New Client - Direct Telecom Services

Direct Telecom Services are the latest client to agree a health and safety support contract with Phoenix Health and Safety.

Services to be provided include:

• A health and safety audit
• A review and update of the existing health and safety policy and health and safety manual
• Conduct workplace risk assessments followed by reports
• Telephone/email support

Please contact us if you are interested in any of our health and safety services.

Health and Safety Policies

All organisations with 5 or more employees are required to have a documented health and safety policy. The policy is required to include the following sections:

• A statement of company intent (or WHAT we intend to achieve)
• Organisational responsibilities (WHO is going to do it)
• Arrangements for implementation (HOW it is going to be done)

The policy should be brought to the attention of all employees (e.g. by health and safety training, employee health and safety handbooks or issue to individual employees) and should be reviewed and revised as appropriate.

Please contact us if you require assistance from one of our expert health and safety consultants with writing a new health and safety policy, of you want to update an existing document. Our health and safety policies are written bespokely for your organisation and for your industry.

Need Help with CHAS Application?

Many contractors are being required by their clients to become accredited by CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme), Safe Contractor or other such accreditation schemes.

Don't be put off by the massive questionnaires - our Health and Safety Consultants have helped many businesses to put in place the required systems and procedures to obtain these accreditations, without major expense.

Please contact us for more details on our health and safety services.

Phoenix Health and Safety Secures Partnership with Quadriga

Phoenix Health and Safety are pleased to announce that they have agreed a significant renewal contract with Quadriga - the number one provider of internet and entertainment services to hotels throughout the world.

The agreement for health and safety consultancy services will include:

• A health and safety audit of Quadriga's activities
• A company health and safety policy and health and safety manual
• Assistance with risk assessments
• Regular health and safety progress visits and reports
• Telephone/email support
• Health and safety legislation updates
• Health and safety training

If you are interested in any of our health and safety services, please contact us.

Obtain your NEBOSH course by Distance Learning

In these tough economic times, many people are seeing the benefits from obtaining their NEBOSH qualifications by distance learning. The traditional way of doing NEBOSH courses is by attending face to face courses at public course venues. However, this can be costly and time consuming.

Our NEBOSH distance learning programme includes some great benefits:

• A guaranteed pass (or free support until you do)
• Fantastic materials in folder and on CD
• Tutor support 12 hours per day by phone, email and skype

The following courses are available via distance learning:

• NEBOSH General Certificate
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate
• NEBOSH Fire Certificate
• NEBOSH International Certificate

Exams can be sat at any of our UK Training Venues, or in our international exam centres in Glasgow, Belfast, Dubai, Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban.

Our Managing Director Nick Higginson studied for 4 different NEBOSH qualifications and a Masters Degree all by distance learning - and obtained distinctions in EVERY one! Who better to run a company that can get you through with the same level of success?

Please contact us for more information, or book online at www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/book-a-nebosh-distance-course

The Benefits of In-House Training

If an organisation has a number of staff that need to be trained in IOSH or NEBOSH qualifications, it can be beneficial for Phoenix Health & Safety to go to the clients premises and deliver the health and safety training course in-house.

The benefits of the this are:

• Reduced costs if there are several people to be trained
• Reduced travel/accommodation costs
• The course can be tailored to the client's industry and specific requirements
• The client's forms and procedures can be used as examples on the course, for example the client's health and safety policy and risk assessments

Please contact us for a tailored quotation

IOSH Managing Safely in London

An IOSH Managing Safely course is coming up in London on the 27th - 30th October. The IOSH courses in London are tremendously popular, and are great value at £545 + VAT per person.

The IOSH course is a 4 day awareness course aimed at managers, supervisors and others who have management responsibilities. It also provides a sound basis for further study, e.g. the NEBOSH General Certificate, NEBOSH Construction Certificate, NEBOSH Fire Certificate or NEBOSH International Certificate.

More details on IOSH Managing Safely can be found at http://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/training/iosh-managing-safely and an online booking form can be found at http://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/iosh-managing-safely-booking.

Please contact us if we can help in any way.

New Phoenix Health & Safety Newsletter

The latest edition of the Phoenix Health and Safety Newsletter is now available and can be found at http://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/clients/client-newsletter

This newsletter is sent automatically to all of our health and safety consultancy clients. However, non-clients can also sign up by completing the subscribe box on the right of the home page.

Please contact us if you are affected by any of the issues in the newsletter.

Employee Health & Safety Handbooks

Phoenix Health and Safety are now able to offer employee health and safety handbooks. The handbooks are fully branded with your company logo, and are professionally printed in colour with thick card covers.

The information within the handbooks can be tailored to suit the organisation, and include reference to the company's health and safety policy and risk assessments.

Another great addition to our range of Health and Safety Consultancy Services!

Please contact us for a tailored quotation.

Reduced Price for NEBOSH General Certificate in Birmingham

Phoenix health and safety are offering the final few places on the NEBOSH National General Certificate course in Birmingham starting on the 5th October for only £1095 + VAT.

Book your place on the course now, these final discounted places will go quickly!

Please quote "blog" when booking to receive the discount.

Leading Health & Safety Expert Joins Phoenix Health & Safety

Phoenix Health & Safety is delighted to welcome Julie Riggs MSc DipOSH Grad IOSH MIIRSM MCIEH MBOHS as our new Health and Safety Consultant/Trainer.

Julie has 16 years experience within the industry, a first class MSc in Safety & Health Management and is currently studying her PhD with Middlesex University. She has contributed to the industry with many articles, conference speaking and assisted with research projects. Julie’s research has featured in two radio 4 programmes, and she has also presented at the House of Commons. Her work has also been published in the Financial Times and the Times. Julie enthused “I am very excited about joining such a professional and dynamic consultancy, assisting businesses to exceed compliance”.

Julie joins our team of health and safety consultants, and will be involved in assisting clients with:

• Health and Safety Policies
• Risk assessments
• Health and Safety Inspections and Health and Safety Audits

She will also join our health and safety training team and be involved in the delivery of the following courses:

• IOSH Working Safely
• IOSH Managing Safely
• NEBOSH General Certificate
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate
• NEBOSH Fire Certificate
• NEBOSH International Certificate

In addition, she will also be a NEBOSH distance learning tutor.

Welcome Julie!

NEBOSH International Certificate by Distance Learning

Phoenix Health and Safety are delighted to announce that we are now offering the NEBOSH International General Certificate by supported distance learning.

The course will offer the same great benefits and support as our other NEBOSH distance learning courses:

• NEBOSH National General Certificate
• NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety
• NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management

Please contact us for more information.

Health & Safety Consultancy for SME's

Phoenix Health and Safety are the experts in providing health and safety consultancy services to SME's.

All businesses with 5 or more employees are legally required to have:

• A health and safety policy
• risk assessments for all significant hazards
• access to competent health and safety advice

Our expert health and safety consultants have been specifically selected for the practical and pragamtic advice - no "stopping the job" from us in the name of health and safety.

Please contact us for a free consultation to discuss your health and safety requirements.

NEBOSH International Certificate by Distance Learning

Phoenix Health & Safety are delighted to announce that we are now offering the NEBOSH International Certificate by distance learning. The superb benefits will be the same as for the rest of our courses on the distance learning programme:

• NEBOSH General Certificate
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate
• NEBOSH Fire Certificate

Please contact us for further information.

Free Health & Safety Powerpoints

The downloads section of the main website has a variety of free powerpoints that can be downloaded for your own use. These can me used for information purposes, or even to form the basis of your own health & safety training for staff.

How many other health and safety consultants give things away for free?!

The downloads section also includes some NEBOSH revision materials and some samples of the health and safety documentation our consultancy clients have access to.

NEBOSH Discount in Bristol

We are offering places on the NEBOSH General Certificate in Bristol next week (21st September) for only £995 + VAT. Call now on 0845 500 8811 and quote "blog".

NEBOSH International Certificate

Phoenix Health & Safety are pleased to announce that we are now offering the NEBOSH International  General Certificate in London. It is an 11 day course based on the principles of best practice laid down by a variety of international health & safety bodies, rather than the detail on UK legislation contained in the NEBOSH National General Certificate and the NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety.

The course will also soon be on offer by distance learning.

Please contact us if you would like further details.

Phoenix Health & Safety Introduces E-Learning Programme

In this difficult economic climate, many businesses are looking to get better value from their training budget. To assist our clients with this, Phoenix Health & Safety have introduced a programme of e-learning to offer a variety of basic health and safety courses that can be taken in delegates own time.

A variety of courses are available via the new system, including manual handling, display screen equipment, driving safely and managing stress. There are also modules on some non-health and safety topics e.g. environmental awareness, disability discrimination and food safety.

Full details on the programme can be found at http://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/training/e-learning-courses.

New Exam Centres for Distance Learning Students

Phoenix Health & Safety have announced 2 new exam centres for our distance learning students - exams will now be held in Glasgow and Belfast from 2010 for the following courses:

• NEBOSH National General Certificate
• NEBOSH National Construction Certificate
• NEBOSH National Fire Certificate

For more information on the NEBOSH Certificate distance learning programme, visit www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/training/nebosh-distance-learning

Phoenix Health & Safety Promoted to the Premiership

We are delighted to announce that we have agreed contracts with not one, but two Premiership Football teams to provide their health & safety support.

Fulham FC and Birmingham City are both going to be using Phoenix Health & Safety to provide their health and safety consultancy support.

Services provided to Fulham include chairing the health and safety committee and carrying out regular reviews of health & safety performance.

Birmingham City’s agreement includes audits, progress visit and ongoing telephone/email support.

Phoenix Health & Safety’s Managing Director Nick Higginson said, “These are two further household names to add to our growing client list. We intend to exceed their expectations and provide a service that will ensure that they remain clients for many years to come. Hopefully, we can add other teams and become the Premiership Champions of Health & Safety”.

Firm Fined Following Electrocution

A Hatfield firm has been fined £35,000 after a young father was electrocuted. SF (UK) Ltd, the engineering arm of British Gas, was also ordered to pay £65,000 costs at St Albans Crown Court.

On 7 June 2005, SF (UK) Ltd engineer Ricky Cronin was attending a residential call-out. While repairing a washing machine motor fault, 30-year-old Mr Cronin made contact with live parts after removing the back panel and was electrocuted as the power was left on. Mr Cronin was only in his fifth week of employment with the company, although he did have previous experience. As part of the induction programme he was accompanied on the job by a more experienced colleague.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the induction training provided by SF (UK) Ltd was insufficient, and there was a lack of adequate risk assessments for the task.

HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said: 'I hope this tragic incident makes it clear to employers, large and small, that they need to take positive action to manage risks and ensure staff receive adequate training when starting in a new job. A significant number of incidents involving electricity at work are reported each year and sadly some of those hurt lose their lives as a result of their injuries.'

New Health & Safety Strategy Launched

On the 3rd June, The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched a new strategy for health & safety in the UK.

The HSE Chair, Judith Hackitt, said:

“The new HSE strategy has been finalised following a three-month consultation programme, with events held across the country.

During the consultation, we spoke to many interested parties and individuals,including: business leaders; industry representatives; trades unions; parliamentarians; employees; and others in the health and safety system. We wanted to hear ideas on how we could all become ‘part of the solution’.

The overall feedback we received was very supportive. We listened to suggestions made during the consultation and made sensible and useful changes to our original draft, to produce the version launched today.

We believe this strategy represents a clear statement of core principles and a sensible approach to health and safety in Great Britain.

Whilst the economic climate is difficult and the temptation for some may be to cut corners, HSE, its partners and businesses must resolve to continue to strive to improve health and safety performance. Good health and safety is good business.”

More detail on the strategy can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/strategy/index.htm

Worker Receives Vibration Pay Out

A worker has received a £10,000 compensation payout after his hands were left permanently damaged by using vibrating tools at work. Keith Rowley, 55, a fitter from Stourbridge, has the debilitating condition Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), also known as vibration white finger. His employer General Kinematics Ltd did not admit liability but settled the claim out of court.

Keith said: 'I first noticed a problem with my hands six years ago. Now they turn white and become painful in cold weather and I have to wear heated gloves. I've worked for General Kinematics for 12 years and during that time I've used vibrating tools on a daily basis.'

Legal Administrator of Keith’s Trade Union (GMB) Andrea Austin commented: 'HAVS is a widespread hazard for many of our members working in a number of different industries and occupations where power tools are used. It can be a debilitating condition which can adversely affect our members both at work and at home.' She added: 'Under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 employers are required to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk to health and safety to their employees arising from exposure to vibration at work.'