Quarrying is one of the most dangerous industries to work in and since the new millennium, more than 2,700 workers have sufferred RIDDOR reportable injuries. 

21 of those were fatal! 

The main causes continue to be:

• Manual Handling
• Slips & Falls
• Transport
• Falls From Height

An examination supports the widely accepted fact that over 90% of workplace injuries are as a result of workers’ unsafe behaviours i.e

• Not cleaning areas, not removing trip hazards, not carrying a load correctly, not manoeuvring vehicles with care, not following correct procedures for access and egress or pedestrian routes and 1 way traffic systems.
• Flooring issues that people may associate with condition rather than behaviour can be traced back to people ignoring the issue.
• Incorrect use of access and fall arrest equipment.

Behavioural safety can tackle these issues and make your workplace a safer environment, making you a more efficient and insurable business.

At Proaktive we are unique in our approach to risk management and providing a link with sustainable insurance costs, leaving you free to do what you do best!

For more information please visit our website www.proaktive.co.uk or give me a call 01302 346814.

ProAktive are raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Department at the Ryegate Centre in Sheffield, part of the Children’s Hospitals Charity, who have been a great support for the family of one of our colleagues.

Are you visiting the Lakeside Centre to shop or do you live/work locally? For just £5 per car ProAktive staff are giving up their lunchtime on 24th May 2012 between 11am and 2pm to wash your car ready for the weekend

If you would like your car washing please email RachelWhiteley@proaktive.co.uk to book you in as spaces are limited.

All proceeds will go directly to the Ryegate Centre

After hearing many horror stories in relation to obtaining listed building planning consent, we decided to keep an open mind when we met with the planner and conservation officer on site to discuss our plans.  Our architect was also there (he has many years experience dealing in similar projects) so we left most of the talking to him.  Both the planner and conservation officer were really interested in the property and seemed pleased that we are in fact saving a building which would otherwise most probably collapse in the not too distance future!  We are not looking to change the character of the property and so they agreed in principal with everything!  We were then asked that we formally submit our plans for approval.

The house is currently rendered over natural stone, which we believe was either done as a quick/cheap fix (as the stonework had become weathered and in need of re-pointing over the years) or perhaps that was all the rage 100 years ago… who knows!

We have started to remove the render (with hammer and chisel) to expose the stonework.  We have also met with a couple of stonemasons who have both confirmed that the stone can be salvaged.  We now need to carefully take down various parts of the front of the house which has cracked and moved substantially, the movement is due to the well which sits under part of the front and also because the house is built on clay / sandstone and has moved due to shrinkage over the last 400 years.  Once the stone is taken down each piece will be measured and stockpiled in readiness for the stonemason to reuse.  We have looked at other work the stonemason has done and we have decided we will use him.  We are going to put in a new strip footing at the front of the house to build off. 

Recently the weather has been a bit of an issue for us because the house needs a new roof.  The tiles need to be taken off, numbered and stacked.  We are hopeful that these can be reused, however, we do also need to buy some more tiles and have managed to find some for sale. The current timber needs attention and so have taken advice on what needs doing.  Work that is required involves chopping back, treating for woodworm, strengthening and parts replacing.  Unfortunatley we can’t really do this until the tiles are off and are hesitatant to do this in case the weather takes a turn for the worst and the inside becomes uncecessarily wet and damp.

We’ve had a few set-backs this month!   We can’t get a mortgage for the house until its habitable, which means it needs to be watertight, with running water, toilet and cooking facilities!  We haven’t sold our other house (now on third estate agent……third time lucky!).  We’ve looked at various caravans (not pleasant! I’m a bit of a clean freak!) to live in and to cut a long story short I’ve had my first major wobble!!

I’ve just had 70 metres of post and rail fencing for my birthday!  We need to use every penny we’ve got getting the house mortgagable, so I’ve realised the stables I really want to build won’t be priority! We are in the process of building three temporary stables, and should be able to move the horses up there in the next couple of weeks.

This month we’re hoping to re-fence the paddock, build the temporary stables, settle the horses in, put the caravan in place, remove all render, make a start on the work to the timber, start to take the first third of the house down so we can put new footings in and off course sell our other house!

This really is a self build project and we’re doing everything we possibly can ourselves.   We’re working on it every weekend, early until late!

In September hardy ProAktive souls braved the Derbyshire moors and the inclement weather all in aid of charity, the Premature Baby Unit at Sheffield Jessops Hospital to be precise.

Some cycled, some walked and some carried buckets to raise as much money as possible for a fantastic cause. The event went without a hitch and a well earned picnic was the reward.

All in, £2000 was raised and the cheque handed over to a gathering of NHS dignitaries on the 19th December 2011 with the event covered by The Sheffield Star newspaper. To say that the hospital was pleased would be an understatement and in fact they’ve requested to work with us on future fundraising efforts.

The icing on the cake was handing over the toys that staff donated to the Childrens Hospital. Sheffield office kindly donated their lottery winnings for the year and this meant that we were able to hand over 4 large sacks of gifts, very gratefully received.

Well done to everyone who took part and all those who donated

Equip your supervisors with day to day safety management knowledge!

Out of the plethora of health and safety courses out there what makes this one stand out from the crowd?

Well to start with it equips your supervisors (who are at the sharp end of the business) with the key skills to identify hazards and take action to prevent accidents occurring.  It also gives them the confidence to know when to act and when to refer up the management chain.  The IOSH Managing Safely course is a nationally recognised qualification and has been taken by thousands of employees over many years.  It is widely acknowledged to be an excellent grounding in the world of safety management.

The course is split into eight modules and is usually delivered one day a week over four weeks.  It provides each attendee with the knowledge and skills to monitor health and safety in the workplace and to carry out risk assessments and accident investigations.  The cost of the course is £445 + VAT, but if you book to attend our January 2012 course the cost is only £395 + VAT providing excellent value for money….and we even provide a buffet lunch on each day of the course!!

The course is presented by experienced Chartered Health and Safety practitioners who know their stuff.  We promise not to unleash death by Powerpoint but to make the course informative and relevant.  With an impressive course pass rate and excellent feedback give us a call to book your places.

To book a place or for more information please call:

Ann Granter

(01302) 341344

Or click on the following link – IOSH Managing Safely

It’s Movember, the month formerly known as November, now dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health; specifically prostate and testicular cancer. A few of the ProAktive employees have donated their top lips to the cause for the past 30 days in an effort to help change the face of men’s health. Their Mo’s have sparked conversations, and no doubt have generated plenty of ridicule; all in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for cancers affecting men.

The Hairy Brokers have taken up the cause because:
* 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
* This year 37,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed
* 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime

We are asking you to support the Movember campaign by making a donation online at: http://mobro.co/ProAktive

If you’d like to find out more about the type of work you’d be helping to fund by supporting Movember, take a look at the Programmes We Fund section on the Movember website: http://uk.movember.com/about

Thank you in advance for supporting the Hairy Brokers efforts to change the face of men’s health.