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Case Studies

A small company specialising in electrical installations were told by their biggest (and only) client that they would, in the near future, need to be assessed by CHAS (a H&S assessment service run by the London Borough of Merton).  Failure to be assessed would mean no more work.  The requirements to achieve successful accreditation were the same for companies with 5 employees as for those with 500!  The documentary evidence plus training requirements, safety inspection regime, access to competent advice, site-specific safety information and specialised knowledge in completion of application documents would present a insurmountable burden on any small company.  Fortunately we had the knowledge and experience to lead the company through to successful completion thereby saving the livelihoods of owner and employees - and the cost was spread over a period to help with cash flow!

An engineering company had a poor record of accidents in its workshop and on site.  We carried out an initial safety inspection and identified many areas where the directors were exposed to prosecution by the HSE.  Claims had been received from "No Win, No Fee" solicitors and their insurance company had increased premiums and put them on notice.  Some accidents were reportable under H&S legislation and had not been, leaving the company vulnerable and unable to dispute claims.  Risk assessments were either incomplete, not suitable or non-existent.  Areas of highest risk were identified - including need for manual handling and working at height training - and a crash programme of support put into place.  The company quickly became a safer, happier place to work, achieved SafeContractor and CHAS accreditation, got the Investors in People award and most importantly now have regular work from members of the Major Contractor Group.

Like many companies "G" only worried about Health & Safety when the accident happened.  Fortunately the Managing Director had experience with us in a previous position and called us in.  Our Senior Consultant attended site within hours of the accident, investigated the cause and produced a comprehensive report which was accepted by both the insurance company and HSE.  No further action was taken despite the severity of the injury as it was shown to be operator error and unforeseeable.  We went on to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment, Safety Inspection and production of Risk Assessments for the company.  Memo to MDs - call us in before the accident and sleep better at nights!

A company providing support and care for vulnerable persons were told their documented procedures were inadequate and would get no more work. We quickly provided support including a comprehensive safety website accessible to all employees despite there being no central office.  Training was provided remotely and the company could show they had fully documented procedures, easily accessible and understood by their staff.  As always, we were available for support by email, telephone or site visits.  All for a very reasonable monthly fee