliance products. Please register on-line for the event which is free.

ToolKit CS™ March 2008 Release

Many of our customers took the opportunity to attend one of our recent free workshops. These were provided to allow users to review the latest enhancements to ToolKit CS™ products our headquarters and give us some feedback. The feedback was very positive.

The product has been shipped to those customers who receive their updates by post. We provide web downloads for most of our larger users and if you would like to be added to that list, please let us know.

HSE launch intensive inspection campaign

Deaths on refurbishment sites rose by 61% last year according to the HSE. Spot checks of 1,000 refurbishment sites were made in February as part of an initiative to drive down the rates of accidents and fatalities.

HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction said, "We will continue to take firm action against rogue elements who ignore safety precautions.  Sites where health and safety is taken seriously have nothing to fear, but we will root out those who put lives at risk."

The Chief Executive of the HSE, Geoffrey Podger, said that over one in three of construction sites visited put the lives of workers at risk.  HSE inspectors had issued 395 enforecement notices and stopped work on 30% of the sites.

Fines and costs exceed £300,000 after scaffolder dies

The HSE reports that the tragic death of Steven Burke, a trainee scaffolder, could have been avoided if proper assessment of the work had been undertaken and suitable safety precautions and supervision put in place. The teenager died from his injuries after falling 18 metres whilst working at Davyhulme Wastewater Treatment Works in Manchester.

The principal contractor, a subcontractor and a scaffolding company pleaded guilty to offences under the Health & Safety at Work Act. A contracts manager pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty after trial in the Crown Court. The manager and the three companies were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £342,500.

Construction Confederation: Site Safe & You

Callsafe Services report on new guidance published by the Construction Confederation - the pocket-sized book, "Site Safe & You".

The book is produced in a checklist format, and contains information on how to create safe working conditions on sites and in workshops.

Callsafe provide their own newsletter and it contains several items of interest for our readers too.

More Information

We regularly receive updates from our customers and contacts about changes to legislation, the latest rumours and so on. We try to be selective with what we pass on and acknowledge our sources as appropriate. If you have information of general interest in the Health & Safety, and particularly, CDM and Asbestos Management arena, then please let us know by e-mail if possible.