HSE Safety & Health Awareness Days (SHADs)

[Mark T]

Hi all,

 

I have been involved in running a SHAD event with the HSE in Exeter this week and wondered if anybody on here had attended either an Arb or a Forestry day? I saw from another thread that Monkeyd had been to the Arb day in London but has anybody else? If so, what did you think? What were the good and bad points? What did you enjoy, what could you do without? Was it pitched too high, too low or just at the right level? What did you learn?

 

Feedback after the event greatly appreciated...

 

Thanks!

Edited March 11, 2010 by Mark T
Spelin!

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi all,

 

I have been involved in running a SHAD event with the HSE in Exeter this week and wondered if anybody on here had attended either an Arb or a Forestry day? I saw from another thread that Monkeyd had been to the Arb day in London but has anybody else? If so, what did you think? What were the good and bad points? What did you enjoy, what could you do without? Was it pitched too high, too low or just at the right level? What did you learn?

 

Feedback after the event greatly appreciated...

 

Thanks!

 

 

Hi 'Gimmer',

 

I deliver on the HSE 'Engaging Arbs' SHAD, aimed at advising/informing clients of their duties and what's involved in checking a H&S 'competent' contractor etc.

 

Whilst I'm more than happy to contribute here it's probably not my input you're looking for...but let me know if different.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[janey]

Training day? It was more like a one day sales pitch for Treevolution

 

I attended the Richmond Park seminar the the lovely Monkeyd was also at. The morning's talk from Frances of the HSE was informative and a sobering reminder of the dangerous industry that we work in, and then there was a quick run through of the major H&S regulations, ie, H&S at work '74 et al. All good stuff, but nothing new.

 

Now, the title of the course was "Engaging Arb' Contractors..." or similar, so I was expecting something pitched at management level. I thought the day would have been spent going over what we should be looking for in a competant Contractor and what we should be looking at if we made an adhoc site visit to assess safe working techniques. I was assuming - possibly incorrectly - that the majority of people present wouldn't necessarily know the difference between an SRT and a fiddle block, as they would be in charge of overseeing the contract rather than actually doing the work! It is not unheard of that someone managing tenders and contracts has never even watched a climber at work before, nevermind having a thorough knowledge of the equipment. So the afternoon's climbing demo left me slightly confused as to it's relevance.

 

The climbing itself was of the high standard I'd expect from Treevolution and, not having been anywhere near a harness for a few years now, a good update on all these new fangled climbing gadgets . But... It would have been better pitched to show obvious "bad" and dangerous working methods and not just an hour or so to show us how great the climbers were.

 

Sorry that I sound so negative about the day, but for the amount of practical information that was new and of use to me, I don't think it was worth me missing a day of work for

[David Humphries]

I think you have a fair point here Jane.

 

For me however, it was just a general heads up for where this side of the industry is at the mo.

 

Especially as I don't really do "engaging contractors"

It's hard enough engaging with the guys on the team sometimes !

 

 

Great oppo for talking with Liam, Richard, Mike & Bill on some related isues

 

Network agogo

 

 

 

didya go back home and surf some gear porn, didya?

 

 

& as for the Lovely Monkeyd thing, surely by now someones tipped you off to how dark, sinister & down right dubious the real me is

 

 

 

 

.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Training day? It was more like a one day sales pitch for Treevolution

 

I attended the Richmond Park seminar the the lovely Monkeyd was also at. The morning's talk from Frances of the HSE was informative and a sobering reminder of the dangerous industry that we work in, and then there was a quick run through of the major H&S regulations, ie, H&S at work '74 et al. All good stuff, but nothing new.

 

Now, the title of the course was "Engaging Arb' Contractors..." or similar, so I was expecting something pitched at management level. I thought the day would have been spent going over what we should be looking for in a competant Contractor and what we should be looking at if we made an adhoc site visit to assess safe working techniques. I was assuming - possibly incorrectly - that the majority of people present wouldn't necessarily know the difference between an SRT and a fiddle block, as they would be in charge of overseeing the contract rather than actually doing the work! It is not unheard of that someone managing tenders and contracts has never even watched a climber at work before, nevermind having a thorough knowledge of the equipment. So the afternoon's climbing demo left me slightly confused as to it's relevance.

 

The climbing itself was of the high standard I'd expect from Treevolution and, not having been anywhere near a harness for a few years now, a good update on all these new fangled climbing gadgets . But... It would have been better pitched to show obvious "bad" and dangerous working methods and not just an hour or so to show us how great the climbers were.

 

Sorry that I sound so negative about the day, but for the amount of practical information that was new and of use to me, I don't think it was worth me missing a day of work for

 

 

Hi Janey, THANK YOU for your comments I will ensure these are feedback to HSE/Treevolution as I consider them to be valid and valuable in further refinements of the course.

 

If I may, as a matter of interest, and 'Yes' it was a plug for 'AAACs' but that's why I'm there...have you any direct comments for myself?...thank you!

 

Paul

[Stephen Blair]

i think letting management know what a climber should look like and how he performs is far more important than a nice neat safety folder, because that can be done from a desk by someone with a laptop, health and safety to some extent lets any idiot onto a job as long as he has a vizi vest. I worked for over 10years with no climbing tickets whats so ever on some lucrative contracts for the council and private land owners, i was never questioned in all that time as i carried out my operation safely and professionally. The day i got stuck with a RA for a 5 star work site i just gave a safety officer £30 and he did it, the company were only interested in the paperwork.

 

i also carry out work for safety company for the oil industry, i am in their company video for safe working practice, all this was done before i got my climbing tickets, and he told me while in Boston giving a safet conference they stopped half way through to stop a tree contractor working so dangerously a few blocks down.

 

good on treevolution for taking it in this direction:thumbup1:

[janey]

 

 

 

didya go back home and surf some gear porn, didya?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

Strangley enuff, Treemagineers is now in my favourites - and not JUST because their climber is very attactive .

[janey]

 

If I may, as a matter of interest, and 'Yes' it was a plug for 'AAACs' but that's why I'm there...have you any direct comments for myself?...thank you!

 

Paul

 

Only the comments above, really. I think we are all too aware of the dangers of the Arb industry and any courses / seminars to help manage the risks are always of value. I just thought that the "Engaging..." day was a bit schitzophrenic (I didn't even attempt a proper spelling ) about who it was aimed at. I went there with the assumption from the course title that it was aimed at mid management levels and above, ie, for people in a position of responsibility and with the authority to award and oversee contracts and that didn't necessarily have any practical experience.