Whatever industry you’re operating in – whether it’s construction, marketing, retail, education or something else altogether – your employees face a number of hazards. For instance, your employees might face harm from heavy machinery, noisy equipment, chemicals and electricity, or even just standard trips and falls. And that’s where you
The University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol has recently quadrupled its solar generating capacity through the installation of 1,731 solar panels, which will enable it to produce over 400 MWh of electricity each year and making it the largest solar panel array in the UK university sector.
Electrical safety will be high on the agenda at the UK’s first Authorising Engineer Forum next month. The event, hosted by leading training and consultancy specialist Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is designed to provide one clear voice for Authorising Engineers and Authorised Persons working in high voltage environments and a
Whatever industry you’re operating in – whether it’s construction, marketing, retail, education or something else altogether – your employees face a number of hazards. For instance, your employees might face harm from heavy machinery, noisy equipment, chemicals and electricity, or even just standard trips and falls. And that’s where you come in. It’s your responsibility as an employer to ensure that you’re able to identify, manage and minimise the risks your employees face in a busy working environment. There are a number of rules and regulations on the matter, and penalties for non-compliance are severe… and that’s not to mention the cost of lost business, lost man-hours and a damaged reputation with clients and customers alike. So, here’s a very brief overview of how to minimise risks in your busy working environment. However, be sure to investigate your responsibility further using information from charities such as ROSPA (The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents), or guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. First, identify the hazards your employees face This is the starting point for reducing risks. Think about the environment, the processes and materials that have the potential to harm your employees, noting them down. Always ask for a second opinion, getting additional people involved – extra eyes are always a good idea. Then, refer back to your accident and sickness records: can you spot any hazards that are causing employees harm? It’s also a good idea to check guidance from the manufacturers of the equipment and substances you’re using, as they’ll often explain the hazards your employees are likely to be exposed to. Then, evaluate the risks and decide how you’re going to take action Next, you’ll need to decide how likely it is that harm will occur, and put some measures in place for reducing that chance. Don’t expect to eliminate risk completely, but do focus on the things you could do to reduce the likelihood of harm. For instance, can you change a process to circumvent dangerous practices? Can you issue protective clothing, install safety equipment or devise training programmes to better protect your employees? Be sure to record your findings, and report incidents and near misses whenever they arise There’s a lot you can learn when things go wrong, and taking a proactive attitude to it will hopefully mean that the level of risk your employees are exposed to will lessen over time. Finally, ensure you have adequate resources and software to manage risk One of the biggest obstacles for businesses managing risks in the workplace is that they simply don’t have the resources required to ensure everyone is as safe as they can be. So, consider investing risk management software available from providers such as Airsweb. Good quality software will equip you with tools such as best practice templates for employees to refer to, a centralised risk register, and the ability to check that the right employees have read risk assessments – ultimately, it gives you a centralised place to refer to and report back in to.
The University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol has recently quadrupled its solar generating capacity through the installation of 1,731 solar panels, which will enable it to produce over 400 MWh of electricity each year and making it the largest solar panel array in the UK university sector. The new solar array has been installed on the roof of the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which have both undergone extensive refurbishment as part of the required works. Prior to the solar panels being installed, approved contractor Mitie Tilley Roofing overlaid the original failing single ply waterproofing with over 12,000m2 of Bauder’s lightweight, robust PVC single ply waterproofing system Thermofol. Read more at http://specificationonline.co.uk/sections/education/articles/2016-11-28/bauder-delivers-largest-solar-array-in-higher-education-sector About Bauder Bauder is a leading international manufacturer of building construction materials. We provide clients with waterproofing membranes and insulation to make buildings watertight and thermally efficient, photovoltaic installations for renewable energy generation, and green roofs to support the environment and create better living and working spaces for people. Customers choose us because of the way in which we do business, the way we treat every project individually and how we work alongside clients to deliver the best solution for a building.
Electrical safety will be high on the agenda at the UK’s first Authorising Engineer Forum next month. The event, hosted by leading training and consultancy specialist Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is designed to provide one clear voice for Authorising Engineers and Authorised Persons working in high voltage environments and a platform for sharing best practice. The conference will be hosted by Develop Training Ltd (DTL), the UK’s leading training and consultancy specialist, at The Hawkhills in Easingwold, near York, on 9 December 2016. This free-to-attend, all-day forum will bring together Authorising Engineers from across the country in order to discuss key issues, regulatory developments and best practice. The event is intended to play a significant part in shaping the way that electrical training is delivered in future. The Forum includes key note presentations from several leading industry experts, including Bill Bates of Foxgloves Electrical Safety Management who, prior to his recent retirement, was a Principal Electrical Inspector for the HSE. Bill will be delivering a keynote speech explaining how to recognise electrical risks and managing them through a structured approach to prevent serious consequences. Daniel Murphy, Area MEICA Lead/Authorising Engineer at eight2O will be discussing the MEICA management challenges presented by working in the eight-strong water infrastructure alliance delivering billions of pounds worth of essential work for Thames Water. The highly publicised Crossrail project will be discussed by Lee Bateson, M&E Manager for Costain Group Engineering Services, while Phil Bourne and Scott Tonkin will present produce showcases for Lucy Electric and ROOTS respectively. For DTL, Senior Lecturer and Authorising Engineer Al Katib will be presenting on the NFPA 70E advice and guidance associated with arc flashes in electrical environments, while Delivery Manager will be talking about skills compliance in low voltage environments. The safety day will conclude with Senior Lecturer Stuart Gilby leading a practical case study exercise with those attending split into groups to discuss how best to approach a specific scenario before each groups’ findings are reported back. DTL believes that effective training can play a major part in reducing unsafe working practices. Many accidents are caused by inadvertent contact with energised and exposed live conductors and faulty equipment. The resulting shocks or arc flashes can lead to falls, burns, fire and explosion and result in severe or fatal injuries. Authorised Persons play a vital role Steve Braund, Marketing Manager of DTL, explains: “Authorising Engineers and Authorised Persons play a vital role in ensuring the safe and compliant approaches to working with electricity across a wide number of industries. We’ve created this dedicated Forum to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and best practice to strengthen this, and have produced an informative and interactive agenda we feel should be of interest to AEs up and down the country.” To find out more about this event and to register your attendance, please visit: http://www.developtraining.co.uk/news/full-agenda-confirmed-for-authorising-engineer-forum
