September 2009

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), carried out an evaluation of first aid in the workplace and found that although first aid awareness in workplaces was good, compliance was found to be more ‘in spirit’ rather than the letter of the regulations.

This brought to light some important deficiencies in the ‘format and content of guidance and in the proportionality of the current regulatory requirements for lower risk employees’. The changes have been developed in consultation with employers and training providers and it is hoped that the new format will make it easier for employers to comply with the regulations.

WHAT ARE THE CHANGES?

From 1 October 2009, the current initial four day First Aid at Work (FAW) course will be shortened to three days and there will be a new qualification of Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) that will require a one day training course.

EFAW training enables a first aider to give emergency first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work.

FAW training includes EFAW and also equips the first aider to apply first aid to a range of specific injuries and illness. Employers should use the findings of their first aid needs assessment to help them decide whether first aiders should be trained in FAW or EFAW.

If the needs of the workplace require FAW trained first aiders to be provided, it is not an acceptable alternative to provide EFAW trained first aiders.

The FAW re-qualification remains unchanged at two days. The HSE will also strongly recommend that FAW and EFAW students attend an annual three hour annual refresher course to prevent ‘skills fade’.

Both the First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid in the Workplace courses will be approved by the HSE and must be taught by HSE approved first aid training providers.

Any current FAW certificates will remain valid until the expiry date even if this is after 1 October 2009.

SHORTER COURSES

On 1 April 2009 the HSE confirmed that the shorter First Aid at Work course will be similar to the current version in content, but will be covered in three days, not four, this doesn’t mean that you will learn less. Recent simplification of first aid protocols, including CPR and casualty movement, mean that less time is needed to teach these and other subjects.

The new training arrangements do not affect first aiders holding a valid FAW certificate obtained under the existing arrangements. However, where a first aider retrains on or after 1 October 2009, the new arrangements will apply.

HOW MANY FIRST AIDERS YOU NEED

Employers are required to carry out a risk assessment to decide on the numbers of first aiders required and the level of training needed.

When assessing your specific needs, you need to consider: 

• Workplace hazards and risks
• The size of the organisation
• The organisation's accident history
• The nature and distribution of the workforce
• The remoteness of the site from emergency medical services
• The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers 
• Employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites
• Annual leave and other absences of first aiders and appointed persons.

The HSE will provide updated guidance for employers on 1 October 2009 on how many first aiders will be needed depending on the size and nature of your organisation. However, it is up to each employer to maintain their risk assessment.

LEVEL OF RISK

Your risk assessment will highlight the level of risk in the workplace, using this information you will be able to decide what course is required for your first aiders.

Generally speaking, first aiders with a First Aid at Work certificate will be required in higher risk sites or places with a large workforce or high perceived level of risk; lower risk may only require Emergency First Aid in the Workplace trained staff, but this will dependant on other factors that a risk assessment will identify.

May 2009

A new film demonstrates the behavioural changes businesses need to make to reduce deaths and accidents in the construction industry.

ConstructionSkills and UCATT have joined forces to encourage construction firms to improve on-site communication in a bid to reduce numbers of accidents in the industry.

Through the Worker Engagement Toolkit, a new film developed by ConstructionSkills and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), construction firms can learn that communication between employers and workers can dramatically increase health and safety awareness, and therefore lead to a reduction in the number of accidents. In addition, effective worker engagement can help to increase turnover, and help firms to safeguard their business during tough times. The interview-led, 30-minute film examines all levels of a variety of businesses, speaking to managing directors, foremen and workers, and offers working examples of how accidents have reduced over time when worker engagement has been effectively carried out. The Health and Safety Executive was also involved in developing the DVD, which has been identified by the Strategic Forum for Construction Worker Involvement Group as the best toolkit on the market.

Good communication prevents accidents

Recent research by Glasgow Caledonian University, commissioned by the HSE, found that the lack of communication between management and the workforce was an on-going problem that led to accidents taking place when simple communication could have prevented them. As a result ConstructionSkills and UCATT have been working together to address the root causes of the patterns in behaviour that can lead to accidents occurring.

Kevin Fear, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at ConstructionSkills said:

“This Toolkit aims to encourage firms to take on-site health and safety a step further and implement worker engagement at a higher level, in order to help eliminate the number of accidents across the industry. We have already seen evidence that worker engagement is vital in terms of driving down accident and fatality rates, and as the industry’s Sector Skills Council, we want to promote this across the board using this film as a guide. With entire workforces becoming more open and honest, both productivity and safety can be improved.”

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of the Construction Union, UCATT, said: “All the evidence shows that construction sites which are well organised, where workers are directly employed and where there are a high number of independent health and safety representatives, are far safer than casualised sites where bosses pay lip service to safety.

“This new DVD is a useful tool in reinforcing the message to employers that effective worker involvement is a major factor in reducing deaths and injuries at work.”

About ConstructionSkills

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the construction industry. As a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills, CIC and CITB Northern Ireland, it is UK-wide and represents the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and SMEs.

About UCATT

UCATT represents 125,000 members employed in the construction industry throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. UCATT’s General Secretary Alan Ritchie is the Chair of the Strategic Forum for Construction (SFfC) Encouraging Worker Involvement Working Group.

The first 20 copies of the DVD are free on a first come first served basis after which it will cost £20 and is available to buy from ConstructionSkills at: http://www.cskills.org/supportbusiness/publications/index.aspx?productid=3537

May 2009

For builders across the UK, the need to be compliant with all things relating to health and safety has never been more important.

Having a sound health and safety policy can bring new opportunities and is something that in the current economic downturn, should be seriously considered.

According to Anthony Botibol, Marketing Manager at HBXL, being health and safety compliant is something builders can do very easily, especially if they make use of IT and software that produces all the relevant paperwork for any job at the click of a button.

New Law

The new Health & Safety Offences Act 2008 came into force on 16 January 2009.

Brought in to increase penalties, it provides courts with greater sentencing powers for those who break health and safety law and has three main points:

1. The Act has raised the maximum fi ne which may be imposed in the lower courts to £20,000 for most health and safety offences

2. It makes imprisonment an option for more health and safety offences in both the lower and higher courts

3. It makes certain offences, which are currently triable only in the lower courts, triable in either the lower or higher courts.

So builders must now be even more vigilant in the way they run their sites and businesses.

Commenting on the new Act Anthony said: “The introduction of this new Act sends out an important message to those who push the boundaries. Those who cut corners, fail to comply with health and safety law or who put workers and the public at risk should be very worried.

“Good builders though have nothing to fear and being compliant with health and safety doesn’t mean they have to spend precious resources using specialists or investing their own time to make sure they’re on the right side of the law. Instead, investing in software such as Health & Safety Xpert makes the whole process easy.

“Its built-in knowledge base determines the likely tasks and risks involved in the project for you. It cuts down the time it would normally take and is much cheaper than employing a health and safety consultant.”

Lack of awareness

A survey carried out by HBXL showed that 47 percent of builders didn’t know whether the CDM (Construction Design Management) Regulations 2007 applied to them and highlights a huge lack of understanding.

Anthony said: “The introduction of the new CDM regulations meant that all building companies have to adhere to the new updated CDM laws.

“The revised scheme was brought in to help reduce the regulatory burden on the construction industry and improve the level of health and safety but it seems there is still confusion about its application.

“The key objective of CDM 2007 was to simplify and clarify the regulations. It is often very diffi cult for building businesses to know where to start on health and safety, but it’s important if they haven’t already put plans in place to do so immediately.

“Health & Safety Xpert has been designed specifi cally to help builders comply with all health and safety paperwork and interprets the ACOP (Approved Code of Practice) for CDM 2007, producing all the necessary paperwork.”

Opportunity to expand

Although the primary reason for having sound health and safety procedures is ensuring safety on site, Anthony believes it may also provide opportunities for builders to expand, and follows pressure by groups such as the FMB to fast track the planning process to release and designate land for social housing.

Should this happen, then, according to Anthony, the winners will be those who can submit the right health and safety paperwork during the tender process, and using Health & Safety Xpert will place them at the front of the queue when contracts are awarded.

He said: “The current financial climate could see the return of a lot more social housing as the Government plans to enable local authorities to build more affordable homes. This in turn should help both the construction industry and the economy.

“The FMB warned the Government not to forget the small builders, the ‘backbone of the economy’, when it comes to dealing out these new jobs.

“If you are one of those small builders it is also down to you to make sure that you are in a position to win the work by being able to submit health and safety paper work with your quote.”

Exclusive offers for all FMB Members

Health & Safety Xpert costs £649 (ex VAT)

Buy Health & Safety Xpert and you can:
 

• Save £100 ex VAT
• Get a FREE place at CDM 2007 training course worth £149 ex VAT 

For further information on Health & Safety Xpert or any other HBXL product call 0870 850 2444 or visit www.hbxl.co.uk

Health & Safety Xpert costs £649 (ex VAT)

FMB members can also benefit from a discount by quoting their FMB membership number.