As our company name suggests ‘Specialist Safety Management’ means we specialise in talking directly to you the customer in order to establish what it is you need without wasting any of your time or resources. Quite simply we listen to you, assess your requirements then offer a number of solutions for you to choose from according to your resources and budgets. Keeping it simple is usually the easiest and most cost effective solution to a problem.

We are able to offer you a fully managed system where we take care of all the major safety systems and or issues allowing you to get on with your core business activities knowing that your health and safety responsibilities are being managed on your behalf by professionals.

Another popular option you may prefer is we provide your existing safety management team with a fully qualified support function where we work with you. This has options as well so that you can best choose how to deploy the support by giving them project work or more day to day activities with the purpose of allowing you to focus more effectively on what you want to do, the choice is yours. This can be full time or part time to suit your needs

If in the unlikely event that we are unable to meet your immediate needs do not worry as we have unique access to a wide network of organisations and individuals all of whom specialise in their fields of expertise. By selecting our services you are in effect using our experience and knowledge in order to focus in on exactly the right resources. This unique ability enables us to support you and your company achieve your goals and exceed your expectations.

Not all incidents require the same level of investigation. However they do cost money, cause pain and can potentially take lives, they also cause a drain on vital resources and have a damaging effect on a company’s credibility and reputation. Certain categories of accidents and incidents must be notified to the relevant Enforcing Authority in order to comply with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. (RIDDOR) One of the many benefits of thorough incident investigation is that the information collected can prove to be valuable in dealing with any future civil claims that may arise as a result of an incident at work.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations outlines specific requirements for employers to:

• Assess and record COSHH assessments for all substances that have been classified under the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations (CHIP)
• Prevent or control exposure
• Provide and maintain control measures We have a comprehensive range of methods that can assist you to comply with this legislation and is specific to the needs and size of your organisation.

An employer of five or more people must have a written Health and Safety Policy. They must prepare a written policy with three sections called Statement of Intent, Organisational Structure and Company Arrangements for health and safety at work. It must be revised regularly and kept up-to-date to ensure changes in the workplace, work practices and legislation are taken into account. It is vital that this information is brought to the attention of all employees.

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 were introduced to make employers and users aware of the potential risks to health and safety from working with DSE type office equipment. Musculoskeletal problems, visual fatigue and mental stress are just some of the issues associated with the use of display screen equipment. The law states that employers are responsible for ensuring that display screen equipment assessments are undertaken, and that all employees considered as users are informed about the potential risks, and given adequate and suitable training, information and instruction in ways to avoid the risks identified.

The law imposes a duty on employers to monitor the exposure of employees to substance and conditions that are hazardous to health in certain specified situations. Sampling strategies now play an important part of controlling workers exposure to such risks whilst at work. Without accurate recording and documenting of the levels of exposure to employees it becomes almost impossible to establish if the measures that you have put in place are sufficient or effective in protecting your workforce.

Our experience in carrying out workplace inspections to assess conditions and compliance with legal and best practice requirements allows us to customise inspections/audits for your individual business needs. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations place many requirements on employers to maintain a healthy and safe workplace, we can assess, monitor and report on compliance with these and other regulations to produce a detailed report complete with recommendations for improvement where appropriate. Our aim is to provide you with cost effective common sense advice as to how to better protect the health, safety and welfare of your employees. Specific inspections and /or audits can be carried out examining specific aspects of your operations e.g. Workplace Safety and Welfare, Workplace Transport, Work at Height, COSHH, etc.

The presence of Contractors and Agency workers can present a range of potential risks as they may not be aware of any special hazards that exist at the place of work. Employers have a duty to only employ people who can prove their competence for the activities they are to undertake. This is a vital step that often is overlooked. Once competency has been established there still remains a requirement to manage them safely throughout the period they remain on the premises.

Emergency preparedness (fire risk assessments) must cover a wide range of incidents ranging from personal injury, environmental breaches, fire, major accidents hazards, etc. As each business is unique in terms of the numbers of people and the potential hazards it is recommended that any emergency plans prepared are specific to the risks and hazards at the business location. Where the business operates within the premises of others (e.g. construction sites, multi occupancy locations, etc) then plans must integrate and/or reflect any local arrangements. There is also a specific requirement to carry out an assessment of the hazards and risks present relating to fire. This assessment must cover several key elements such as combustible materials, sources of heat, means of escape etc. Areas of concern highlighted through the assessment must be addressed to ensure that fire risks are adequately controlled.

Safety legislation requires every employer to designate a ‘competent person' to assist with health and safety at work (this is a legal requirement under section 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Many organisations can't justify employing their own professional staff to guide them through the maze of legislation. Specialist Safety Management Limited can provide your company with comprehensive professional ongoing support for those who do not employ a full time health and safety professional. We can also provide your organisation with a back-up service to your existing in house safety resource to cover situations such as holidays, sickness absence or to simply provide in a specialist resource to complement your existing in-house expertise. The principle benefit of securing a retained service is that it ensures your organisation has the peace of mind that comes with 24/7 priority coverage provided by Chartered Safety Professionals whose main aim is to help safeguard you and your employees

Every employer is under a statutory duty to arrange for a "competent person" to assess all risks in the workplace. Employers must carry out an assessment of the risks in their workplace no matter how many staff they have, as they have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment for their employees and other persons. However, if they employ five or more staff they will need to record any significant findings in writing. Risk assessment is an integral part of successful health and safety management and can be thought of as a tool to aid decision making. The process of carrying out a risk assessment will result in an understanding of the workplace risks and their significance it should indicate to you the decisions required to effectively implement the appropriate risk control and reduction measures.

The objective is to make sure no-one is made ill or injured at work. However, accidents do happen and they often lead to civil claims and/or criminal prosecutions. We can offer an expert witness service that can assist you and/or your insurers to advise whether there is any liability. We can also assist your legal representatives as witnesses in court or act as an independent expert.

A scaffold collapse is the last thing anyone wants and to avoid this kind of situation the Working at Height Regulations state that it is a legal requirement that scaffolds are inspected prior to first use, at least every seven days and/or after exposure to conditions likely to affect its safety. The responsibility for carrying out these inspections rests with the USER and NOT the scaffold erector. Records of inspection must be prepared in accordance with the Working at Height Regulations and held on-site for inspection by others who may be concerned with the use of the scaffold. The person(s) carrying out the inspections must be suitably qualified to be deemed as competent.

Toolbox talks are a means of communications between the line management and the operatives carrying out the work. From time to time we need to remind the operatives of certain things such as the safe working procedures or the hazards and risks associated with a work process. We would recommend that you to get into the habit of holding regular toolbox talks with the employees so that it becomes a normal part of the work routine. This is especially useful if new operatives are involved in the work and you need to pass on critical safety information. Specialist Safety Management Limited can prepare, provide and even deliver tool box talks on most subjects.

The ability to perform even the most routine duties can be significantly impaired through drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs. Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace continues to be a growing problem for many businesses today and it is now even more important that organisations have in place a robust policy backed up by comprehensive procedures in order to manage this particular issue. The government are now allowing more police forces to stop drivers and check them at the road side. Specialist Safety Management Limited has the expertise, experience and qualifications to assist you in dealing with such matters. This represents a small selection of the services we can offer as technology changes rapidly:

• Develop a drug and alcohol policy designed to help protect employees from the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse and to encourage those with problems to seek help.
• Create detailed and robust drug and alcohol procedures that will withstand legal scrutiny.
• Carry out drug and alcohol screening.
• Provide drug and alcohol awareness training for line management and employees.