We are highly experienced in producing health and safety policies and procedures and pride ourselves in ensuring that these work for the client. In addition to your overall health and safety policy we identify and deliver specific policies as needed, health and safety information for employees, safe systems of work and checklists which you can use to ensure that your policies are fully implemented.

Risk assessments:

Risk assessments can be undertaken directly by our consultants, or where you prefer to develop the in-house skills, we can provide templates and guidelines to expedite this. Due to the expertise required, specific risk assessments tend to be carried out by our consultants on behalf of clients, e.g. fire safety, manual handling, the use of hazardous substances, new and expectant mothers.

We also undertake as required, general risk assessments, display screen assessments, risk assessments for young workers, first aid needs assessments, and more.

Asbestos:

Claire is a qualified asbestos surveyor and although the company no longer provides this service, this background helps us to provide high quality advice and management plans for asbestos on your premises. We are also able to send samples to a UKAS accredited laboratory for analysis.

Confined spaces:

With many clients in the West of Scotland, experiencing confined space hazards, e.g work in tanks, pits, boats, we have developed our skills in this area. Ewan has undertaken training in medium risk confined space work and can offer advice on identifying confined spaces, planning and working safely in confined spaces and developing safe systems of work and rescue plans.

Policies and Procedures

Health and safety editorial work

Claire is a leading expert in the field of health and safety, providing editorial content and third-party quality assurance for various industry publishers including Barbour EHS, CIEH and Indicator–FL Memo. To date this includes more than 2500 published articles as well as books, special reports, web content and white papers. Within this role we produce template policies, procedures, flow charts, method statements, employee briefings, checklists etc. and this experience is a tremendous asset when we are undertaking work for our consultancy clients.

Health and safety

Legionella risk assessment

A legionella risk assessment is required for the purpose of complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and specifically, the requirements for legionella control specified within the Approved Code of Practice L8.

We undertake these for small commercial systems as well as rented dwellings (since this is now a requirement for the private rental sector imposed within the Repairing Standards).

The work involves an on-site review of the hot and cold water system, a review of any available maintenance handbooks for relevant work equipment which could conceivably present a legionnaire’s disease risk and the writing up of a report.

Our legionella risk assessor also undertakes water hygiene work for clients in the locality of Oban. Water hygiene work includes cleaning and sanitising of shower heads/ hoses, annual inspections of water tanks, temperature monitoring of outlets and calorifiers i.e. hot water cylinders, boilers etc.

Legionella

Fire safety risk assessment

Fire safety risk assessment is a requirement of those in control of non-domestic premises and houses in multiple occupation under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The aim of the assessment is to identify risks to life from fire and to identify the actions required to mitigate the risk including fire prevention measures, fire precautions and procedures.

As certified and experienced life safety risk assessors we are able to undertake fire safety risk assessments through a site visit and provide a report explaining the actions required and their level of priority.

Fire safety

Construction safety and contractor accreditation

Construction management:

We are able to help an organisation in complying with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, whether they are a client or contractor. This could involve site visits, risk assessments, inspections, the preparation of pre-construction information and more.

Monitoring:

We undertake site safety inspections and audits, producing a report with recommended actions.

Contractor accreditation and certification:

Many of our clients wish to obtain membership of contractor accreditation schemes, or to get themselves onto approved contractor lists operated by larger clients. We are able to assist clients through this process ensuring that they meet the health and safety assessment criteria.

Construction safety

Training

We can develop and deliver health and safety training, board and management briefings as required. This includes manual handling training, a subject on which both Ewan and Claire have undertaken formal ‘train the trainer’ courses.

Manual Handling

This course is designed to teach you the best means of lifting, handling and moving items. We look at safer methods to reduce or avoid the risk of injury. The course gives you a good understanding of planning and implementing best practice when carrying out manual handling tasks. The course is based on current advice and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and ensures that employers meet their legal requirements.

Other courses and briefings can be designed for clients on request including:

• Health and safety responsibilities of board members

• Updates on the latest health and safety developments

• General health and safety principles for staff

Training

Agreement options

We can undertake work for clients either on a one-off basis, or as part of a retainer.

Retained agreements enable us to oversee your whole health and safety management system and the agreement automatically includes an annual review of your health and safety policy, quarterly legal updates, access to telephone or email advice, assistance with accident investigation and RIDDOR reporting, and assistance in communications with health, safety, fire and food enforcement authorities.

Competent assistance:

Every employer must appoint persons or companies to provide competent assistance under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. We are able to act in this capacity when we have a retained agreement with you.

Claire is a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner registered with OSHCR, the official register for health and safety consultants and all work is overseen by her. Ewan has the NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health and is working towards Chartered membership.

Help with enforcing authorities:

Claire was in an enforcement role within the Environment Agency prior to taking up her health and safety career. This insight into the mindset of inspectors, assists when advising clients on how to respond to inspectors’ visits and correspondence. We can therefore help you in your communications and meetings with inspectors as needed.

Investigating accidents:

With experience in managing claims and dealing with enforcing authorities, we are able to assist you when things don’t go to plan whether advising on the necessity for reporting of more serious incidents to the authorities, accident investigation or liaison with your insurers.

Keeping you updated:

All of our retained clients have the benefit of a quarterly tailored update on health and safety developments of interest to them.

Response:

Our retained clients can obtain advice from us by telephone or email, as and when specific questions arise throughout the year. Claire is based in Oban, whilst Ewan is presently based in Inveraray. This geographical spread assists in our response when clients require on-site assistance.

Agreement options

Fees are determined according to the package you require

Whether you have a specific project in mind or wish to explore the possibility of a
retained agreement click here for a free no-obligation quote