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News Archive 2007

This is where you will find archived stories of interest from 2007. All items were originally on the latest news page.

December 07
Risk update - The risk assessment guidance PAS 79 has recently been updated

BSI British Standards has issued an updated version of PAS 79 Fire risk assessment. Guidance and a recommended methodology, to take account of the UK's new fire safety regimes.

The Publicly Available Specification (PAS) gives a nine-step structured approach and corresponding documentation for carrying out and documenting significant findings of fire risk assessments in buildings. The new 2007 version of PAS 79, now available from BSI, supersedes the 2005 edition and introduces the following main changes:

all references to legislation have been updated to take account of the Fire Safety Order, which came into force in England and Wales in October 2006, and similar legislative changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland
the guidance now recommends more detailed examination and recording of certain fire precautions and fire safety arrangements, in the light of experience and the new fire safety legislation
reference is now made to the requirements of fire safety legislation covering dangerous substances
the technical content has been subject to minor amendments based on previous experience in the use of the PAS

This article charts the history of PAS 79 and the reasons why the guidance was first produced, as well as explaining the revisions that feature in the new 2007 version.

December 07
Warehouse tragedy prompts calls for urgent review of Building Regulations

THE LOSS of four firefighters in a warehouse fire in Warwickshire has triggered calls for a review of the Building Regulations in England and Wales, and a reassessment of the role of fire suppression systems, particularly in single-storey storage buildings.

Chief Fire Officers' Association president, Steve McGuirk, led the calls for a review of the regulations. He said the fire at the vegetable packing warehouse in Atherstone on Stour on 2 November should be ‘a catalyst for a rethink on whether guidance needs to be replaced by a mandatory requirement for sprinkler systems in certain premises'. The warehouse, owned by Wealmoor Atherstone Limited, did not feature a sprinkler system but there were plans to put one in place.

More information here

November 07
Review of Fireworks Regulation

LEADING organisations in the UK fire industry have called for more effective action – including possible changes to legislation – to improve fireworks safety.

The Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA) and the Local Government Association (LGA) are pressing the Government to carry out a ‘root and branch review' of the way fireworks are regulated in England. With 20,000 tonnes of fireworks imported each year – 20% of which are thought to be circulated in an illegal market – the two organisations are pressing for greater controls on the import, storage, distribution and sale of fireworks, with fresh attention to Internet access and distribution.

More information here

October 07
Tobacco Law Change

The Health Act, passed by Parliament in 2006, included a power to change the age of sale of tobacco from 16 to 18. This came into effect from Monday, 1st October 2007, and it is now illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. This includes cigarettes, cigars, loose rolling tobacco and rolling papers. This applies both to over the counter and vending machine sales.

More information here

September 07
SafeCom is on the move

Our SafeCom training management system has moved to a new server and has a new address meaning that SafeCom is now completely separate from the Safety Management UK website. This has allowed us to increase storage capacity for the integrated document management system, and means that SafeCom now stands as brand in its own right.

There have also been some minor visual tweaks to the system aimed at improving readability of information on long pages, as we are always looking at ways to make SafeCom easier to use. All existing customers have now been seamlessly migrated to the new system.

August 07
Christine White

Safety Management (UK) recently contracted in the expertise of Christine White to assist with the continued growth the business is going through. Christine has been invaluable in assisting with the design and implementation of an in-house quality management system, as well as helping with the financial management of the business.

Brian Gregory (Managing Director) said:
"We are very grateful for the knowledge and skills Christine has contributed to the business. The enthusiasm and drive Christine brings with her is infectious."

July 07
Fire safety regulations ignored by 38% of businesses

Up to 38% of businesses are unaware of the requirements of the Fire Safety Order, compared to 43% in October, with over one third of firms are failing to carry out a crucial fire risk assessment, according to Norwich Union Risk Services.

The research found that awareness had gone up most among firms with between 11 and 50 employees (75%) compared to last September (63%), while knowledge among those with more than 50 employees had also risen - from 83% last year to 87%. However, awareness among smaller organisations with 10 employees or less had hardly changed, with just 45% aware of the regulations, up by just one percent. In addition, the risk assessment results were worse among firms with fewer than 11 employees, where only 48% had carried out a fire risk assessment, either by themselves or with help from a third party.

June 07
Health & Safety Seminar

On Thursday 7th June 2007 , Safety Management (UK) hosted a Health & Safety Seminar which focused on the current hot topics in health and safety. We invited three of our partners as guest speakers, who together with our own Brian Gregory , each gave a succinct presentation about their own sector of the industry. The event was held at our new premises at Clawthorpe Hall Business Centre, and was our first opportunity to make full use of the conference facilities, not to mention sampling the cakes and biscuits of course!

Kathryn Critchley opened proceedings with a talk on stress management in the workplace, looking at legal requirements, good practice, and ways to prevent costly tribunals. She also presented a number of alarming case studies to reinforce the issue.
Brian Gregory followed this with a talk on the recent Fire Safety Order in which he translated the basics of this new legislation into plain English and explained how best to work with the enforcing authorities to ensure compliance.
Shirley Newman then gave a presentation on the new Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, explaining who needs to be registered, what the implications are to businesses and manufacturers, and how this will affect us all in the future.
Finally, Darren Good gave an interactive presentation on conflict resolution, specifically in terms of the workplace. This involved a mixture of factual presentation and practical exercise – at one point delegates were massaging each others shoulders while listening to relaxing music which proved immensely popular.

We plan to hold similar events in the future, and will advertise them on this website. If you would like to be informed directly, please email us and we will add you to our mailing list.

March 07
Management School Success

Our very own Brian Gregory is currently working his way through a leadership and development programme at Lancaster University Management School. The programme is intended to develop the skills of small business owners through coaching, mentoring, and business exchanges.

This article (right) acknowledges the success rate of the programme to date, and is a welcome recognition of the good work being down by the Management School. The article appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 27th February, 2007 (click image to enlarge).

February 07
New Location and Telephone Number

Safety Management (UK) Ltd have moved to Clawthorpe Hall Business Centre at Burton in Kendal.

Please note our new address: Holme Suite, Clawthorpe Hall Business Centre, Burton in Kendal, LA6 1NU (located on the left of every page of this website), and also our new telephone number which is +44 (0)1524 784356.

We felt the time was right for a change of scenery, plus we had outgrown the old office and so the chance to move to bigger premises was welcomed by all. The new office is located in an area of natural beauty which is only ten minutes drive from the nearest motorway junction, and offers much better facilities for visitors, including plenty of free parking spaces.

Feel free to pay us a visit. Further details will shortly be appearing on our location page.

January 07
FREE Fire Safety Log Book

Click here to download a FREE Fire Safety Log Book

Safety Management (UK) Ltd have made available free of charge a fire safety log book to help you manage your day to day fire safety responsibilities under the new fire legislation - Fire Safety Order

The log book is a combination of Fire Service issued documents, we have made it as easy to use as possible. If you need help in complying with the Fire Legislation, either Fire Risk Assessments or Fire Safety Training we may be able to help.

If you would like more information about our forthcoming Responsible Persons course please fill out this quick form and we will keep you informed of new course dates.

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