VJM06 Launch - The best seat in the house

CRS and our customers have been invited to the best seat in the house as Sahara Force India launch their new car for the next Grand Prix.
After the long winter months, the wait is almost over as Sahara Force India  get ready to present their new car to the world this Friday at Silverstone.
This year CRS and our customers have all been invited to watch the launch live on their website as they pull the covers off the VJM06 and reveal the car that will carry their hopes for the coming season.
This is possible thanks to Sky Sports News HD and Sahara Force India official team supplier for hosting and content delivery services, Internap, who will make sure you are first to see their new challenger. Fans in the UK can also watch in high definition on Sky Sports News (channel 405).
So make sure you’re online at www.saharaforceindiaf1.com by 10:15 GMT on Friday to watch the live feed on our website homepage. You really will have the best seat in the house.
CRS have lots of events planned for 2013 at Sahara Force India so keep a look out on our blog and newsletter for the chance to visit Sahara Force India and see behind the scenes of this fantastic Formula One factory.

Corporate Manslaughter statistics, 2013 update

CRS suggest that you don’t take much comfort from the low number of Corporate Manslaughter (CM) prosecutions to date (3).
In England & Wales – current active cases total 56.
There have been 141 cases considered by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for CM since 2009.
Number of referrals to the CPS has increased from 7 cases in 2009 to 63 in 2012.
There has been a 40% increase in the number of cases referred between 2011 (45) and 2012 (63).
Contact us for more details. advice@crsrisk.com

NEBOSH Environmental Certificate now accepted by CIWEM

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has announced a partnership with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH).

During an official reception held in Dubai on 16th January 2013, CIWEM President Paul Hillman and NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth together announced the partnership, which sees CIWEM accepting environmental management qualifications from the independent examination body.

NEBOSH offers a comprehensive range of globally-recognised, vocationally-related qualifications designed to meet the health, safety, environmental and risk management needs of all places of work. “We’re extremely proud that our environmental qualifications have been recognised by the CIWEM as a sign of knowledge and professionalism in this field,” said Budworth. “CIWEM requires its members to demonstrate high levels of professional skill and judgement. NEBOSH qualifications are highly respected and we’re delighted that they now form part of our membership criteria,” said Paul Horton, CIWEM Membership and International Director. The qualifications now accepted under this partnership include:

NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management: Fulfils the entry requirement for Technician Member, which has post-nominal designation TechCIWEM.
“I hope that those who successfully complete these qualifications use this CIWEM recognition to expand their professional careers with membership of the Institution. There is a warm welcome awaiting them within CIWEM and support for their onward professional development.”
All holders of the Environmental Certificate (including those on the Pilot in 2008) are eligible to apply for membership for Technician Member of CIWEM, TechCIWEM, You will need to submit the following information:
- Application form for TechCIWEM
- A CV
- A list of training completed
- Two sponsors (Corporate Members of CIWEM or Chartered Members of an equivalent Professional Body)
- Application fee
- Copies of academic certificates and course breakdowns (excluding the NEBOSH qualification)
- Copy of NEBOSH, Certificate in Environmental Management

Cost is £99, this includes the application fee and membership subscription until the end of current year (subscription year is January to December).

CRS’s Head of Environment, Richard Ball commented, ‘ It is good to see delegates who have completed the intense  NEBOSH Environmental Certificate getting recognition.  This recognition will support individual’s career development and show potential employers the importance of this qualification.  ‘

At least 230 killed in Brazilian nightclub fire

At least 230 people have died in a fire that swept through a nightclub in southern Brazil, police say. It seems the high standards of fire safety required in the UK are not implemented worldwide. They say the fire began when a band on stage started a fireworks display at the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul state. Reports say there was only one exit and panic spread as people tried to get out. One fire official said rescuers had counted 150 bodies. The fire is now out and bodies are being removed from the scene."Fire services are looking for other victims. We can't give an exact number of victims. People started panicking and ended up treading on each other," fire chief Guido de Melo told local media. A reporter at the scene told local radio that the nightclub had a capacity for up to 2,000 people and was believed to be full on a Saturday night. Thick smoke engulfed the venue after acoustic insulation caught fire, officials say. Many victims reportedly died from inhaling toxic fumes. Fire crews reportedly knocked through a wall to help those trapped inside escape. Fire official Moises da Silva Fuchs said 150 bodies had been counted. Hundreds of people have been taken to hospital. Santa Maria is a major university city with a population of about 250,000 people. For practical help on assessing fire risks at your own organisation, the NEBOSH Fire and Risk Management Certificate is the perfect short-course. Contact Ros Stacey at rs@crsrisk.com for dates and details. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21220308

New Dates for Training

Corporate Risk Systems (CRS) has announced new dates for 2013 Training Courses, showing an increase on the number of courses being run in 2012. The new provision covers CIEH Level 3 Award in Environmental Management, IOSH SHE Auditing – A Management Systems Approach and the new Train the Trainer – CIEH Level 3 Award PTLLS. Ros Stacey, UK Sales Director said “We are going from strength to strength and increasing our market share of Health Safety & Environmental Training courses. When you do something really well and have an excellent quality product word seems to get around and people like to recommend our courses, and it seems once they have experienced one of our training courses, they come back for further training to enhance both their knowledge and career prospects”.
Due to demand CRS have also added another two venues to their already impressive 11. Open training course will be run from both Edinburgh (4 star – Novotel, Edinburgh) and Milton Keynes (4 star – Mercure – Park House Hotel) both hotels have excellent facilities to unwind after a hard day in the training room. Bookings are now being taken for the opening of these two new venues in July 2013.
For further information about CRS Training courses and to see the list of dates, please visit www.crsrisk.com or call 01283 509175

'Confusing' climate coverage is turning people off, study finds

There is "widespread public confusion" over climate change coupled with a growing lack of interest in the issue, according to new research.
Media reporting on the topic is in part contributing towards this trend as journalists tend to treat it as "a topic riven by uncertainty", resulting in an overall message of inconsistency, researchers say. This is further compounded by the continuing politicisation of climate change - as the topic falls down the media agenda, this encourages the view that it deserves a lower priority than economic problems, which are seen as more urgent.

The qualitative study of 100 participants, carried out by the Glasgow University Media Group and Chatham House, found that most respondents showed only a vague understanding of climate science. The aim of the research was to examine specific triggers for changes in patterns of understanding and attitude - and the conditions under which these lead to changes in behaviour. According to the authors of the study, the sample sizes were deliberately small as the purpose was not to collect data which would be generalised to whole populations.

"Instead the aim was to provide an insight into how beliefs are formed and the way in which opinions and behavioural commitments can be modified," they stated.

Interestingly, the research also found that there was wide distrust of the UK's energy companies, perhaps driven by low awareness of energy security issues. Respondents failed to make the link with possible solutions like renewable technologies, which most agreed are currently not enough to meet the UK's needs.
Corporate Risk Systems Head of Environment, Richard Ball commented ‘ for organisation’s link is simple, train staff in environmental issues and they will reduce energy use, saving money and minimise environmental impacts’ . Corporate Risk System offers a range of courses from 1 day awareness sessions, to professional course in Carbon Management.

Do you qualify for a Grant of up to £2000 towards your NEBOSH Training?

CRS are pleased to announce that grants of up to £2000 are available for our NEBOSH range of courses.
CRS is working with Essex County Council and their Skills for Economic Growth programme that is available for companies who employ less than 250 people, located within Essex (excluding Southend and Thurrock unitary areas and London Boroughs).

Essex County Council will contribute 70% of the training cost (up to £2000) and you just need to contribute the remaining 30% (plus vat). The grant is available for only one course which will have the most impact on your business.
  Courses available are:
NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety
NEBOSH Construction Certificate in Health & Safety
NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management
NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety & Risk Management

All the above courses can be delivered In House (your own premises) or you can attend our Training Venue at Colchester.

The Training must be started before 31^st March 2013, and applications for funding must be completed and approved before booking your course with CRS.

To check to see if you are eligible for the funding and to make an application please call Essex County Council 01245 4353867 or email skillsgrowth@essex.gov.uk

Once you have your funding approved CRS will be happy to issue you with course start dates. www.crsrisk.com or telephone Ros Stacey 01283 5091745 or email rs@crsrisk.com

Do you want to improve your organisations environmental performance?

CRS are pleased to announce they are now running the NEW CIEH Level 3 Award in Environmental Management. All organisations are required to take control of environmental impacts and most are keen to improve environmental performance. This new course developed by CIEH covers a wide range of topics from developing an environmental policy to reviewing and reporting on environmental performance. The qualification is perfect for organisations seeking or already working with EMAS or ISO 14001 environmental management systems, this course will help employees understand the actions that must be taken to reduce environmental impacts.
The course follows the stages of an EMS and uses a range of activities, exercises and tutor lead discussions to build delegates knowledge, understanding and skills. The course includes setting environmental policy and an overview of environmental legislation, environmental aspect reviews, development of improvement programmes, auditing and reporting systems.
The NEW CIEH Level 3 Award in Environmental Management is being run at three of our most popular venues: Burton on Trent, Colchester and York. The first of these courses will run starting early March and bookings are already being taken. To ensure your place on this new exciting course please contact Ros Stacey – rs@crsrisk.com or call 01283 509175

Cambridge firm and their unqualified health and safety consultant are prosecuted over isocyanate and thrichloroethylene chemical exposure

A Cambridge instrument company and a health and safety consultant have been fined for risking the health of employees from hazardous chemicals. Paint sprayer Adam Coventon, 36, suffered irritation to his eyes, breathing difficulties, headaches and lost the ability to concentrate after working with harmful substances at Prior Scientific Instruments Ltd in Fulbourn. He is now no longer able to work.

Cambridge Magistrates Court heard this week that his job was to prepare and paint small components for scientific instruments, which involved working with chemicals including trichloroethylene, a powerful de-greaser used to clean metal before it is painted, and paints containing isocyanates.  An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Prior Scientific Instruments did not provide suitable equipment to adequately remove the hazardous vapours from the workplace, especially where items were left to dry.

HSE also found that in addition to inadequate controls, the company failed to provide employees with the necessary health surveillance for workers using hazardous substances. Health surveillance is a key part of ensuring that peoples' health has not been affected by the chemicals they use at work.

The Court was told that between September 2002 and December 2009 the company employed Keith Whiting, trading as KW Consultants, as a health and safety consultant. However, he did not provide suitable information and advice to enable the company to ensure the health and wellbeing of employees.

Prior Scientific Instruments Ltd, of Wilbraham Road, Fulbourn, Cambridge, was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £2,852 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Keith Whiting, trading as KW Consultants, of West Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, was fined £1,500 with costs of £1,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the same legislation.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Robert Meardon said "Prior Scientific Instruments failed to ensure the health of its employees because it employed the wrong person to give it health and safety advice. Mr. Whiting's background was in quality control and he did not have adequate knowledge of health and safety for the work going on in this company. He failed to make them aware of the 'do's and don'ts regarding the use of hazardous chemicals. In 2010, the Government commissioned Lord Young to review health and safety laws and among the findings, the inquiry recognised that there were a lot of people claiming to be health and safety experts, who were in fact, not. The national register of health and safety consultants has been set up as a result. All the consultants who are registered are members of a recognised professional body, and it is important that firms seeking to use a consultant choose one from the register."

Adam Coventon's partner, who does not want to be named, said "This whole thing has had a huge effect on our lives, as we have to constantly plan around Adam's symptoms. We all just wish that his remaining symptoms go so that he can once again be fit and strong. "This case highlights the important job the Health and Safety Executive do, and the need for companies to monitor and control chemicals they use so they do not wreck peoples’ lives in the way that ours has been."

Further information and advice about working with chemicals can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/coshh

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-e-00313.htm?eban=rss-

Construction health and safety update December 2012 - Learning from London 2012 Olympic Games

London 2012

To round up our construction commentary for 2012, we thought we would highlight the health and safety successes of the London 2012 Olympic Games and point you in the direction of some ideas for implementing similar good practice on your own construction sites.

Health and safety

Building the venues and infrastructure for London 2012 was one of the largest construction projects over undertaken in Europe. Our Stephen Asbury was pleased to have played a small part in recognising the performance of those who built the games infrastructure, as he represented IOSH as a member of the judging panel for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) health, safety and environmental awards in 2009 and 2010.

The main construction project was completed in July 2011, on time, within budget and with an excellent health and safety record, summarised below:

·         Construction workforce on the Olympic Park peaked at 12,500 workers and totalled 46,000 workers over the duration of the project

·         Over 80 million hours worked on the Olympic Park

·         30 periods of one million hours worked without a reportable injury, plus five periods of two million hours and two periods of three million hours

·         Accident frequency rate of 0.16 - well below the average for the UK construction industry and below the national average for all workplaces

·         Fewer than 150 RIDDOR-reportable injuries over the duration of the project

·         No work-related fatalities

The learning legacy

Through the Learning Legacy project, ODA is sharing the knowledge and the lessons learned from the construction of the Olympic Park. This website contains lots of useful information including:

·         Champion products  - standards and guidance that can be adapted to your site

·         Micro reports  - to share solutions and ideas about how health and safety was managed throughout London 2012 projects.

Research

HSE co-operated with the ODA and others on a series of research projects to identify and analyse the health and safety good practice and lessons learned from the London 2012 construction project. The final research report was launched on 30 November 2012 – see Research Report RR955 - Pre-conditioning for success: Characteristics and factors ensuring a safe build for the Olympic Park

Complementing the research reports is a report providing an overview of health and safety on the London 2012 construction programme – see Delivering health and safety on the development of the London 2012 Olympic Park and Athletes’ Village

Key learning message

‘Successful safety management relies on systems and people working together in tandem - neither is sufficient on its own and they rely on each other to achieve the best outcomes.’

Case studies

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prepared a series of short case studies to demonstrate some of the new and practical solutions used to manage health, safety and welfare during the London 2012 construction project.

Top 10 tips for all construction sites learned from London 2012

Experience from the construction of the Games facilities identified several recurring key themes that emerge as contributing to the good health and safety record during London 2012:

·         Leadership

o    Set the tone on safety: make your expectations clear and lead by example  on site - ‘walk the walk, talk the talk’

o    Make sure your workforce is ‘happy, healthy and here’ by giving health risk management equal priority to accident prevention

·         Planning

o    Plan ahead: take time out before starting on a complicated piece of work to consider the risks and work out how to manage them

o    Adapt working practices to manage identified risks : focus on practical measures, there is no need to produce lengthy documents

o    Review and learn: where health and safety failings are identified, look at what went wrong and adapt risk management arrangements to avoid a recurrence

·         Communication

o    Make sure supervisors have the right skills to lead the workforce effectively: as well as technical knowledge, they need good communication skills

o    A short daily activity briefing  before work starts will pay dividends for both safety and efficiency

o    Visual standards - posters or photographs illustrating health and safety ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts'  - can be a good way of getting messages across

·         Worker engagement

o    Listen to workers and involve them in problem solving: a two-way dialogue is essential if workers are to feel they have a real stake in health and safety

o    Establish a ‘fair blame’ culture on health and safety: if mistakes are made, use them as shared learning points; if rules are flouted, apply sanctions

Cold and hot weather health and safety advice for employers

As the UK seems to be entering a cold snap, we anticipate that employers will need to know about ‘minimum temperature requirements’.  CRS has prepared this briefing note to assist employers to understand the law in this respect, and to know what actions are needed. The article also addresses warm weather actions and the thermal comfort range.

The law on workplace temperature

The regulatory requirements for workplace temperatures are set by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 which replaced the requirements under the Factories Act 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railways Premises Act 1963. Under the regulations it states that the temperature of indoor workplaces should be reasonable. The Approved Code of Practice defines a reasonable temperature indoors as being normally at least 16°C unless the work involves severe physical work in which case the temperature should be at least 13°C. A thermometer should be provided in workplaces. These regulations only apply to employees; they do not apply to members of the public for example with regard to temperature complaints from customers in a shopping centre or cinema.

Where there are requirement for workrooms to operate at lower temperatures for example for food hygiene purposes you should refer to the specific advice here: chilled food advice.

What employers should do

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment. Regulation 7 deals specifically with the temperature in indoor workplaces and states that ‘During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.’ However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace, such as a bakery, a cold store, an office, a warehouse.

The approved code of practice to the HSW Regulations says ‘The temperature in workrooms should provide reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing. Where such a temperature is impractical because of hot or cold processes, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a temperature which is as close as possible to comfortable. 'Workroom' means a room where people normally work for more than short periods. The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. These temperatures may not, however, ensure reasonable comfort, depending on other factors such as air movement and relative humidity.’

Where the temperature in a workroom would otherwise be uncomfortably high, for example because of hot processes or the design of the building, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a reasonably comfortable temperature, for example by:

·         insulating hot plants or pipes;

·         providing air-cooling plant;

·         shading windows;

·         siting workstations away from places subject to radiant heat.

Where a reasonably comfortable temperature cannot be achieved throughout a workroom, local cooling should be provided. In extremely hot weather fans and increased ventilation may be used instead of local cooling.  Where, despite the provision of local cooling, workers are exposed to temperatures which do not give reasonable comfort, suitable protective clothing and rest facilities should be provided. Typical examples of suitable protective clothing would be ice vests, or air/water fed suits. The effectiveness of these PPE systems may be limited if used for extended periods of time with inadequate rest breaks. Where practical there should be systems of work (for example, task rotation) to ensure that the length of time for which individual workers are exposed to uncomfortable temperatures is limited.

PPE

Where personal protective equipment (PPE) is required its weight and ability to prevent sweat evaporating can cause thermal stress. In these situations employers should:

·         Permit work to occur at a slower rate

·         Rotate staff out of this environment on a more frequent basis

·         Allow longer recovery times before permitting re-entry

·         Consider scheduling work to cooler times of the days (early morning, and late afternoon)

·         Periodically revisit your risk assessment to consider if the process could be automated or alternative systems of work/controls can be introduced

·         Re-evaluate your PPE as newer PPE may be lighter and provide improved levels of protection and operator comfort

PPE is intended to protect employees from a primary hazard. People can sometimes wear too much PPE though. Look again at the reasons for the PPE. Can your employees wear less PPE and still have the protection they require? Alternatively, has PPE been employed as a last resort? Other controls instead may reduce or eliminate the need for PPE.

ISO 9920 contains tables that you can use to estimate clothing insulation.

Thermal comfort range

HSE previously defined thermal comfort in the workplace, as: 'An acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most people in the UK lies roughly between 13°C (56°F) and 30°C (86°F), with acceptable temperatures for more strenuous work activities concentrated towards the bottom end of the range, and more sedentary activities towards the higher end.'

In our experience, a ‘thermal comfort policy’ has proven a good idea.  Specifying a range of ‘normally acceptable temperatures’ helps an employer to agree with their workforce what is acceptable.  When temperatures fall below or above this range, the policy can outline what management will do to improve the situation. This is particularly helpful for short periods of cold and hot weather as experienced in the UK, rather than for a process which is routinely associated with temperatures outside this range.

Metabolic heat

The main source of heat gain in the body is the body's own internal heater - metabolic heat. It is generated within the body by the biochemical processes that keep us alive and by the energy we use in physical activity. Measuring metabolic rate is very difficult, requires expensive equipment, a high level of competency and may not be very accurate in an industrial setting.  BS EN 28996 and BS EN ISO 8996 provide a detailed description of how to estimate and/or measure metabolic rate for those interested.

Useful resources

Heat stress in the workplace – what you need to know as an employer http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis1.pdf

Health risks from working in the sun http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg147.pdf

A short guide to the PPE Regulations http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf