Comply at work january 2014

Comply at Work

safety snippets&

business bytes

January 2014

Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503

Great Start to 2014 P3

Training Courses P4

Emergency First Aid Course P5

FREE Technical Update Courses P7

Is 2014 Your Year? P9

Musculoskeletal Disorders P11

7 Deadly Sins of Customer Service P12

Forgotten Millions P13

Spotlight on... P14

P2 | Safety Snippets Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Comply at Work

Great start to 2014 !

Safety Snippets | P3 e-mail [email protected] www.complyatwork.co.uk

Our Director, Sue Scott has just been awar-ded Fellowship of the International Institu-te of Risk and Safety Management.

A Great Start to 2014!


Safety

Snippets

Fire Warden Training

Wednesday 26 February 3 hour (half day) course

Certificate of Attendance issued Time TBC

Short Awareness Courses:

‘Pix n Mix’

Friday 7 March

Manual Handling Awareness 1 pm

Asbestos Awareness 2.45 pm

Certificates of Attendance issued

Food Safety Level 2

Date TBC

Comply at Work


Comply at Work

One day emergency first aid course

Accredited to level 2

Wednesday 2nd April 2014

Call us now for details!

Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503

Free manual and id card

Hse approved and certificated

Competitive price just £85 +vat

Please let us know if you have any dietary,

access or learning requirements


Safety

Snippets

H&S POLICYQ&A - does our policy have to be updated?Q. We’ve been told that our health and safety policy has to be updated every twelve months and the ideal time to do this is January. Is this really necessary?

A. Ideally, your policy should be reviewed every twelve months. However, there’s no reason that it has to be done in January. There’s no need to completely re-write your documents. If you think that they accurately reflect your business, just re-sign and date them.

Ideally, health and safety policy documents should be reviewed every twelve months. However, there’s no reason why this has to be completed in January. If your policy still accurately reflects your business, just re-sign and date it.

e-mail [email protected] www.complyatwork.co.uk

Comply at Work

NEW!! FREE Technical Updates

Safety Snippets | P7

As a new service to our clients, etc. in 2014, Comply at Work is presenting a series of free Technical Updates on topical subjects by specialist practitioners. These will take the form of a talk lasting just over an hour, followed by a question and answer session. The venue is our training suite at Compliance House, 5 Mason St, Horwich BL6 5QP. The number of participants will be limited to 15, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

The first of these will be on Wednesday 12th February 2014, when the subject will be Flammable Chemicals given by Dr. Roger K. Bentley, CFIOSH. He will summarise the changes recently made by the HSE to the Approved Code of Practice and guidance on the Dangerous Substances and Flammable Atmospheres Regulations. So if your company uses or stores flammable solvents or gases, including aerosols with flammable propellant, then come along for a start at 4pm, but do reserve your place in advance.

We have provisionally scheduled a second event on Wednesday 12th March 2014 again commencing 4pm, when Dr Bentley will give a presentation this time on Hazardous Chemicals, so if you want some free advice on “COSHH assessments” this will be an ideal opportunity.

Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis and these free sessions are bound to be popular, so if you would like to book, please contact Comply at Work, preferably by e-mail, as soon as possible with delegate names.

Refreshments will be provided and Certificates of attendance issued for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) purposes.


Safety

Snippets

Risk factorsVarious risk factors are thought to be associated with MSDs, including:

• repetitive and/or heavy lifting

• bending and twisting

• repeating an action too frequently

• uncomfortable working position

• exerting too much force

• working too long without break

• adverse working environment (eg hot or cold)

• psychosocial factors (eg high job demands, time pressures and lack of control)

• not receiving and acting on reports of symptoms quickly enough

Comply at Work can offer risk assessment and training on this important topic which can affect all sectors. If you require any help or advice, pleased do get in touch. The earlier the intervention, the better.


Comply at Work

Musculoskeletal disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are conditions that affect the nerves, tendons, muscles and supporting structures, such as the discs in your back. They result from one or more of these tissues having to work harder than they’re designed to.

HSE figures show that in Great Britain:

• an estimated 439,000 workers in 2011/12 suffered from musculoskeletal disorders caused or made worse by their current or past work. Approximately 176,000 of these workers suffered from bad back, approximately 177,000 from problems related to upper limbs and neck and approximately 86,000 with lower limb problems

• an estimated 7.5 million working days were lost in 2011/12 through work-related musculoskeletal disorders that were caused or made worse by work

• on average, each person suffering took an estimated 17 days off in 2011/12

HSE data on the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders by occupation suggest that the rates were statistically significantly higher in skilled agricultural trades, health and social welfare associate professionals, and skilled construction and building trades.

Self-reported musculoskeletal disorders by industry estimate statistically significantly higher rates in construction, other community, social and personal service activities, and health and social work. The lowest rates of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders by industry include hotels and restaurants, and education.

Symptoms of back pain

NHS Direct explains that ‘The symptom of low back pain is a pain or ache anywhere on the back, in between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs. The majority of cases of back pain usually clear up quite quickly. However, if you are worried or concerned about back pain, seek medical advice.’ Find out more at NHS Direct.

Symptoms of upper limb disorders

Pain is the most common symptom. Sometimes the sufferer also has joint stiffness, muscle tightness, redness and swelling of the affected area. Some people experience ‘pins and needles’, numbness, skin colour changes, and decreased sweating of the hands. MSDs may progress in stages from mild to severe.

Early stageAching and tiredness of the affected limb occur during the work shift but disappear at night and during days off work. No reduction of work performance.

Intermediate stageAching and tiredness occur early in the work shift and persist at night. May also have reduced capacity for repetitive work.

Late stageAching, fatigue and weakness persist at rest. Inability to sleep and to perform light duties.

Not everyone goes through these stages in the same way. In fact, it may be difficult to say exactly when one stage ends and the next begins. The first pain is a signal that the muscles and tendons should rest and recover. As soon as people recognise that they have a symptom, they should immediately do something about it.

Find out more here: HSE

P10 | Business Bytes Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Business

Bytes

Image courtesy of jscreationzs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Business Bytes | P11 e-mail [email protected] www.complyatwork.co.uk

Comply at Work

Is 2014 your year to get organised to win?

NEED HELP SEPARATING BUSYNESS FROM BUSINESS?

According to government figures, 20% of start-up companies will fail in their first 12 months whilst 50% will exist for just three years. So why do so many small businesses fail?

According to Michael E Gerber, author of ‘E-Myth Revisited - Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It,’ it’s because business owners understand the ‘technical’ work of a business but not how that business needs to do that technical work to succeed. Unfortunately being an expert in the technicalities of a business does not necessarily qualify you to run a business carrying out that work!

In the early days, ad hoc activities that have evolved in response to customer demands often suffice but, as companies grow and more staff are employed, processes need to be specifically designed (and communicated!) to underpin a company’s growth.

The same goes for more mature companies too. Times change and, to remain efficient, company processes should be reviewed at least as often as your company targets, especially if you are seeing frequent errors or delays in a particular area.

In a world where it is becoming easier and quicker to replicate products and services, organisations also need to stand out from the crowd in the way they do business. This not only means the way that companies interact with their customers but how they partner with their suppliers to strengthen their foothold in their specific market.

Larger blue chip companies have been doing what they call ‘Process Improvement’ and ‘Customer & Supplier Integration’ for many years and there’s no reason why smaller organisations shouldn’t be following their lead and reaping the benefits too.

Business Process Improvement and Integration projects can range from quick wins to long term transformational programmes and if your business has fewer than 250 employees you may be eligible for match-funding to finance the changes required to fuel your business’ growth.

Lisa Weston at ORGANISE-TO-WIN LIMITED is offering a limited number of FREE MINI BUSINESS PROCESS REVIEWS with no obligation to businesses in the Manchester and Lancashire area.

If you’re the Director/Owner of a local business with three or more employees, simply email your company contact details to [email protected] explaining why your company needs help separating busyness from business by 3rd February 2014.

In addition, you can visit www.organise-to-win.co.uk for inspiration and a host of organising tips, as well as joining their conversation on Twitter by following @OrganiseToWin.

P12 | Business Bytes Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Business

Bytes

7 Deadly sins of customer service

1) Saying ‘It’s company policy’ When was the last time you heard this phrase and thought, ‘You know what, you’re right?’ I’m guessing never. So don’t ever say it! Using the phrase ‘Company policy’ tells your customer that you can’t be bothered to find a solution that will help them. 2) Saying you’ll take a minute and then taking five Customers appreciate honesty. More often than not, they will accept the challenges you experience and will be patient so long as you’re up front with them. 3) Not following up A guaranteed way to lose interest. What did they think of your service/ product/ idea? What was good? What could have been better? 4) Thinking all customers are the same They aren’t. Some customers will love you and say nothing. But some will hate you and tell everyone. And some will disappear without you even realising it. 5) Being unintentionally rude This is a tough one. Customers are sensitive, particularly when they’re new to your organisation. Chatting with your pals while customers are present is a massive challenge especially in hospitality and retail. 6) Thinking they are happy Most customers won’t tell you if they are unhappy. They’ll just stop buying and they’ll tell their colleagues (plus anyone else with ears) about their poor experience. Anyone but you. Beware the Silent Customer! 7) Misunderstanding the importance of customer service Customer service is often seen as an afterthought - something you do to get out of trouble. 2014 will be a massive year for customer service as consumers start to spend more and expect better levels of service.

Do any of these sound familiar? Would you like

your organisation to raise their game? We can provide Customer Service training sessions at our new training suite or on your premises.

Please get in touch to see how we can help and make 2014 YOUR year for business!

Source: Michael Heppell

Business Bytes | P13 e-mail [email protected] www.complyatwork.co.uk

A recent survey has found that SMEs could be losing up to £3.7 billion by failing to raise invoices. What controls can you put in place to help prevent this?

The survey, carried out by business and finance software provider Exact, found that 20% of SMEs admit to having forgotten to invoice for goods or services at least once. While in 50% of cases the amount was under £1,000, 12% said they had not invoiced for a job worth between £5,000 and £10,000, and 6% for more than £10,000. Exact says the implication for the UK’s 4.8 million SMEs is that they are collectively out of pocket by as much as £3.7 billion. What can you do to ensure your company is invoicing for every job?

Tip 1. Review. Carry out a review of your company’s sales system to ensure it has suitable controls in place to reduce the risk of goods or services being provided without being invoiced for. The simplest way to do this would be to create a flowchart showing each stage in the process, from initial sales enquiry through to sending out the invoice.

Tip 2. Goods. Ensure that a sales order is created as soon as an order is received from customers. These should be pre-numbered so that it’s easy to track which sales order numbers didn’t make it to the invoicing department (or clerk). One copy of the sales order should be sent to the customer, one to the shipping department, one to invoicing and one to file. Once the order has been dispatched, shipping should pass a dispatch note (which should quote the sales order number) to invoicing. Invoicing should then match this with the pre-numbered sales order and raise an invoice. Have a procedure to regularly follow up on any unmatched sales orders to ensure that a shipment hasn’t gone out without a corresponding invoice being issued.

Tip 3. Services. If the sum invoiced is based on the amount of time spent on a job, then the key is to ensure that the invoicing system takes all the time spent into account. One way to do this is to require all fee earners to complete computerised daily timesheets, allocating their time between the various jobs, which automatically link to a work-in-progress (WIP) report. This report should then be reviewed at least monthly to ensure that all jobs with time spent have been billed.

Forgotten invoices cost SMEs billions

Ensure that you’re using pre-numbered sales orders which can be matched to invoices or, for services, use timesheets and review the WIP report monthly. Source: Tipmail

Some of the projects we have been involved with this month are:

● Assisting the RSPCA in a Health and Safety Audit and Fire risk Assessment

● Assisting a large High School with Auditing

● CHAS and Safe – Contractor applications for several construction companies

● DSE workstation Assessments for 7 Stars, the UK’s largest independent media agency, based in London

● Assisting JCW Group with safe systems of work for machines in production, COSHH sampling and assessment

● Delivering the full First Aid 3 –day training course to all BounceBack Safety Surface’s operatives achieving 100% pass rate

● Delivering Manual Handling and Asbestos Awareness courses to several clients in the Construction sectors

● Delivering a Free taster session on Personal Resilience with excellent feedback – watch out for a further session coming soon!

Comply at Work

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Comply at work january 2014