Newsletter September 2008
Joined Up Working with the Health & Safety File
Joined up working has become a familiar theme; the advent of an electronic health & safety file that is linked to live CDM project data provides the opportunity to make working together in the Construction Industry a reality. The opportunity in the Transport for London 'OneLondon' region is understandably significant. This is especially so when seen alongside the HSE's latest LACE initiative.
Transport for London continue to make headway in moving the Joined Up Working discussion forward, as evidenced by their well attended meeting on 1 Sep 08. The issues are no longer new, novel, or difficult. The software is already available to allow joined up working. Customers can already work with shared, live information regarding all CDM projects within 'their own' environment. The software is both easy to use and very quick to access using the simplest of equipment. We demonstrated this at the September meeting with remote data from both the London Borough of Hounslow and from TfL.
Bradford Metropolitan District Council have made significant headway over the past weeks with their on-line health & safety file, initially set up so that the estate managers of their 320 plus schools could have access to their files on line. The files are set up in such a way that they contain live data since the file content is linked directly with the database and the project information to which they relate. So when we work together, we are using the current information; not redundant, old versions that are prevalent with systems based on Microsoft Word files for instance. Not that there is anything wrong with MS Word files; we use them in ToolKit CS™ as 'attached' files.
Bradford MDC have now announced that they are using our ToolKit on-line product to facilitate joined up working with a major joint European project with a capital value of around £20m. They will be making all their key documents available via ToolKit CS™, via their web site, so that their partners and collaborators can benefit from instant access and saving in time and money from postage around Europe.
Site Safety Under New Scrutiny from HSE
We understand that the relationship between Building Control Regulations and for health & safety and the Construction Design and Management Regulations has changed. The Building Control will be supporting the HSE on site inspections.
A joint inspection regime is being trialled by the HSE's Luton Office (which covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire and includes the Milton Keynes, Luton and Aylesbury areas). Building Inspectors will report and photograph dangerous working practices to the HSE as part of normal site visits.
Peter Galsworthy, the HSE's principal inspector in Luton, said the initiative will focus on high risk activities such as falls from height. The scheme will be rolled out nationally if successful.
Can Your Software Replace the Need for a CDM-C
A recent call identified a continuing problem in the industry; there are still too many managers who do not understand their responsibilities under the 2007 CDM regulations.
The caller, relatively junior in the management chain, was faced with a dilemma. He needs to declare who the CDM-C is to third parties, but in this particular organisation, the post was unfilled following a major restructuring. So they were just using the yet to be recruited post holders job title instead! And hence the 'crie de coeur'.
Our software will certainly help support the CDM process, as it does in all our customer sites. The real issue remains with the senior management team, advisory though they might be.
Bradford MDC Seminar
Bradford have kindly agreed to host another seminar at their Flockton House facility for prospective and existing ToolKit CS™ users. Scheduled for 10.00 until 14:00 Monday 6th October 2008, we are accepting applications to attend now; so please contact us if you are interested in attending.
The agenda is:
- HSE Update including the LACE Initiative
- Joined Up Working with the Health & Safety File including a case study about Bradford MDC and LB Hounslow
- Demonstration of ToolKit CS™
New Release Training Workshops
Our September Release of ToolKit CS™ is due at the end of this month. We will be running 'free' evaluation workshops at Leighton Buzzard on the following 2 dates:
- Tuesday 16th September 2008
- Thursday 18th September 2008
These are morning sessions designed to let you meet with our team to see how the ToolKit CS™ software is evolving to meet your changing CDM & Asbestos Management needs.
Please contact us to reserve your place.
And the Winner is!
Following our successful sponsorship of the APS Conference last week, we are pleased to announce the winner of our Prize Draw.
A standalone version of ToolKit CS™ is being delivered to : Chris Thornton, Associate Director PCM Ltd; with free support and training for the next 12 months.
We would like to thank all the participants who took part in the draw and ask that they contact us if they would like more information on how we can help them with our products and services.
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.