Newsletter | December 2015

​Carney Consultancy Limited Newsletter from December 2015

Unable to see the pictures? Try clicking the download / see images button above Carney Consultancy Limited Newsletter | December 2015 CDM Regulations 2015 Grace Period Over On the 6th October 2015 the Construction Design Management Regulations 2015 grace period of 6 months came to an end. The role of CDM Co-ordinator no longer exists and any persons conducting this role pre October have the vast majority of their duties passed onto the newly appointed Principal Designer.   Principal Designer The HSE has, however, expressed the view that the PD is not intended to be a seperate professional, distinct from the design team. HSE has stated that after the transitional period, a CDM-C who is not a designer with control of the pre-construction phase should not be the PD.   Principal Contractor The role of Principal Contractor applies unless it is a single contractor project. Given that "contractor" in this context includes sub-contractors, almost every commercial project will require the appointment of the main contractor as Principal Contractor for the purposes of CDM15. Our Newest Recruit   Introducing Barney our latest recruit.   Ben, our resident welcoming committee who so many of our customers love to see whey they visit the offices, is coming up to retirmement age.   So, in our succession management planning, we have Barney here "in training" to assume the duties in a few years' time.   Some of you have already met young Barney and know it will be a couple of years before he is ready to take over permanently, but we thought we would let everyone know he has arrived and started his training. Carney Consultancy Supports Local Charity     Over the last few months we have run many of Working Well Together North East's FREE Asbestos Awareness Courses. At each of these and our own courses, we held raffles to raise money for the local asbestos related charity Mich Knighton Mesthelioma Research Fund. A big thank you to all who supported the fundraising.     TOTAL RAISED SO FAR £260.89   Following on from the success of the raffles we are continuing the fundraising throughout 2016 with monies raised going to Mick Knighton Mesthelioma Research Fund and Lighthouse the Construction Industry Charity. Thanks for supporting.   New Course for 2016   We are pleased to announce we will be running our first NEBOSH Construction Course starting in April 2016. The costs start from £750 + vat if you have completed another NEBOSH course within the last 5 years. The principal tutor for this course will be David Shallow, who is an ex HSE inspector and a tutor at Northumbtia University for the NEBOSH Diploma. David Shallow has a 100% pass rate for this NEBOSH Certificate and so we are hopeful to maintain his record.   If you are anyone else you know is interested in taking the NEBOSH Diploma please give our office a call on 0191 296 36 52 or email us on info@carneyconsultancy.co.uk for further details.     Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007   Major contractors convicted of corporate manslaughter after site deaths could face fines of more than £20m.   New sentencing guidelines have been introduced, which could see firms with £50m + turnovers could hit with fines up to £20m.   Contractors with a turnover of between "10m and £50m could face fines of up to £7.5m, firms with a turnover between £2m and £10m would see a maximum fine of £2.8m while firms with a turnover less than £2m could see fines hit £800,000.   The Sentencing Council said: "The increase in penalties for serious offending has been introduced because in the past, some offenders did not receive fines that properly reflected the crimes they committed."   Sentencing Council member Michael Caplan QC said: "These guidelines will introduce a consistent approach to sentencing, ensuing fair and proportionate sentences for those who cause death of injury to their employees and the public or put them at risk. "These offences can have very serious consequences and it is important that sentences reflect these."   The new sentencing guidelines will come into force February 2016.     New Course for 2016   Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, duty holders (employers and self-employed people) are legally required to ensure that electronics with the potential to cause injury are maintained in a safe condition, so far as is reasonably practicable. Duty holders are jointly responsible for equipment that is leased or provided by a contractor, unless it is solely used by the contractor.   Businesses use portable appliance testing (PAT) to ensure compliance with the aforementioned regulations, to keep their customers and employees safe, and to help protect themselves from liability in the event of an electrical accident.   Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that businesses perform a risk assessment to determine the frequency of PAT. The type of equipment, what it is used for, how often it is used, how often it is moved, and where it is used should all influence the maintenance schedule.   For example, HSE suggests a three-monthly PAT for 110V construction equipment, but annual testing for earthed (class I) appliances like electric kettles.   Remember, even if your organisation conducts PAT regularly, staff should be trained to notify the duty holder of any visible problems with electrical appliances, such as loose wires or bent plug pins to ensure safe use. Further guidance from HSG107     Key Health & Safety Figures for Great Britain   1.2 million working people suffering from a work-related illness 2,538 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2013) 142 workers killed at work 76,000 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR 611,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey 27.3 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury £14.3 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2013/14) As stated above, although as a country we still kill 142 workers each year, asbestos related deaths still significantly outweigh those figures. Employers need to be fully aware of the risks Asbestos still poses within the work area. Remember, asbestos is not immediate, signs and symptoms show later in life resulting in pain and suffering for victims and their families. Don’t let it be your fault.   Join us on Facebook       Follow us on Twitter       Send us an Email   Upcoming Training Courses   Courses outlined below as they are shown on the iContact message already sent around