TREND - Edition 4

IN TREND THIS SEASON. Welcome from TFS

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Train Adapting to Your Learners

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Altro Training Schools Launch New Installation Courses

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Research A Chat with Georgi Black

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Educate Fire Safety

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How Construction Companies Can Secure Cover in a

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Challenging Insurance Market Matt Hazelton Tells His Story

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Nurture

Managing Stress

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How Regular Exercise & Movement Can Support Mindset

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in the Workplace Develop Document & Information Management 2021

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Meet the Team

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Carly’s Corner

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Dates for Your Diary

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HEY EVERYONE! As the darker nights begin to draw in and we brace ourselves for the change in season I’m pleased to share with you all the latest issue of TREND. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to bring you, yet another, insightful edition where we look at topics such as fitness and its role in achieving good mental health, NEBOSH, stress, site safety and more.

As always there’s been lots happening at TFS over the last few months as we continue to drive home our values – Commit, Engage, Invest.

In August we welcomed Jake and Robert to the team. They have been brought on board to help with outreach, brand awareness and account management – a really important role for us. There’s a lot to learn with regards to training in this industry and I am absolutely over the moon with the progress they have both made so far.

September was also a special month for us as we were presented with the title of Health & Safety Training Service of the Year from the Prestige Awards! This was an exceptional experience for us all, and although not the reason for why we do what we do it’s nice to see our hard work being noticed.

I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but this will be our last TREND edition of the year and January will mark TRENDS first birthday. 2022 here we come! I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the fantastic writers who have taken part so far, it really is what makes each issue so insightful.

As always, we’d love for you to join our TREND community and get involved so please feel free to let us know what’s been going on, what your organisation has been up to, or even just a wee snippet of good news!

Speak soon,

Jenny McIntyre | Managing Director 3

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Adapting to Your Learners As the world continues to find a balance of hybrid working, businesses must not lose sight of how effective their training sessions are. Training not only needs to support business objectives, but must promote learner engagement and development. Considering the multiple delivery options, are we really paying attention to our delegates preferred learning style?

The three basic learning styles are; Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (VAK).

Some studies estimate that 50%-70% of learners have more than one learning style, however each learner does have a dominant preferred technique.

Visual learners prefer the use of graphics, symbols and colours to support their information retention levels.

Organisations, in this instance, could be considering e-learning as an alternative training method. If practical is not a mandatory element of a particular course, many courses can be converted to an online environment. The nature of e-learning also supports delegates learning at their own pace and in their own time, further supporting retention levels. There are also many benefits of the use of e-learning for businesses. Platforms and portals aid the tracking of all training data including delegate progress and certification. This easily complements any training matrices and future planning of training schedules.

Auditory learners prefer information to be delivered vocally. This can be in lecture style as well as conversational group work. The last 18 months has seen a dramatic increase in courses being delivered virtually and there is no sign of this slowing down any time soon. The set up of virtual sessions supports auditory learners as it can take away the usual classroom-based distractions that hinder their retention. From a practical standpoint, virtual sessions also take away the need for travel and ultimately can result in the instructor being right in the delegate’s living room!

Kinesthetic learners ultimately learn best by doing.

This is when organisations could look at a classroom environment. A classroom setting not only supports the human element of training through peer stimulation, but also creates a safe space that promotes learning at all levels. There is also a flexibility to classroom training from the business perspective as instructors can come travel to site or delegates can travel to a training centre near them.

Not everyone will fit neatly into one learning style or the other. It is very common for delegates to prefer a mix of Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic learning. Blended learning, while not the most popular, is a very effective delivery method to support the learning styles of delegates. In some cases, theory can be completed via e-learning prior to attended a practical classroom session giving the delegates a well-rounded learning experience.

Speak to the team at TFS today to see how we can best help support you and your team!

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Train

| Altro Training Schools Launch New Installation Courses

One of only a small number of unique training facilities in the UK for floor and wall installers, the Altro Training Schools are designed to meet the training needs of floor and wall contractors from all over the world. The Altro dedicated training schools have, to date, welcomed over 8000 floor and wall installers.

What Can the Altro Training Schools Offer You?

While we supply detailed installation guides for the majority of our products, they are no substitute for a real hands-on demonstration with one of our team, which is why we run three training schools to help you improve your installation skills: one for Altro safety floors, one for Altro resins and one for our Altro wall cladding systems.

Our in-house training will also show you how to install our products and provide extra hints and tips that have been picked up by our experienced instructors over the years.

We are excited to be launching a brand new course in 2021 on how to install Altro Ensemble Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs). This two-day course will demonstrate our unique modular flooring system and attendees will learn the basic set out, standard and alternative installation methods while learning about the other benefits Altro Ensemble gives you.

“We now have a pool of up to eight trainers with combined experience in the flooring and walling trade of over 200 years.

Our floors trainers have over 150 years’ experience between us. This is why the Altro Training Schools are so unique – the experience is unparalleled.”

- David Gatfield, Regional Technical Services Manager

A typical course in the training school would include a tour of the manufacturing site*, a brief history of Altro walls, an introduction to the product range including adhesives and accessories, application requirements, choosing the correct product, hands-on training, and a debrief and questions. *available once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted

In 2021 the Altro safety floors training school received a fantastic refurbishment, providing updated facilities and a lighter, brighter environment for training to take place. Our Altro team can provide you with workshops on: Altro safety flooring Altro resins Altro walls Altro Ensemble Advanced welding and fault repair Altro adhesive-free floor – COMING SOON To ask about our Altro training school please visit our website at www.altro.co.uk 3

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Research |

A Chat with

Georgi Black What’s your name and current job?

My name is Georgi Black, and I am a Competent Fire Fighter.

Why did you want to work in the fire service?

This is a hard question to answer because there are so many reasons I wanted to join the Fire Service. I always wanted to be a Fire Fighter, I’ve been telling my mum since I was 4. She didn’t always believe me though because I hated Fireman Sam! Up until I joined the Fire Service, I had worked in so many different types of working environments doing lots of different jobs. These roles taught me that I hate doing the same thing over and over again, and I definitely didn’t want to work in an office. I knew I always had more potential and something to give.

Working with the Fire Service gives me a true purpose. To know that our work can ultimately impact the lives of others is something I take very seriously and will always strive to be the best I can be on each shift.

No two days are the same in the Fire Service, as soon as the bell goes off you have no idea what you’re heading into, and I find that really exciting.

As a woman, how have you found working in a role that is perceived as a predominantly male environment?

My time as professional weightlifter saw me training with and coaching men, in what is also considered a male dominated sport.

So, to be honest, I’m kind of used to the environment. The Fire Service does cater for women making sure to supply more female suitable including smaller masks and extra padding. At the moment in my station, out of around 45 Fire Fighters there are only 7 women!

Do you have any advise for woman who are looking to move into this area of work?

The Fire Service host Positive Action Days – I would suggest anyone considering working in this line of work attend one. Part of the day is specifically designed to advertise the role to women and give them a true insight into the role itself. It is a male dominated industry, and to be honest I think that is just the way that it is and will be, but I don’t think that should put anyone off! It really is a rewarding role that can be done well by both men and women!

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The first weeks of training include:

Research

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Talk us through the training process and ongoing development After your application is processed, there are a few different tests that must be completed and passed before a candidate will be invited to an interview. This ranges from maths tests to situation & judgement tests as well as a full assessment day. On this day there a around 6 different exercises that you must complete including extending ladders and a confined space rat race. All of these are timed to confirm you are fit enough to meet the Fire Service standards.

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Pumps & Ladder Drills Breathing Apparatus & Fire Behaviour Road Traffic Collision Working at Height Heavy Rescue Water Awareness First Aid Knots & Lines Flood Water Response Urban Search & Rescue

Once you have moved onto the interview stage you are asked questions around the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service values – Safety, Teamwork, Respect and Innovation. If you are successful you then move onto the training programme.

The whole training process last for 33 months, but this is broken down into different stages starting with an intense 14 week training programme.

The style of training throughout the programme is very similar to that of the military. This meant certain standards throughout your time there had to be met. This was thing like presentation of your uniform, standing to attention, addressing superiors as Sir or Madam. This was a brand new world for me, but to have that level of standards throughout the week really instils a level of professionalism in everyone.

Trainees are constantly being monitored and tested throughout the programme but week 11 is dedicated specifically to assessments. This is the following by 2 weeks of scenario-based demonstrations of knowledge and skill. The final Ongoing training will cover week of the programme is for any resits that are needed and then finally your topics such as: passing out parade.

• HAZMAT – Chemical The whole process is extremely challenging, but also unbelievably rewarding!

• Incident • •

Drills Updated or New Legislation Updated or New Ways of Working/Best Practice

Once you’re in the station though, it’s a completely different ball game! Up until now you’ve learned the basics, but this is real now.

This stage of training is broken down into 3 phases; Red, Amber & Green. Red and Amber phases are a total of 12 months, while the Green phase is 9 months.

The Red phase focuses on everything you learned during the 14 week training programme and putting this into practice. The Amber phase sees you doing combined drills and the Green phase is scenario based. Again, you are constantly being monitored and tested throughout each stage. Time is allowed for extension of each phase if you were to fail any element during testing.

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Educate | Fire Safety Following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in June of 2017 where 72 people lost their lives, the UK Government and regulators have demonstrated an increased focus towards fire safety in both domestic and non-domestic premises.

In Scotland, there are two key pieces of legislation which are relevant to occupational fire safety; The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

Within the workplace, the employer is ultimately responsible for complying with the requirements of these regulations. In addition to this, persons or an organisation which has control to any extent or part of the premises, also have responsibilities under the regulations.

So what are the key responsibilities for ensuring fire safety within the workplace? All requirements can be found by reviewing the legislation in full, however some key points to consider are summarised below:

Fire Risk Assessment The employer must ensure that a suitable, and sufficient, fire risk assessment is undertaken by a competent person. The fire risk assessment should be used to identify potential fire hazards within the workplace, to establish and implement a range of precautionary measures to mitigate the risk of fire initiation and spread. The risk assessment must be reviewed after any significant change to the workplace. It is best practice to ensure that your fire risk assessment is also reviewed each year.

Fire Safety Policy If 5 or more persons are employed, a documented fire safety policy should be developed and maintained to include reference to how fire safety measures will be planned, organised, controlled, monitored and reviewed. The content of the policy should be clearly communicated to the workforce allowing them to become fully conversant in the various fire safety arrangements.

Fire Fighting Equipment The fire risk assessment will also identify the extent of fire-fighting equipment which would be appropriate to the premises and operational activities. Fire-fighting equipment can be automatic (e.g. linked to the fire alarm system) or manual (e.g. manual fire extinguishing devices).

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Educate | Fire Safety Means of Escape There must be adequate emergency escape routes and emergency exits from the premises, to a place of safety.

All of which must remain free from any obstructions and be operational to ensure that persons can escape as quickly and safely as possible. The means of escape and direction of travel should be made clearly visible with appropriate signage.

Provision of Information and Training The employer must ensure that employees are provided with adequate fire safety information and training. The training should be relevant to the premises and should be repeated periodically and after any significant changes.

Fire Detection and Warning Systems The fire risk assessment will identify the extent of the fire detection and warning systems that are relevant to the premises and operational activities. Systems should be sufficient to ensure the timely detection and / or warning of fire, enabling all persons to evacuate the premises safely.

It is imperative to note that all of the documentation and equipment above must be adequately maintained, in compliance with statutory and relevant industry standards to ensure its continued effectiveness in the event of a fire.

The points noted within this article are simply an overview of some of the requirements of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Employers must take a thorough and pragmatic approach to fire safety, and never underestimate the destruction that fire-related incidents can cause.

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Educate How Construction Companies Can Secure Cover in a Challenging Insurance Market A more challenging insurance market has led to a rise in premiums and, in some instances, a reduction in the level of cover for construction companies and contractors of all sizes. A gap in cover could be costly in the event of a claim and potentially threaten the future of the business – so how can you secure cover that suits your requirements - and budget - when faced with these market challenges? Insurance and risk management specialist Gallagher explains…

What is happening in the construction insurance market?

Even before COVID-19, the insurance market had been hardening due to a range of environmental, economic and political events, as well as ongoing regulatory updates. Similar to other industries, the construction sector has been impacted by these changes.

Insurers and insurance markets respond to a tougher commercial environment by becoming more selective on the types of risks they choose to write. For construction companies, this has led to higher premiums, changes to the scope of policy wordings, and increases in the deductibles (or excesses) applied to insurance, at time of renewal.

Given the sector has always been particularly susceptible to market fluctuations, looking at insurance from a balance sheet perspective helps to identify and determine whether your current insurance arrangements will continue to meet your needs now, and in the future.

Securing appropriate levels of insurance cover Scrutinising your insurance programme starts with developing a robust understanding of the key areas requiring cover. Think about your company’s current activities and consider all relevant structures of a project and the involved parties. Look closely at the levels of cover required by your business now – as they may differ to when you last reviewed your insurance programme.

A specialist insurance broker can help to identify gaps in cover as well as changes to your operations, this may change the way your insurance responds in the event of a claim.

Scheduling time to speak with your broker is one way to confirm that your insurance policy offers adequate protection, and identify where exclusions and changes to the policy wording may apply.

If COVID-19 has led you to make adjustments to the way you do business, we strongly recommend speaking with your broker to review your current insurance arrangements to confirm that your cover remains fit for purpose. During renewal preparations, please pay extra attention on the policy wording and the terms put forward by the insurer, to identify restrictions and/or exclusions that may be added.

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Educate What if you have a history of claims loss?

If you have a claims loss history, it is essential to demonstrate the risk management practices you have put in place to reduce the possibility of similar events reoccurring. Due to the challenges in negotiating cover in tougher market conditions, it is even more important in these circumstances to prepare this plan in plenty of time for renewal. A specialist construction broker can assist and guide on what is required so that you are fully prepared.

The risk of underinsurance (and non-insurance) If a claim were to be made against your business and you had a gap in cover which left you unprotected, can you be sure your business would recover? With the construction sector seeing more insolvencies in recent years than in many other UK sectors, this demonstrates the vulnerability of an industry reliant on having a healthy cash flow position.

For some contracts and projects, a minimum level of insurance may be stipulated as part of the supplier qualification criteria. Similarly you could inadvertently breach the requirements of an existing contract if you reduce the levels of cover than were agreed at the time of engagement. Therefore, it pays to check your policy wording to ensure it provides sufficient cover for existing activities and projects, while taking into consideration any future needs and expectations.

The benefits of speaking to a specialist With a diverse range of construction insurance products and services available, it is advisable to seek the expertise of a specialist broker to help you find the most appropriate solution and we would be delighted to help.

For more information, please contact: Kenny Dick, Development Executive, Glasgow.

M: 07708 483798 E: Kenny_Dick@ajg.com W: ajg.com/uk CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS This note is not intended to give legal or financial advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon for such. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. In preparing this note we have relied on informa tion sourced from third parties and we make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein. It reflects our understanding as at 20/09/2021, but you will recognise that matters concerning COVID-19 are fast changing across the world. You should not act upon information in this bulletin nor determine not to act, without first seeking specific legal and/ or specialist advice. Our advice to our clients is as an insurance broker and is provided subject to specific terms and conditions, the terms of which take precedenc e over any representations in this document. No third party to whom this is passed can rely on it. We and our officers, employees or agents shall not be responsible for any loss whatsoever arising from the recipient’s reliance upon any information we provide herein and exclude liability for the content to fullest extent permitted by law. Should you require advice about your specific insurance arrangements or s pecific claim circumstances, please get in touch with your usual contact at Gallagher.

Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55 Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC108909. FP1220-2021 Exp. 20.09.2022 © 2021 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

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Educate |

Matt Hazelton Tells His Story

Hi Everyone!

After completing a talk for Training First Safety Ltd they have asked me to get involved in their TREND community and share my story….

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Matt Hazelton. I was the Director of a small groundworks company that had a fatal incident resulting in the death of 4 of our workforce. This included both of my brothers and 2 of my very good friends.

I think it goes without saying the incident caused a massive amount of heartache, sadness and was an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone. The experience, however, is something I now try to share to help people, hopefully supporting them to avoid going through the same thing. From a personal perspective, it is impossible to get everything down in one article. It would be really difficult to give even a small insight into the pain that you need to live through following a fatal incident. Having said that, from a business perspective it was ridiculously steep learning curve from start to finish.

With my brother – Dan – and good friend – Goody – we started our business from scratch. We were just 3 lads trying to make our young families lives better and give them the things we didn’t have growing up.

The time following the incident saw me dealing, not only, with being told the insurance company won’t cover me but also being arrested as both Hazegood Construction and Matthew Hazelton – thankfully by this point I had great legal representation. This is something I feel is missed by a lot of Directors – they don’t realise that even though you are a Limited Company they are still 2 legal entities: you and the business. There are so many young people out there, trying to start a business like I did and having the fancy title of “Director” does not always mean they are aware of the intricacies of insurance companies, and lawyers – I wasn’t!

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Educate |

Matt Hazelton Tells His Story

When the incident happened, I had no idea what was going to happen legally and to say it was harrowing was an understatement! If I could give any piece of advice to business owners out there it would be to make sure you know exactly where you stand with your roles and responsibilities as Director. I was not prepared to be interviewed by the police and the HSE, or to have all emails checked and verified, or my office to be stripped of the computers, or even having my phone signal used to determine we were on site as often as we said we were! This was all followed by a 3 year inquest which regularly forced me back into the moment of the incident. Evidence such as witness statements would be constantly reviewed to try and stop the back and forth of who was to blame. You are told that the whole process is about fact finding, but from my perspective they are just looking at who is going to take the blame. It is easy to underestimate the time scales of these processes and the effect this has on people involved; legally, emotionally and personally, the strain it puts on people is immense. Our particular court case took 6 years to get to court – my lad was 9 when the incident happened and by the time it got to court he was about to sit his first GCSEs.

I’m not writing this and sharing my story to put people off running their own businesses. I am really pleased to say that I LOVE construction again and am back running my own business again. I’m writing this to warn you of the risk on your site, and the implications of the trauma if something was to go wrong.

Now, I have a good culture within my workforce. I try to look after them as much as possible, and I really want them to enjoy what they do. I think this is proven by me not having a high staff turnover. I provide them all with as much training as possible, and I manage risk constantly. Saying that, we can possibly only be a split minute away from an incident and that is the harsh reality of what we do so please stay safe and live life to the max!

If anyone ever wants to speak to me, to ask for advice, or regarding my experience, please don’t hesitate to contact me on email: mhazelton@live.co.uk or find me on LinkedIn here.

I nearly lost my kids by letting everything get on top of me. If you are struggling through a difficult time—never be afraid to speak up!

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Nurture |

Managing Stress

What is Stress?

Stress is defined as “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances” Stress affects everyone differently and for some people it has very little or no effect on them at all.

To tackle and manage stress it is important that you first identify the triggers that cause it. This could be a multitude of things such as: Unachievable deadlines Troubled relationships at both home and work Lack of support Too big a workload A change in circumstances A global pandemic Shortage of finances Shortage of staff

11 million working days are lost each year in the UK to Stress

The list goes on.

Ignoring any of your stress triggers can, and will, lead to you burning out and what are you going to do then? Not very much probably.

Recognising stress in your colleagues and team is also important. You should be looking out for signs of: Social withdrawal Depression Anger Worry Lateness Increased time off Decreased productivity Lack of motivation Increased emotional reaction Employers have both a legal obligation to protect their employees not only physically, but emotionally too, and as humans we have a moral obligation to be looking out for and helping one another.

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Nurture |

Managing Stress

How Can Stress Be Managed?

Exercise

Eating Well

It’s no secret that exercise can help to combat stress levels, depression, and a magnitude of other mental & physical health conditions. It increases the level of endorphins your brain produces; this is what makes us feel good after exercising. It also helps to improve sleep which is often affected by high stress levels and, of course, it can help to relieve any pent-up aggression and bad feelings.

Eating well and exercise go hand in hand.

Fuel your body properly. The vitamins, minerals and nutrients in good food give us the energy we need to conquer day to day life. It’s proven that eating well and exercising regularly can help us with managing our emotions.

Digital Lifestyle In today’s life we are so wrapped up in the internet, our phones, Facebook, Instagram and so on! It certainly can’t be good for us when we are trying to manage our emotions and stress levels. There’s so much negativity out there, and it’s a complete distraction from what’s really going on around us. Disconnect - I dare you to disconnect from all forms of digital communication for at least one hour a day.

Frequent Breaks When the pressure is on at work; there’s deadlines to meet, reports to be handed in, staff off sick etc it’s so easy to try and power through for a solid 8 or 10 or 12 hours in an attempt to keep your head above water.

However, it is imperative you are taking frequent and adequate breaks. This is for 2 reasons: 1. It’ll actually make you work better and more productively 2. It gives you a chance to breathe.

Positive People Surround yourself with good vibes. Positive people make us feel positive. Engage more with people you enjoy interacting with; socialise, have fun, and most importantly get things off your chest. As they say – “It’s good to talk”

Now these few tips might be fairly obvious to you, but it’s amazing the number of people who do not do any of these things and suffer the consequences of extremely high levels of stress. Stress can lead to serious health conditions, so we need to be managing it.

Health in Mind

As previously mentioned, stress effects every single one of us differently, and so will the ways you manage it. What works for one person won’t work for another. It’s about finding out what’s best for you. You will need to consider what fits in with your lifestyle, where you live, your shift pattern, but there are so many fantastic resources out there to help. Here’s a few we quite like;

Mental Health UK

Give Us a Shout

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Nurture | How Regular Exercise & Movement Can Support Mindset in the Workplace At some point in our lives, we have all experienced a major slump and a lack of energy at work. Walking around or sitting at a desk looking like Churchill the nodding dog. This can be down to a few reasons but one of the biggest reasons is down to the lack of movement and regular exercise.

Regular exercise has many benefits, but the most notable ones are increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain and the release of endorphins - happy hormones - which make you feel more alert and full of energy during your working day.

Now I know what you're all thinking of a personal trainer getting you to exercise but exercise can be many things as it's not necessarily a run or a gym session lifting weights but the message is simple just MOVE more.

What is exercise?

- a walk - a jog - a swim - a cycle - a gym session It can literally be anything that will make you move more and elevate the heart rate and have you breathing a little bit faster, thus promoting blood flow and oxygen to the brain, releasing endorphins, making you feel more alert, energetic and productive.

Make sure whatever you do you choose to do it with a smile it has to be enjoyable it doesn’t need to be difficult because if it is enjoyable you will want to do it more frequently. The more frequently you do it the higher the reward will be.

You don’t have to do it every day, start small and work your way towards bigger and better things. Make sure it fits in with your lifestyle as there is no point in doing something that is meant to benefit your mindset in the workplace when it causes you stress because it's too difficult to keep up with. Consistency is key, being 80% perfect 7 days a week is better than 100% perfect 3-4 days per week.

If you are feeling more alert and productive at work due to regular exercise this will in turn have many benefits on your mindset such as, improved mental health, better job satisfaction and improved confidence within your job role and a happy boss.

Ask yourself this, if i was to offer you a tablet right now that would make you happier, healthier, more productive, energetic and a joy to be around would you take it?

You probably would, that's exactly why you should move more because MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE. I challenge everyone to go for a walk daily for one week for 10-20 minutes while listening to music or a podcast and come back and tell me they don’t feel better at the end of the week for doing so, I guarantee you’ll find it hard to come back and say you feel worse.

In fact I don’t challenge you, I dare you!

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Nurture TFS Director—Jenny McIntyre—has been working with Coached by Coyle this year to work on her own health & well being. Here’s her thoughts…

What has Jordan taught you about consistency?

Jordan has taught me that it is not about being perfect, it’s about being better than you were yesterday. I am learning to listen to my body and to manage my pace – I don’t need to go to gym and give 120% every time. Since working with this mindset, I have noticed I am experiencing less aches, pains and problems with my joints. As someone who did weightlifting for 8 years, I got to a point where I would dread going to the gym - not because I didn’t enjoy, but because of the pain that would come after a session. The biggest cause of this was my mindset. I couldn’t hold back and always had to feel like I was giving my all, otherwise what was the point? Jordan has taught me to give 100% to the overall process and just the session right in front of me. I am now focussing on the bigger picture of my overall health, not just here and now.

How has working with Jordan impacted your mindset at work?

Developing the mindset of working 100% towards the process has transformed my mindset at work.

Practising listening to my mind and body has now transferred into my work life. I better understand that needing and taking a break can be guilt free and allows me to continue growing the business.

We have also introduced short 30 minute training sessions in the morning that I have noticed makes a considerable difference to my day. On the days I do these sessions I am more alert, better focused and not as tired – even though I am up earlier LOL.

With Jordan, I am working towards acknowledging the importance of taking time for myself and the benefits of that.

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Develop |

Document and

Information Management in 2021 Times are tough for all businesses right now but hopefully we are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

One of the many things that has become apparent to even the smallest companies, is that the way we access our information is changing. Remote working, shared resources, task tracking, online collaboration with colleagues and customers. These were eventually going to be the way the world worked, the pandemic has just accelerated that change.

Most organisations have dipped their toe into cloud storage to allow staff to access files that would historically have been stored in the office and certainly Sharepoint can become the core of a very powerful document management system but not without considerable investment and development. Onedrive and Dropbox are more limited in their uses and are possibly more of a quick fix for the short term.

The solution for a lot of companies moving forward is a dedicated online document management system which can handle security, retention controls, workflows, automated data extraction and document creation, all within an “off the shelf” product that can be scaled as you grow. Some of these systems can provide numerous integrations with other core systems including digital signature systems to allow for end to end automation of a documents lifespan.

What’s more, for us the improvement in efficiency using this system has saved us recruiting two members of staff saving £40,000 annually in salaries.

It’s an interesting world now, and although change is inevitable it needn’t be scary.

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Introducing Robert Wilson…

Tell us a little bit about yourself..

My name is Robert Wilson and I was born in Glasgow but moved to Kilmarnock at the age of 3 and have recently turned 20 years old. I have a few hobbies; I enjoy playing and watching football my favourite team is Manchester City! Another hobby of mine is the gym as it helps me maintain a healthy lifestyle. I also really like go-karting because I find the competition addictive and thrilling. When am at home I do love to chill out and game on the PlayStation to pass the time with friends.

What do you do at Training First Safety?

At Training First Safety I help customers get the course they need for their business and help to ensure they get the best Health and Safety training we can offer. A big part of my work day includes taking care of existing clients and making sure everything they need health and safety wise is all up to date. As well as finding new clients building trust and delivering an outstanding service that I can accommodate to anyone. I always strive to make sure that my client and their team are qualified and competent in the workplace.

What do you enjoy about working at Training First Safety?

Working at Training First Safety I enjoy creating a great relationship with new and existing clients as this brings me vast amount of happiness. Also the team are immensely wonderful to work with as is the environment it’s really an incredibly rewarding place to work. I feel like everyone cares and is passionate at Training First Safety and really wants the best for everyone IT’S AMAZING!!

What has been your biggest achievement in your first few months at Training First Safety?

One of my biggest achievements while working at Training First Safety would be gaining more confidence calling and realising how important health and safety training really is. Doing all the e-learning courses has expanded my knowledge in a variety of subjects which is personally my favourite achievement. Also learning more about the industry is what I’m currently trying to achieve as the industry is always changing.

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Introducing Jake Jones…

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Hi! My name is Jake, I’m 21 years old and was born in Truro Cornwall. I am a huge movie buff and a motorcycle enthusiast. I spend most of my time chilling and messing around with my friends, although I do watch an unhealthy number of movies and study for my parapsychology doctorate. My hobbies include; fishing, watching movies, messing around with bikes, hanging about with friends, exploring cool places, and making doughnuts or pretzels.

What do you do at Training First Safety?

Here at Training First Safety, I deliver excellent customer care to all our clients and make sure they are all up to date on their Health and Safety Training. My typical workday includes finding new clients and taking care of my existing ones and of course making sure their working environment is always safe and their employees are always qualified and competent. I am also always chasing up those leads and learning about my clients so I can tailor make every experience for them.

What do you enjoy about working at Training First Safety?

I would say I enjoy the variety of clients I interact with and build a relationship with really brings me a lot of joy and of course I enjoy working with the team - they are great. I think here at Training First Safety it’s the environment that makes it such an enjoyable place to work, I think everyone really cares. Working at Training First Safety reminds me of this quote by Paulo Coelho: “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

What has been your biggest achievement in your first few months at Training First Safety?

I think my biggest achievement working here would have to be just learning about the industry and how important Health and Safety really is, as well as learning the system. Plus, the amount of e-learning I have done gives me a good sense of achievement. And of course, be able to handle the phone like a legend makes me feel like I have come along way and that absolutely gives me a sense of achievement.

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Carly’s Corner

Hey Everyone!

It’s been 6 months since I’ve been at Training First Safety and looking back to April until now is just crazy. Not only has my confidence grown massively but I have learned so much about an industry I used to have very little knowledge of. It’s been an amazing journey and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Jenny and Sally have made me feel welcome since the minute I stepped through the doors at Training First Safety. They have been extremely helpful and trained me to be more independent and confident as that was 2 of the things I really wanted to work on.

Jake and Robert have just recently started with us in August so it’s been really good getting to know both of them. Since the boys started Sally and I have been in our new office just next door which has been great as I have learned to work more independently whilst Jenny was training the boys.

I have taken on various Key Responsibilities within my role as Administrator and looking back when I first started until now, I feel confident to be able to be doing my tasks by myself.

The 3 tasks that are most important within my role are Certificates, Weekly Reporting and Supplier Research. When I look back to April when I first started to do all these tasks, I had no idea how to do any of them or why they were so important. Now, in September, I can confidently say that I fully understand the processes of each of these tasks and how to do them properly. It’s crazy how much I have improved within the past 5 months.

A couple of months ago, Jenny first gave me the additional responsibility to manage our social media. I was really excited as I love social media and I really enjoy being able to put out content for the team on our various social media pages. It allows me to not only connect with those who engage with our posts but it also allows me to learn more about that specific topic I’m talking about. This is one of my favourite tasks.

I love learning new things and developing new skills and I feel like ever since I started back in April I have definitely achieved that, there’s so much to learn within the industry that we are in and what we do as part of our job is extremely important. These past 6 months have been amazing, I genuinely have improved with my confidence as well as being more independent, it’s been an overall great experience.

Speak soon,

Carly McCleary | Administrator 19

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Dates for Your Diary in 2021...

October 21st October 2021: Climate Change; Opportunities for the OSH Professional

28th October 2021: A Duty Holders Guide to PAT Testing

November 4th November 2021: The Top Tips for Simplifying Your Safety Culture

9th November 2021: The Directors Guide to Minimising Information Management Risks

18th November 2021: Machinery Safety

December 6th December 2021: How To Build Human Performance

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