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WELCOME! Hi Everyone, I hope you are well. I’m pleased to share with you all our latest edition of TREND (Train, Research, Educate, Nurture, Develop). We’ve got some great articles for you, written by industry experts from all over the UK. This issue we look at topics such as CPCS, NPORS, Working from home, Time, PPE for women as well as access to further reading a resources to help make sure you’re on track with your Health an Safety requirements. Last year 142 workers were killed at work, 850,000 workers suffered from a new case of work related illhealth and 51,211 workers suffered non-fatal injuries that were reported under RIDDOR. These numbers are high and we want to use TREND to raise awareness of these issues and provoke more change throughout the industry to ensure workers get home safely each day. Safety will always be our driving force and this season we’ve been working at pace with our customers to help them step ahead with their training requirements. From Inverness to Cornwall our instructors have been onsite delivering IPAF, Pasma, Power Tools, Site Safety Plus, First Aid and Confined Space training to many of our customers and the feedback has been fantastic.

“Well set up by the team at Training First Safety as usual. Our Trainer Martin was very experienced and knowledgeable with all the latest updates for the course. Excellent service!!” A full listed of courses we can help with can be found on our website – www.trainingfirstsafety.co.uk where you will also be able to find past issues of TREND and more about who we are and what we do. As always, a big thank you to our writers for taking the time to share with us some of their knowledge and opinions on workplace health, safety and well-being. Take care,

Jenny McIntyre | Managing Director 2

IN TREND THIS SEASON. Welcome from TFS

NVQs/SVQs

CPCS v NPORS

Women and PPE

Time

Changes to PPE Legislation

NEBOSH release new course

P10

Working From Home

P11

Creating a positive health and safety culture

P13

Jake Jones—his journey with TFS

P15

Meet the team (not one to miss)

P17

What’s been happening at TFS

P18

Dates for your diary

P19

Train CPCS v NPORS Where does it start? Typically, in constructions, plant refers to heavy work machinery and equipment such s; telehandlers, cranes and excavators. Plant operations fall under The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). These regulations place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over work equipment. PUWER also places responsibilities on businesses and organisations whose employees use work equipment, whether owned by them or not. PUWER requires that equipment provided for use at work is: • suitable for the intended use • safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate • used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training • accompanied by suitable health and safety measures, such as protective devices and controls. These will normally include guarding, emergency stop devices, adequate means of isolation from sources of energy, clearly visible markings and warning devices used in accordance with specific requirements, for mobile work equipment and power presses Some work equipment is subject to other health and safety legislation in addition to PUWER. For example, lifting equipment must also meet the requirements of LOLER, pressure equipment must meet the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations and personal protective equipment must meet the PPE Regulations. When it comes to information, instruction and training there are a few options, however, predominantly the focus is around both CPC & NPORS. NPORS NPORS, also known as National Plant Operators Registration Scheme, was founded back in 1992, it’s one of the UK’s leading accrediting bodies. Back in 2014, NPORS became a UKCG accepted record scheme which means it is recognised as being the equivalent to CPCS. CPCS CPCS, also known as Construction Plant Competence Scheme was launched back in 2003. It is owned by a group called NOCN which stands for National Open College Network, they are one of the largest awarding organisations within the construction industry. Both awarding bodies regulate training and testing for operators on plant machinery and it’s a common debate as to which is the better option for workers.

Train CPCS V NPORS Both bodies offer 2 main card types; Trained operator (Red Card) To achieve this, you must; Pass the CITB HS&E (Health, Safety and Environment) Test Pass the relevant Theory Test within 2 years of passing the CITB HS&E Test Pass the relevant Practical Test within 2 years of passing the CITB HS&E Test as well as within 6 months of passing the relevant Theory Test You will then be given your red Trained Operator Card which is valid for 2 years. Depending on a delegate’s level of experience they have 2 options here; Training and testing (number of days training is dependant of machine type) Testing only Competent operator (Blue Card) To achieve this you must; Pass the CITB HS&E (Health, Safety and Environment) Test Pass the relevant Theory Test within 2 years of passing the CITB HS&E Test Pass the relevant Practical Test within 2 years of passing the CITB HS&E Test as well as within 6 months of passing the relevant Theory Test (This is generally a Plant Operations VQ) You will then be able to apply for your blue Competent Operator Card which is valid for 5 years. Is there a difference? On the face of it, no. While CPCS is far more accepted on alot of the major sites across the UK it can also be considerably more expensive, particularly if you are training more than one delegate. What people maybe don’t realise is that in 2014 NPORS became a UKCG accepted record scheme. Which means it is recognised to be the same standard as CPCS. Generally CPCS training/testing must be carried out a registered CPCS test centre (there are a few exceptions to the rule), however, with NPORS if you have the facility to carry out the training/testing onsite it can work out to be substantially more cost-effective when training a group of delegates. For more information on both CPCS & NPORS; CPCS Website – https://www.nocnjobcards.org/CPCS/ NPORS Website – https://npors.com/ Training First Safety Website – https://trainingfirstsafety.co.uk/

Train SVQ/NVQs Explained If you hold a CPCS or NPORS (Red) Trained Operator card, you must complete a related S/NVQ before the expiry of your (Red) Trained Operator card. The completion of the related S/NVQ is a mandatory requirement in order to obtain and progress to the (Blue) Competent Operator card for CPCS and NPORS. Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are based upon national standards and provide evidence that learners can do their jobs well. Studied in the workplace, in college or with training providers, SVQs are available in many subject areas.

An SVQ is a certificate of vocational education in Scotland and available to people of all ages. SVQs are developed by Sector Skills Councils, in partnership with industry and awarding bodies and are made up of units derived from National Occupational Standards (NOS).

The benefits of offering SVQs to your employees are: • • • •

Improve staff morale and make colleagues feel valued- in turn helping to retain staff Increase the quality of service as colleagues increase their knowledge Give colleagues a sense of recognition for their work They provide an opportunity for your staff to develop and access qualifications based on experiences and skill levels

Train SVQ/NVQs Explained What are the benefits to students in choosing an SVQ? • • •

Gain a qualification while you work Learn a range of skills and gain more knowledge to help you in your role and potentially help you progress your career Learning while you work means you can instantly apply the theory you learn in your course to your role, making the course interesting and relevant

How do I change my red CPCS card to blue? Red cards are only valid for 2 years. Therefore, most workers will look to upgrade their red card to a CPCS blue card as soon as they can. To do this, learners need to have completed their NVQ, CITB HS&E course (within the past 2 years) and hold a red card which is within 12 months of its expiry.

Research The Importance of PPE for women Many people think of PPE as being mainly hard hats, gloves and boots. However PPE encompasses a wide range of equipment and clothing. For women working within environments where they need to wear PPE to protect themselves, there has been long term debates over the suitability of some forms of protective equipment for them. It may be unsurprising to read that most PPE is based on the characteristics and sizing of European and American males and because of this there are fundamental flaws when it comes to protecting female employees. •

Respiratory Protective Equipment – There tends to be great differences in the facial structures and sizes between men and women. This means that masks are not likely to fit a female face in the same way they will fit a male and therefore result in reduced protection.

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Stab Proof Vests – Designed for the average male torso, these vests do not take into account the different shape of a woman’s torso and the difference in chest, waist and hip measurements to men. This ill fitting PPE can not only be uncomfortable but also will be less protective

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Work Boots – Typically, men’s’ feet tend to be longer and also wider than women’s’ This means that even by offering smaller sizes, work boots may not fit properly due to the width.

Studies have shown that around 57% of women say that PPE has hampered their ability to carry out their work. Within the emergency services sector, it is even more concerning with around 95% of women finding that their PPE has hampered their work at some point or another. Badly fitting PPE not only puts women’s at risk during their job, but the PPE can actually inflict injuries to the individual. This can include but is not limited to: blisters, sores and bruises. Employers have a responsibility and duty of care to ensure that all of their employees are safe at work, regardless of their gender. Employers should thoroughly research PPE for both genders and ensure for each item there are a wide range of sizes available for both genders. It is highly recommended to conduct a survey amongst female employees within the workplace to identify where the main issues lie. This research should be repeated after the implementation of PPE for women to analyse its effectiveness.

Educate Time We’re all working to deadlines these days and whether it’s getting our payroll submissions done, completing month end, or year end reports or even catching the last train home, somehow, we have to meet them all. Having been offered the privilege of writing a piece for TREND by Jake at Training First Safety back in January, I was mortified to have received an email this week enquiring about how my piece was coming along – I hadn’t started work on it. Worst still, I hadn’t decided on one specific subject to write about. Reflecting on the months that have flown by since New Year got me thinking about time and, how we use it. I’d seen on TV recently, a programme where the Physicist, Brian Cox explained how Time hasn’t changed for 13 million years….and, how it’s not likely to change again very soon. Surely 13 million years and a pandemic, where our use of time – for some of us getting back the hours usually spent commuting to work - is enough (time) for us to ‘get our heads’ around the concept? Not so it seems. We’ve heard lots of theories about time management, the Pareto Principle for one. Working in L&D I’m constantly encouraging Teams to include development, upskilling and delegation into their working. This, with a view to avoid continuous ‘firefighting’, to motivate and empower individuals, and to make workloads more evenly manageable…..all expected to save time. On reflection, I recognise that we always manage to make time for the things we want to do, choose to do. We’re not managing time, we’re managing ourselves.

When the dinosaurs were alive, there were 370 days in a year. The Earth's spin is getting slower because the moon's gravity is acting as a drag, so days are getting longer, by about 1.7 milliseconds per centu-

Educate Time To this end, I thought I would share with fellow TREND readers the principles I’m following from now on to make the most of this finite commodity. Get planning: Most of us use some kind of device with a calendar that will send us alerts. Take the time to plan effectively; choosing specific and realistic timeframes and timeslots. Find the value of everything: Viewing all activities as valuable and worthwhile means that we will devote time to them instead of putting them off because we don’t really see the point.

Rome wasn’t built in a day: Breaking down each step towards overall completion of a project is very satisfying. Take the time to identify which steps can be completed and how long you’ll need for each step. You can always return to add, improve or perfect by planning a subsequent timeslot. Stick to it!: Trust your planning. If you have allocated 2 hours stick to it! Overrunning means that time will be lost on your other plans. It’s limited remember? The number of hours in your day is fixed and it’s not changing any time soon. Be kind: Include some time for you in your plans; to do something that you enjoy or choose for yourself. It is very satisfying and helps to reduce stress. By the way, it has take around 2 minutes of your life (time) to read this.

Nancy Devalencia—Learning & Development Manager

Educate Changes to PPE Legislation On 6th April 2022 the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (PPER 2022) came into force and amend the 1992 Regulations (PPER 1992). They extend employers’ and employees’ duties regarding personal protective equipment o limb (b) workers (dependant contractors) Under PPER 2022, the types of duties and responsibilities on employers and employees under PPER 1992 will remain unchanged but will extend to limb (b) workers, as defined in PPER 2022. If PPE is required, employers must ensure their workers have sufficient information, instruction and training on the use of PPE. A limb (b) worker will have the duty to use the appropriate PPE in accordance with their training and instruction, and ensure it is returned to the storage area provided by their employer. The HSE have published the following guidance to help employers with the new changes; •

Personal protective equipment at work (L25) - https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ books/l25.htm

•

Risk at work - personal protective equipment (PPE) - https://www.hse.gov.uk/ ppe/ppe-regulations-2022.htm

Educate New NEBOSH & IIRSM Certificate The NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk can help you be better equipped to identify, evaluate, communicate, and act on risk. This qualification is initially available via eLearning only, which means you can complete your studies at a time, place, and pace convenient to you. A classroom option will be available later in the year. Studying this qualification will help you: • Analyse the environment in which your organisation operates, identifying potential risks and opportunities and their impact on your objectives. • Master the essential principles of risk and risk management and their link to decision-making. •

Having the right and timely conversations about risk with different stakeholders.

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Appreciate the relationship between psychology and decision-making.

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Understand the risk management process and framework based on ISO 31000.

• Appreciate the positive role risk management plays in strategy development, business planning and achievement of objectives. •

Understand the vital role of people and culture.

Appreciate the importance of an integrated approach to risk management. The qualification is made up of three elements and is based on the principles of the global risk management standard, ISO 31000. Element 1 - Principles of risk and risk management Element 2 - The risk management process Element 3 - The risk management framework

The relationship between risk management, business continuity, crisis management and organisational resilience This qualification is initially available via eLearning only, howevera classroom option will be available later in the year!

Nurture Working From Home - How Do We Switch Off? Since March 2020, many more people have been WFH. However, some are now finding it increasingly difficult to “switch off” at the end of the working day. WFH isn’t a new idea but, historically, the majority of us worked “on site” - in a factory or office or set location where there were clearly defined start and stop times (for example, the proverbial “9 to 5”).

When the pandemic hit, however, many more of us were obliged to WFH and it has now become clear that there are “stressors” associated with this. According to research in America, since the start of the pandemic in 2020, 51.5% of people who were now working from home reported being more stressed. 21.5% said they were less stressed, while 27% reported no change. People WFH also reported experiencing a kind of “blurry” situation when it came to switching off at the end of the working day (whatever that looked like). One newspaper article stated that people WFH actually work 2 hours more a day than they would if they worked in a set location, viz. an extra 10 hours a week. Think about this. If we were used to working on site until 5pm, for example, we’d leave work to catch the bus or drive home. We had a “routine” if you like. But we don’t have that same routine when WFH - which can be one of the biggest challenges to switching off at the end of our working day. We might also “forget” where we actually are and think to ourselves, “Right, uhm, I’ve finished my work so I’m going home now. But wait a minute. I am home.” Therefore, we can have a sort of mental “blip” which inhibits our ability to switch off (and which might also lead to us working these 2 “extra” hours!).

Nurture What can we do about all this? One important ‘tactic’ at the end of the working day at home is simply to stop and “unplug” ourselves from our devices. Put the mobile down. Switch off the laptop or computer. Or whatever else “work” involves. We’ve finished work. After all, we’d be doing these things if we were on site. We also have to be disciplined about deciding, “Right I’ve finished work (at, for example, 5pm) and I’m now going to do what I’d normally have done previously” (like getting some relaxation, exercise, fresh air, fun with friends, or whatever). WFH can have many advantages. However, setting up a WFH “process” will help us make this even better, especially when we know how and when to “switch off”. To sum up …. Implement a “routine”. Stick to a start and finish time. Take regular breaks. Close down devices at the end of the working day. STOP. SWITCH OFF. And then …. relax. Which is basically exactly what we would have done before we started WFH!

Nurture Creating a Positive Safety Culture The Health & Safety Culture within your organisation can and will have an enormous impact on the safety outcomes & accident rates in your workplace. High levels of accident rates within your organisation can have a detrimental effect on the productivity, efficiency and profitability of the business and that’s why it is vital that a positive Health & Safety culture is always promoted. In theory promoting a positive culture is simple, in reality – not always the case. So, what can you do to ensure employees are engaged in building and maintaining a safe working environment; It all starts from the top Without the commitment of management and senior management your safety culture is doomed to fail. Employees who feel that their managers and superiors care about them and their welfare will always work better and are more likely to follow the policies and procedures that you are enforcing. Involve your team Communication is key. If employees know and understand what’s going on in their workplace then they are way more likely to respond well to it. If they understand why it is they have to do something, or follow a certain rule then it is more likely it will be adhered to. Employees who feel like part of something or part of a team feel more appreciated and more motivated to do well. Get trained up Investing in training your employees has a number of benefits. If they see you investing in them, then they are more likely to invest in you. Again, it shows you care about their safety and well-being. It also helps with building an understanding of workplace hazards, what to be looking out for, safe systems of work, why it is important to follow procedures and so on.

Nurture Be approachable You want employees to be reporting issues and hazards, they are the ones on the front line and will likely be identifying these issues first and foremost. If they don’t feel comfortable approaching you it’s likely you won’t know what’s wrong until an accident has happened. Every workplace is different and will have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to safety. What’s important is that you are keeping on top of it and always working to improve it. It costs nothing to show your team you care. Training yes, that will cost you, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

Further reading; https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/inspect/mast/safetychecklist.htm https://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/topics/common4.pdf https://www.iosh.com/media/1548/safety-culture-advice-and-performance-summary-report.pdf And as always, for any training advice get in touch with our team today.

Develop My time with TFS and my overall experience so far… My name is Jake and I’m a training coordinator for Training First Safety. Although my time with training first safety has been short, I will nevertheless share with you this most excellent adventure that it has been working at TFS for 7 months.

Carpe diem Seize the day. The words that come to mind when I reflect on my time at TFS. 7 months ago, when I was lucky enough to score an interview with TFS I came in only knowing what I had seen on the website and what my work coach had told me, I can say this didn’t prepare me for interview. As soon as I walked in the doors I was met with energy and excitement from jenny talking about her company and what TFS does, I had already been to 2 interviews the previous day and I was caught off guard by the energy and vibes. The interview was different from the normal beige monotone corporate interviews that I had been previously exposed to. This was the job I wanted.

The First Week Beginning mid-August my first week at TFS was a shock to me, as soon as I got to meet the team, I could already see that TFS was wildly different from any other company. I think what struck me first was everyone’s genuine passion for what they do and how great the team interacts with each other. The first week was just learning the basics and trying to remember everyone’s name, I started doing some general cold calling and E-Learning. It was still very early days at this point, and I was still finding my feet. Littered in between the cold calling and E-Learning was Training sessions utilizing our handy course bible, this helped me immensely to understand what we offer and how important Health and Safety Training really is. but honestly the first week at TFS really had a profound effect on me, I thought to myself could I really work a 9 – 5 and be happy? The answer is – as long as I’m working with the Training First Safety crew I can!

Develop Closing Statement Working at Training First Safety has been an absolute privilege so far, being able to work with the best and brightest in the training industry has given me an overwhelming sense of pride to be a part of this adventure. Working under the supervision of the Managing Director Jenny, this has exposed me to a truly fantastic working environment where everyone’s voice is heard, and everyone has the opportunity and is encouraged to be who they are and improve on themselves. Working with the team has been an absolute pleasure, somedays it feels like we could take over the world! I often think to myself there must have been a perfect series of random events that has led me to working at TFS. I’m so glad I turned up for the interview!

Peace out TREND Readers!

What’s been happening at TFS…

After countless hours, days, weeks, months of refurbishing our new premises, we are finally in and our new training room is set up and ready to welcome you all. Our new training centre based in Kilmarnock is already up and running delivering a magnitude of courses including Face Fit Train the Tester, Work at Height, First Aid and so much more, and know what, we couldn't be happier. This has been our focus for quite some time now, so to be in and settled is really quite surreal. Last week was the installation of our 65” Phillips Interactive Meeting Display Screen, allowing for wireless screen sharing, video conferencing, presentations and more all at the touch of a button. Here’s to this new chapter!

New Partnership Announcement Northern Piling Ltd and Training First Safety have now joined forces to provide their team with a bespoke learning package, here’s what they had to say; Here at Northern Piling we are proud to announce our partnership with Training First Safety. The safety of our team will always be our driving force. We recognise the importance of our employees having the right skills, experience and knowledge in order to not only meet industry standards but exceed them. Training plays a key part in our company’s future and that’s why we’ve partnered with Training First Safety – a UK wide Health and Safety Training specialist working to make it easy for businesses to Commit, Engage and Invest in the safety culture of their workplace. Our strategic partnership with Training First Safety enables us to be proactive with our training needs and requirements to help keep us and keep providing the best service for our clients and also keeping our staff safe. Training First are now providing us with bespoke tailored training courses for the piling industry .

NPL Testimonial Bill Mitchell MD

“We are very excited to become partners with training first. We have used Training first for a few years now, the service and advise we receive is always the highest standard. What we love about training first is they pro-

vide our staff a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment to learn, grow and succeed. We want to work together to ensure our staff have the highest level of training to provide our clients with the highest level of quality”

Dates for Your Diary in 2022... UK Construction Week 2022 – ExCel, London 3rd – 5th May 2022 The UK Concrete Show – NEC, Birmingham 5th – 6th May 2022

FIT Show – NEC, Birmingham 10th – 12th May 2022 UK Construction Week 2022 – NEC, Birmingham 4th – 6th October 2022 PHEX Manchester – Central Center, Manchester 5th – 6th October 2022 Highways UK – NEC, Birmingham 2nd – 3rd November

London Build Expo 16th – 17th November 2022