Welcome to the Autumn edition of Abbeydale News which features our most in demand health and safety programmes. These programmes are delivered on our client’s sites throughout the country and have been highly praised by universities, government departments and private companies.

Awareness and Control of Pests on Site

There is a requirement for maintenance staff to be aware of any pests present in buildings. These include rodents, insects, birds and squirrels and in order to be aware of their presence and the problems they can cause it is necessary to have some knowledge of pest biology and behaviour.

Individuals who are required to call in a pest control company need to know when this is appropriate, how to monitor their contractors’ performance, follow up strategies and what records to keep.

Nigel, our trainer for this essential course is an expert in his field and can tailor either a half-day awareness session or more detailed training courses to meet an organisation’s needs.

Short COSHH Awareness Sessions

Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people’s health at risk, so the law requires employees to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent hill health. Employers have to protect both employees and others who may be exposed by complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended).

COSHH is a useful tool of good management that sets eight basic measures that employers, and sometimes employees, must take. These are covered by this short training session and will help individuals to assess risk, implement any measures needed to control exposure and establish good working practices.

If an employer fails to adequately control hazardous substances, employees or others may become ill. Effects from hazardous substances range from mild eye irritation to chronic lung disease or, on occasions, death.

Our trainer, Ryk, will be pleased to discuss the programme with you and fine-tune it to meet your particular circumstances.

Legionella Awareness sessions

The presence of legionella bacteria in the water supply is a real concern.
Even if there isn't an outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease (legionellosis), employers can still be prosecuted if the bacteria are detected.
In order to minimise risk and comply with regulations a 'Responsible Person' should be appointed to manage the risk. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) Inspectorate, on investigating outbreaks of legionellosis, frequently finds that standards of technical competence are inadequate. Health and safety water systems training is essential.

Tony, the water systems trainer, can provide a one-day awareness course for staff who are involved in the implementation of the written scheme and who are responsible for maintaining site logbooks. This provides delegates with background knowledge of legionella and enables them to manage and implement the monitoring requirement of water systems to ensure ACoP compliance. He can also design and deliver more detailed courses that lead to a City and Guilds qualification.

Asbestos Awareness sessions

Thousands of tonnes of asbestos are still present in all types of buildings. If you are responsible for maintenance and repair activities for non-domestic buildings, either through a contract or tenancy agreement, or because you own the building, you are likely to have a legal duty to manage the risk of asbestos. It’s also your responsibility to inform those who might be at risk, especially maintenance workers.

We run half-day Asbestos Awareness sessions that are suitable for managers, supervisors, and engineers working on the facilities management of premises. Our trainers Tim and Errol will tailor the programme to meet your organisations specific requirements and ensure that managers and staff are aware of their responsibilities and are alert to the dangers of asbestos.

Please ask us for sample course outlines and details of costs for any of these programmes.