New plans to scrap some health and safety inspections are to benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, it has been revealed.

The Government has announced radical moves to abandon or overhaul more than 3,000 health and safety regulations affecting shops, offices, pubs and clubs in a bid to curb red tape and boost economic growth.

The new rules will come into force from April 2013 and will exempt many businesses from burdensome, frequent health and safety inspections. However, businesses which are operating in higher risk areas such as construction – or have previously recorded an incident or have a track record of poor performance – will still be subject to health and safety inspections. For those property businesses which operate in the less risky areas, it will be a welcome relief and will enable owners to concentrate on other areas of their business.

The Government is set to introduce legislation next month to ensure that businesses will only be held liable for civil damages in health and safety cases if they can be shown to have acted negligently. This will end the current situation where businesses can automatically be liable for damages even if they were not actually negligent.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “In these tough times, businesses need to focus all their energies on creating jobs and growth, not being tied up in unnecessary red tape. I’ve listened to those concerns and we’re determined to put common sense back into areas like health and safety, which will reduce costs and fear of burdensome inspections.”

Commenting on the news, David Hudson, managing director of leading Manchester commercial insurance brokers Buckland Harvester, said: “Any effort to reduce the health and safety red tape faced by small businesses is to be welcomed and will hopefully inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to set up their own business.

David added: “Health and safety legislation is a major consideration in the property sector and construction companies will still, quite rightly, be subject to stringent regulations to protect the public and their employees. For those property businesses which are involved in the high-risk areas, it’s essential that they develop a culture of compliance to avoid falling foul of the legislation. Employers liability insurance is also compulsory for most businesses which employ staff.”

For more information, please contact Buckland Harvester offices at 5 The Parsonage, Manchester M3 2HS Tel: 0161 835 9627

Recent figures show more than a thousand crimes a day in the Greater Manchester Police area. A study showed that the vast majority occurred during the day. In Manchester the figures showed a total of 28,319 incidents of crime and anti-social behavior were recorded by GMP in February 2011.

In the warm weather, it is easy to think there is no problem letting in a little ventilation by propping open a door, especially as the work force is in the building, but not so.

A report came from a school where a cleaner was leaving the building after her shift when she met with two men coming across the hall. There were security codes on the outside door so apart from asking who they were, and getting the reply, ‘electricians’ she thought nothing about it.

They had entered the building through a side door left open and, while the teaching staff were having a meeting, the ‘electricians’ calmly removed the televisions.

Kevin Millar BSc of Hawthorn Estates said “While we are on site taking care of the cleaning and landscape maintenance of our clients, we are also on the lookout for other things that are not under our usual services, such as open doors and windows that should be closed”.

“We are also keen to ensure that there is nowhere for opportunist thieves to hide near to a vulnerable door or window, such as in overgrown or high shrubs. One of the best security measures is to ensure that a door can be seen by passers-by”.

Even though the overall figure for burglaries is down, let’s not make it easy for them. We appreciate the contribution to this article from Hawthorn Estates

Taking precautions to ensure the safety of your customers and staff makes moral, legal and financial sense. A poorly maintained piece of electrical equipment can seriously injure or at the very worse even kill a user. Therefore as an employer or the owner of a business – especially in the hotel or tourist trade – to ignore the risk of faulty appliances would be unacceptable.

As well as the risk to human life, there is also the risk of a hefty fine by the Health and Safety Executive.

Steve Loofe from Manchester-based PAT testing and electrical safety testing contractors, Patman, says: “As a business you could find yourself in court facing a fine or imprisonment of you do not take your responsibilities to protect staff and customers seriously. Of course the real cost of accidents is much higher than this; the pain and suffering, loss of reputation if you are in the hotel or tourist industry, damaged equipment, replacement staff costs, increased insurance premiums and the potential victim’s own legal costs will far exceed any fine you are given. Taking precautions to avoid it happening to you makes moral, legal and financial sense.”

You only need to watch the news or read the newspapers to find daily examples of staff or customers being hurt by a faulty electrical appliance. A recent HSE court case heard how one employee sustained a 240 volt electric shock that broke both shoulders whilst attempting to a test of newly manufactured appliance that had been incorrectly wired to the mains lead. It turned out there had been exposed metal in the test area and there had been no PAT test of the mains lead prior to the live test. The employers were prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 14), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (No 3) paragraph 1 and received a fine.

Employers are required by the Health and Safety law to ensure that all of their electrical installations and portable electrical appliances are safe. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing) basically involves the periodic testing of electrical appliances within a commercial or domestic setting to identify any possible faults which could make the equipment unsafe.

For all your PAT testing needs contact Patman on 0161 643 1424 or visit www.patman1.com

A leading company in safety and security products is today offering a valuable learning tool for those in the building trade.

Cardea Solutions, and its sister company Window Security Solutions, has launched a new RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) accredited presentation to help architects, builders and specifiers. The presentation, which goes towards your CPD (Continuing Professional Development) addresses the latest window security standards and provides practical advice on selecting the right solutions for specific applications.The presentation, entitled ‘Window Security By Design: Standards, Specification & Application’, takes a close look at the latest standards including BS 7950, LPS 1175, LPS 1270 and ACPO Secured by Design, explaining content, scope and detailing any additional performance standards that may be required to support them.

It also provides an overview of the latest security technologies on the market, from retractable window grilles and removable window bars, through to shutters, mesh and polycarbonate window shields, in each instance giving a thorough breakdown of key benefits.

The course is classified as a RIBA core curriculum subject under the heading ‘Designing and building it: design, construction, technology and engineering’, and counts as one hour core curriculum learning on this topic.

Cardea Solutions has a reputation for providing excellence in safety and security products. It includes five company brand divisions: Fingershield, Window Security Solutions, Simple Safety Solutions, Solarishield and Secure-Ring.

For more information on the RIBA CPD presentation or any products offered by Cardea Solutions visit www.cardea-solutions.com or Freephone 0800 046 7399.

Taking precautions to ensure the safety of your Hotel guests and staff makes moral, legal and financial sense. A poorly maintained piece of electrical equipment can seriously injure or at the very worse even kill a user.

Therefore as an employer or the owner of a business – especially in the hotel or tourist trade – to ignore the risk of faulty appliances would be unacceptable.

As well as the risk to human life, there is also the risk of a hefty fine by the Health and Safety Executive.

Steve Loofe from Manchester-based PAT testing and electrical safety testing contractors, Patman, says: “As a business you could find yourself in court facing a fine or imprisonment if you do not take your responsibilities to protect staff and customers seriously”. “Of course the real cost of accidents is much higher than this; the pain and suffering, loss of reputation if you are in the hotel or tourist industry, damaged equipment, replacement staff costs, increased insurance premiums and the potential victim’s own legal costs will far exceed any fine you are given. Taking precautions to avoid it happening to you makes moral, legal and financial sense.”

Hotel safety failings can hit the headlines

You only need to watch the news or read the newspapers to find daily examples of staff or customers being hurt by a faulty electrical appliance. A recent HSE court case heard how one employee sustained a 240 volt electric shock that broke both shoulders whilst attempting to a test of newly manufactured appliance that had been incorrectly wired to the mains lead. It turned out there had been exposed metal in the test area and there had been no PAT test of the mains lead prior to the live test.

The employers were prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 14), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (No 3) paragraph 1 and received a fine.

Employers are required by the Health and Safety law to ensure that all of their electrical installations and portable electrical appliances are safe. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing) basically involves the periodic testing of regular electrical appliances within a commercial or domestic setting such as kettles, TV’s lamps etc. to identify any possible faults which could make the equipment unsafe.

Ensure your appliances don’t end up costing you money – contact Patman on 0161 643 1424 or visit www.patman1.com

A violent and shocking court case has this week highlighted the need for professional key holders. The key holder of a social club in Swindon was assaulted by two men as he locked up the premises one night.

The pair threatened to stab the key holder if he didn’t hand over the keys, and he was forced to open the club and disable the alarm, whilst they raided the safe.

One of the attackers, a 19-year-old, is currently awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to the robbery at Swindon Crown Court at the end of March.

Adam Pollard, business development manager at Key Control Ltd, said: “Thankfully serious assaults of this kind are rare. However there are steps that employees can take to ensure the safety of their staff. Here at Key Control Services we can hold the key for you and can respond when the alarm is activated. If you are called out at 3am you may not know what situation you will find, which can be a scary prospect.”

Keyholder Safety is important

The safety of key holders is set out by the Health and Safety Executive under the Lone Worker Health and Safety. It states: “It is the employer’s duty to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control risk where necessary”. The government has produced a leaflet on good practise for employers to consider for the lone worker, titled Working Alone in Safety. This can be viewed at www.hse.gov.uk.

Under Key Control’s key holding and alarm response services, they can hold a set of keys to your premises. If the alarm is activated, a security officer will be notified by a monitoring station and will attend to deal with the incident, check for intruders and re-set the alarm.

The company, which was set up 14 years ago by managing director Phil Thompson and looks after more than 400 companies across the country, also offers a key holder escort service where a security officer can meet a dedicated member of staff at an agreed location in the event of alarm activation. The security officer will accompany the staff member to check the premises, carry out further action as required and re-set the alarm.

Key Control also offers services to lock and open your premises.

For details of these services call Key Control Services Ltd on 01204 861331 or visit www.keycontrolservices.co.uk

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 95% of faults and damages to portable electrical appliances can be found by a visual inspection.

It is highly advisable that these checks are carried out by a specially trained electrical contractor, especially in the hotel trade when hundreds of guests and staff may be at risk from faulty electrical equipment.

Steve Loofe from Manchester-based PAT testing and electrical safety testing contractors, Patman, explains how Health and Safety law dictates that all employers must ensure their portable electrical appliances and electrical installations are safe.

Ensuring the safety of your guests and staff is paramount for any hotel owner or employer. It is therefore critical that all hotels adhere to strict electrical testing. Health and Safety law dictates that all employers must ensure their portable electrical appliances and electrical installations are safe. Figures show up to 25% of all reportable electrical accidents involve portable appliances.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing) basically involves the periodic testing of electrical appliances within a commercial or domestic setting to identify any possible faults which could make the equipment unsafe. A hotel contains any number of portable electrical appliances frequently used by guests including kettles, hairdryers, irons, lamps and televisions. There are also risks for staff from equipment such as desktop computers, vacuum cleaners, photocopiers, faxes and all manner of handheld kitchen equipment.

PAT testing involves a visual inspection to look for possible damage to cabling or wiring as well as specialised testing equipment to ensure they do not pose any danger to staff.

Steve Loofe from Manchester-based PAT testing and electrical safety testing contractors, Patman, who carries out work in many hotels and business premises, says: “Regular PAT testing will help minimise any accident from unsafe or faulty electrical equipment.

Pat Testing can safeguard your hotel working environment

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says around 95% of faults or damage to portable electrical appliances can be found by a simple visual inspection. This action can safeguard your working environment and also protect your insurance policy as some insurance companies will reject a claim if a fire or an accident occurred as a result of faulty electrical equipment which was not subject to a regular maintenance programme.

As a business you could also find yourself in court facing a fine or imprisonment if you do not take your responsibilities to protect staff seriously”.

Damaged equipment can cause fires or result in electric shock. When carrying out visual regular visual inspections, electrical engineers will ensure cabling is not worn or frayed, no bare wire is visible, there are no burn or scorch marks to cabling and that plug and terminal screws are tight. Formal inspection by a qualified electrical contractor will also involve opening of the plug top and checking correct fuse is fitted and terminals are tight.

The HSE advises employers to carry out a formal visual inspection of all desktop computers, photocopiers, fax machines, table lamps and fans every one to two years, while floor cleaners, vacuum cleaners and kettles etc. should be checked every six months to a year.

One North West company who can deal with all your PAT testing needs is Patman. Contact them on 0161 643 1424 or visit www.patman1.com

In today’s world where 24-7 business is commonplace, the need for power back-up should be high on the agenda for many firms, according to electrical contractors.

Even with a comprehensive electrical maintenance programme and regular testing of your electrical installations in place, it’s impossible to eradicate the risk of power outages altogether as businesses are often affected by external factors. Construction work, the weather and load demands on distribution networks, for example, can all result in loss of electricity and impact on business productivity.

The consequences of such a power supply failure can be dire, from lost data and failure of security systems to an inability to trade or serve customers, all of which can result in lost income. For financial institutions and other 24-7 business services, this is not an option and a safety net must be sought.

All businesses, regardless of their size, have a responsibility to protect their employees by ensuring electrical installations are safe and working correctly.

A fire alarm, for example, will be useless in an emergency if the smoke detector is defunct or the alarm isn’t audible which is why it is crucial companies plan for regular maintenance of their electrical installations in order to reduce that risk.

It is simply not enough to rely on an office/warehouse caretaker alone to take on this role because in the event of an incident your business will be liable if you cannot prove your electrical testing procedures were carried out by an experienced and qualified electrical contractor with the right paperwork…