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1st Team Needs YOU!!

1st Team Solutions provides quality training and experienced staff to companies primarily in the Construction, Aviation, Oil and Gas Industries.

We are always on the look out for quality staff to fill positions as trainers, responsible persons, fire officers, safety officers etc..

If you have experience in these sectors then why not join us by registering on our recruitment site and uploading your CV.

New positions are constantly advertised on our recruitment site and we take great care to support our members and place them in positions that suit both them and their prospective employers.

Whether you are looking for short or long term employment, full time or contract… 1st team recruitment is your first and last bookmark.

See you on the other side …

1st Team Recruitment

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Case study #2 – Flight simulator firm in court over unsafe machines

A company that manufactures flight simulator equipment for the aviation industry found itself in court recently after contravening the Health and Safety at Work act 1974.

The firm, EDM Ltd, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of it’s employees and was fined a hefty £6000 plus court costs of £2,332 for allowing the use of unsafe machinery.

The prosecution, by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), followed two separate visits by an inspector to it’s factory in Manchester where, on both occassions, machine guards were found to be missing.

The court was told that the HSE inspector first visited the site in September 2013 after complaints from an anonymous source. Improvement notices were issued on two metal working lathes requiring guards to be fitted.

A follow up visit in June 2014 by the same inspector uncovered two more breaches. Namely that guards were missing from two different machines. This time prohibition notices were issued, preventing the use of the machines until guards were fitted.

The investigation highlighted the fact that EDM did not have a Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) in place, nor had training in the use of the guards been carried out. In addition to this it was found that supervision in the factory was poor.

The court heard that EDM had carried out a risk assessment identifying the missing guards, but had failed to take the necessary action to rectify the risk.

The HSE inspector responsible for the investigation was quoted as saying: “EDM Ltd manufactures equipment used to keep the aviation industry safe but it failed to ensure the safety of its own employees.

The improvement notices HSE issued in September 2013 should have acted as a wake-up call to improve machine guards but I found guards were still missing when I revisited the factory nine months later.

There was simply no point in the company identifying missing guards in a health and safety document if it wasn’t going to act on its findings.”

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Case Study #1 – Shattered Lives

An Aberdeenshire business was fined for serious safety failings after a man died when he fell more than five metres through a fragile roof. The subsequent investigation pointed out a lack of communication, instruction, training and supervision leading to the fall.

It was heard in court how 57-year-old Latvian national Nikolajs Naumovs had arrived in Scotland only two weeks before his fatal fall. He was brought to the site by his nephew, Nikolajs Cernovs and son Vjaceslavs who were employed by local butchery company Bruce of the Broch 1886 Ltd, which was converting premises in College Bounds, Fraserburgh into residential property.

The two men were under the impression that they could bring additional workers to help undertake the works if required, and that they would be paid by the company for any work they did. Consequently they asked Mr Naumovs and his other son Juris.

The evening prior to the incident the company’s managing director had visited the property to plan the next day’s work with Mr Cernovs and Vjaceslavs. Neither of the men had a thorough grasp of the English language. They formed the impression that they were to start removing the roof the following morning in his absence.

Peterhead Sheriff Court was told on 18 February that on 21 August 2009 Mr Naumovs was working with his nephew to remove the asbestos cement sheets from the roof. They had reached the roof using a telehandler, and, while the basket was on the ground being unloaded, the two were sitting near the apex of the roof. Suddenly and without warning, the roof collapsed beneath them.

His nephew managed to grab something and was left hanging from a wall but Mr Naumovs fell five and a half metres to the concrete floor below and died at the scene from head injuries.

The following investigation concluded that the circumstances leading up to the fatal incident showed poor communication, a lack of instruction and supervision, the use of equipment which was not suitable for the task, and the work being carried out in a manifestly unsafe manner.

Although the men should never have been on the roof itself at all, as the telehandler being used was not suitable for this work activity, the company would have been able to intervene to stop the roofing work had there been more effective and regular supervision.

Bruce of the Broch 1886 Ltd, of Broad Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was fined £80,000, reduced to £60,000 after pleading guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Following the case, HSE principal inspector Niall Miller said: “This tragic incident could have been avoided had the work been planned properly and carried out with the correct equipment.

“This type of work should ideally be undertaken without the need to directly access the roof, for example by using a Mobile Elevated Working Platform, or, if that is not possible, with safety measures to minimise the risk of falling such as crawling boards, fall arrest harnesses or netting.

“In addition, an employer needs to arrange suitable training and instruction to ensure that persons working there clearly understand not only what they are expected to do but also how they are expected to do it in order to ensure a safe system of work will be followed.

“In this case the difficulties arising from the language barrier resulted in fatal consequences.”

The risks associated with work at height, and fragile roofs in particular, are very well known, and HSE has produced substantial amounts of free advice to assist duty holders to comply with the relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.

Falls from height continue to be the most common cause of fatality to workers. In the year 2013/2014 they accounted for 29 per cent of deaths reported to HSE, meaning that 19 workers lost their lives after a fall that year.

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Accidents DO Happen!

Running a Small to Medium sized Enterprise (SME) in the UK is not easy and requires a very special kind of balancing act. The kind of balancing act that can have you taking your eye off some of those balls that seem less important or non-mission critical. This can prove a very costly mistake in the long run. Health and safety compliance is one of those balls. But, it is far more mission critical than you may think. With the introduction of Fees for Intervention (FFI) in October 2012, the costs of ignoring your responsibilty for health and safety compliance, could prove to be the downfall of your business!! Read on….

To take an almost direct quote from the HSE: Modern day working standards requires every organization, regardless of it’s size, to follow certain rules and regulations regarding the Health and Safety of it’s employees. By following and maintaining those strict standards you as a business owner, or responsible person, can both elevate your company’s reputation in a very positive way whilst at the same time protecting it from major financial implications. Financial costs, such as those associated with lost productivity or healthcare, represents £6.0 billion in 2012/13 (HSE Statistics)

Yes, of course accidents DO happen, it’s a sad fact of life, but they can be avoided by ensuring that there is a sound Health and Safety Management policy in place. By maintaining Health and Safety Standards, not only are accidents avoided but the hefty penalties associated with them are also avoided. The introduction of FFI has caused the cost of these penalties to rise dramatically. Sadly, many employers, almost three years after their introduction, are still not aware of FFI! The costs can be huge, causing significant damage to a company’s bottom line or, in extreme circumstances, lead to the closure of the company.

Under FFI, employers that are shown to have contravened health and safety law must pay the HSE’s enforcement costs at the rate of £124 per hour until the breach has been rectified. In the first two months following the introduction of FFI, the HSE issued 1,419 invoices totalling £727,644. These figures are expected to rise as time goes on.

Clearly then it is in the interests of every business owner to ensure that health and safety procedures are not breached within their organizations. This adds a significant burden to the shoulders of managers and owners of SME’s. But, by putting in a place a few simple procedures, complience can be efficiently and cost effectively attained. Here are some points you may want to consider undertaking:

  1. Carry out a risk assessment of your operations

    It is understood that you cannot eliminate all risks. But, they can be identified and minimised. By carrying out a risk assessment using the tools freely available on the HSE website, or downloadable from this site, you can develop an action plan to tackle the risks you identify. An example action plan could involve developing a regular training program and providing or updating PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for your employees.

  2. Develop an effective Health and Safety Policy

    Company’s with 5 employees or less do not need to have a written Health and Safety Policy. However, company’s with more than 5 employees do. While adding yet another drain on your company’s resources, it makes total sense to ensure you have one in place and available for inspection. Any accident or fatality that occurs within your organization can result in huge fines, and possibly imprisonment under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, if you do not have a written Health and Safety Policy. Again the tools are freely available both here and on the HSE’s website to achieve this.

  3. Seek expert advice

    All of this may seem daunting at first. But, by seeking expert help in the early stages you can be sure that your organisation will have the correct procedures in place and is fully complient with the strict standards imposed by the HSE. Whilst it is yet another business cost, the benefits far outweigh the costs you would incur for non-complience if found guilty.

By taking the time to implement these procedures you will instill confidence in your employees and elevate the reputation of both your company and you as an owner or manager.

The 1st team Solutions website is a growing resource for free information and our experts are on hand to help you develop and implement your Health and Safety Management System. Our Risk Assessment service can include a full written health and Safety Policy. Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements. We’ll be happy to help.