Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, has continued its partnership with the Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation (MCRO) to support its life-saving work.

Members of the MRCO undertake regular rescue training to maintain their skill levels.

As an industry leader in safety training and services, Arco has again provided the MRCO with support by allowing the organisation to use its state-of-the-art training facilities at no cost.

Arco Professional Safety Services team members, who are also MCRO volunteers, delivered the training and provided expert advice and guidance to the other MCRO members in attendance.

Last month, 22 members of the MRCO attended Arco’s Eccleshall Safety Training Centre, in Stafford, to take part in emergency first aid refresher training, including guidance on the use of new equipment and a rescue training exercise.

In addition, Arco has also sponsored the MCRO by providing them with branded team polo shirts for when they are on business.

Jamie Sadler, Commercial Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “As a responsible choice of safety partner, Arco is committed to supporting the communities we call home, including providing support to life-saving groups, like the MCRO.

“Our safety experts are some of the leading professionals in their field and many of them dedicate their spare time outside of the business volunteering with search and rescue organisations.

“Supporting the MCRO with a venue and training facilities as well as the benefit of our instructors’ time, knowledge and expertise is a small way that Arco can give back and to ensure that we keep people safe.”

Mike Clayton, Chairman of the Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation and Equipment Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “The MCRO is regularly called upon to assist lost and injured people in caves all over the West Midlands, Shropshire and beyond.

“Even though we are a voluntary organisation, it is vitally important that we keep up-to-date with skills development to ensure we can respond to any emergency.

“The support, sponsorship and co-operation we get from Arco ensures that we can be as effective as possible and ready for when the next call comes.”

Rooftop Worker Scheme – Highlighting the latest training scheme to be released by Energy & Utility Skills working with the Mast & Tower Safety Group

Arco, the UK’s Leading Safety Company, is advising businesses that operate within the telecoms industry to ensure all workers are trained in accordance with the new Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme set out by The Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR).

The Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR) has released a new training qualification, the Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme, consisting of 15 units and containing both theoretical and practical assessed elements. The scheme recognises the knowledge and skills required to access flat roofs with a variety of personal fall protections systems.

The new scheme has been developed in collaboration with the Mast & Tower Safety Group (MATS), which consists of organisations that own or manage masts and towers where there are specific and significant work at height and occupational radio frequency (RF) hazards.?

Although designed for anyone wanting to work safely at height and understand the dangers of working on rooftops, the scheme will become the recognised qualification for those working on telecommunication infrastructure, with leading telecoms companies stating that completing the scheme is now mandatory to work on their sites.

New training or refresher training, since the 1^st of January 2023, must now be completed to the new EUSR syllabus and conducted by an EUSR accredited training provider. Certificates attained prior to this date will remain valid until they expire, including the Arqiva Rooftop Worker training, meaning that the 1^st of January 2026 will mark the first time that the only certification in use across the industry will be the new scheme.

According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), a total of 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain in 2021/22, with falls from a height being the biggest contributor, accounting for 24% of these (29 people).

As experts in safety, Arco is encouraging businesses that work in the telecoms industry, to take note of the new scheme and to ensure their staff receive the correct training to best protect those working at height. 

Steve Dawson, Manager – Working at Height Training at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “Falling from height is still one of the most common work-related accidents and is proportionally the largest contributor of work-related deaths, therefore it is vitally important that those who work at height receive the proper training and are undertaking their work in compliance with the necessary regulations and are adhering to industry best practice. 

“As experts in safety, we are pleased to announce that we have become an approved provider of the EUSR (MATS) Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme, with the training becoming an integral part of our course portfolio to help keep workers safe. Furthermore, we will be offering this training scheme at our new, state-of-the-art training facility in Bracknell, Berkshire.” 

Arco Professional Safety Services offer the one-day Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme course, at its safety training centres in Linlithgow (Edinburgh), Trafford Park (Manchester), Eccleshall (Stafford) and Bracknell (Berkshire).

For more information about the training available, click: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/training/course-finder/working-at-height-training/rooftop-safety-training/rooftop-safety-and-access 

Investment
Investment has been a key theme in 2022, with the opening of two new safety centres at Trafford Park, in Manchester, and more recently in Bracknell, Berkshire. The opening of the Trafford Park Safety Centre, in January, celebrated the creation of a new state-of-the-art space, offering training facilities for working at height, confined space, respiratory protection, face-fit testing and health and safety management as well as a new store offering over 2,000 products to choose from.
 
More recently, in November, we launched our latest safety centre in Bracknell, bringing our expert knowledge, high-quality products and training offer to the south of the UK. The Bracknell Safety Centre represented an investment of over £2million and created 12 new jobs in the area. The location is a strategically significant move for Arco and the centre, hosting practical learning environments, including a 20-metre external tower for working at height training as well as a confined space labyrinth, an equipment hire and service centre and an on-site safety store, where customers can purchase products.
 
Development of Skills, Training Offer and Product Range
As the UK's leading safety company, we have also continued to invest in the skills of our colleagues and in the facilities and equipment used to deliver our industry-leading training. In January, the business was awarded the prestigious Investor in Sales Award from the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP), recognising the commitment we have made to ensuring our sales staff provide a professional and ethical service to customers. With a core purpose of keeping people safe at work, we were the first company in our sector to achieve this award.
 
During January, we also announced an exciting partnership with FLX Health, to become the exclusive UK reseller of the FLX app, a targeted physiotherapy app that works to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace and rehabilitate employees more quickly when they arise.
 
We also launched our first ever dedicated graduate placement programme, as part of an ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent in the safety industry, and was, recognised as one of the top 10 family businesses in the UK for employing apprentices and promoting apprenticeships for professional development. We received this prestigious status as part of a list compiled by Family Business United, the global voice of the family business community, which ranked Arco as number 10 in the country as part of its report for 2022 looking at the number of apprentices in the family business sector.
 
In the summer, Arco Professional Safety Services secured accreditation from the Global Wind Organisation to deliver its suite of basic safety training (BST) qualifications at our safety centres in Linlithgow, Scotland, and Stafford, England.
 
Experts in Safety
As experts in safety, we have continued to influence the health and safety agenda, nationally, through our award-wining public affairs work. Earlier in the year, we responded to the High Court's ruling that the "VIP fast track lane" for awarding PPE contracts to those with political connections, during the pandemic, was unlawful.
 
Arco also responded to the announcement that £8.7billion of PPE procured by the Government during the pandemic had to be written off following the publication of the Department for Health and Social Care's accounts for 2020/21 and again encouraged lessons to be learnt through our white paper: Personal Protective Equipment and the Government's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
 
In the summer, we submitted evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health's follow-up inquiry into silica dust and its impact on construction workers. The follow-up inquiry aims to investigate advances in risk reduction strategies and to evaluate the practicalities of industry-wide adoption of the latest technologies.
 
Our Colleagues
The past 12 months have been a memorable one for colleagues as well. Five of our safety experts, Mike Clayton, Bartek Biela, Rob Messenger, Richard Newton and Connor Lloyd were awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of their life-saving voluntary work cave rescue organisations, search and rescue teams and firefighting services.
 
Mike was also invited to attend the UK premiere of the movie: Thirteen Lives. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell, the film recounts the obstacles that had to be overcome to rescue twelve boys and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018. A rescue operation that Mike was involved in.
 
In the summer, our expertise in working at height was demonstrated by Training Instructor, Russell Edwards, who took some stunning photographs and video footage of the Red Arrows flying over The Blackpool Tower. Russ climbed the iconic 518 ft tall structure to get the shots during the Blackpool Air Show and was assisted by colleagues Jack Perry and Chris Fricker.
 
In September, Arco joined people across the nation, the Commonwealth and from around the world in paying tribute to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, after the long-reigning monarch passed away. A message of heartfelt condolence was sent to the Royal Family on behalf of Arco.
 
The end of the year saw a change in leadership, with the appointment of Guy Bruce as our new CEO, following the retirement of Managing Director, David Evison. Guy, who has significant experience in industry, joined Arco from Equans and prior to that specialist building materials distributor SIG plc. Arco's strategic plan, Destination 2025, sets out how we will grow and adopt new and innovative ideas to futureproof the business over the next three years. Guy will develop this strategy further by maximising the potential of the significant investments undertaken by Arco over recent years and by accelerating digital transformation, enhancing customer experience and driving sustainability.
 
Responsible Choice
As a responsible choice of safety partner, we also progressed projects in line with our approach to sustainability and our overall target of being carbon net zero by 2045.
 
In March, Arco committed seed funding to partner with start-up company Stuff4Life to support the research and development of a closed-loop, circular economy solution for polyester workwear. The funding enabled Stuff4Life to commission a chemical recycling demonstration plant in collaboration with Teesside University, bringing onboard its academic experts, world-leading research capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities. The research undertaken by Arco and Stuff4Life has proved successful, and we are now looking to scale-up that work.
 
As a fifth-generation family-business, we are committed to supporting the communities across the country we call home through sponsorships, grants, charitable donations, and colleague engagement as part of its extensive CSR programme. In 2022, our colleagues completed more than 108 days of volunteering and supported 20 charities and organisations.
 
We also partnered with Action for Children – a children and family charity – to fund two new roles supporting young people and disabled children. More than 300 children and their families in the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire area have been supported as part of this partnership.
 
We also supported Ayrshire Cancer Support with £6,650 of funding to create a new support service for children and young people. Our donation has contributed towards a range of developing services, including a newly hired Children and Young People Lead. This position plays a pivotal role in assisting the charity to provide well-being services and meaningful collaboration with children and young people. This includes building on existing children's services and connecting with the wider community to build an effective support network.
 
In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Arco joined up with global first responder, International Medical Corps, to provide 80,000 items of essential PPE to aid those directly affected by the conflict.
 
Other projects supported, included Hull-based charity CatZero, an organisation which creates unique employability programmes for young people, families, single parents and adults to help them move onto employment, education, or training, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, the only charity that provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families, and Hull and East Yorkshire Children's University (HEY CU), a local children's charity that aims to raise the aspirations of young people by building their confidence with unique learning experiences.
 
At Arco, our promise is to make your world safer. It is a responsibility we take seriously and has been demonstrated across our milestones and highlights in 2022. From all our colleagues, we would like to wish you, your families and friends, a Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and prosperous New Year.

Arco, the UK’s leading health and safety expert, has launched its latest safety centre in Bracknell, Berkshire, bringing its expert knowledge, high-quality products and training under one roof to the south of the UK. 

Investing over £2million in the project, and bringing 12 new jobs to the area, the new location is a strategically significant move for the fifth-generation family business. Arco’s Bracknell Safety Centre will be its largest dedicated safety centre, hosting practical learning environments, including a 20-metre external tower for working at height training and confined space labyrinth training facilities, as well as an on-site safety store where customers can purchase products. 

With over 135 years of experience, Arco offers an unparalleled combination of specialist health and safety expertise and knowledge. Arco is an integrated services and safety products business, headquartered in Hull, with over 1,600 employees nationwide. Arco reaches its customers through its website and national network of safety centres and retail stores.  As the market leader, Arco is committed to helping shape the UK’s safety agenda in order to ensure workers go home safe every night. 

At Bracknell Safety Centre, highly qualified experts are on hand to provide Joined-up Safety Solutions, a complete offering encompassing the assessment of an issue, the training of employees and the provision and maintenance of appropriate equipment to protect against future risks, all of which can be organised on-site. The safety centre features advanced practical training facilities, respiratory protection and maintenance workshops, drop-in face-fit testing facilities, six training classrooms and a fully stocked Arco safety store, providing PPE, workwear and workplace safety equipment from the brands like TROJAN, Snickers, Berghaus, Regatta, Puma, DeWALT, CAT, MASCOT and loads more. With Arco’s joined-up safety approach, the Bracknell Safety Centre will help businesses mitigate, manage and reduce risks. 

Jaime Sadler, Commercial Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said:  
“The new Bracknell Safety Centre is a significant milestone for Arco. As our largest dedicated safety centre, it is ideally placed to bring our industry expertise, expansive product offering and practical training capabilities to more customers, nationally. 
“The expansion of Arco’s capabilities in Bracknell allows us to provide joined-up health and safety solutions for businesses UK-wide. Bracknell Safety Centre demonstrates the future of health and safety; end-to-end service, combining risk assessment, training and equipment provision all under one roof.” 
The new Arco location will service hundreds of training delegates each week, bringing more business and activity to the area.  

Ben Haughton, Technical Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: 
“Our safety services teams provide practical advice and bespoke training for a variety of safety-critical industries and scenarios. Seeing, first-hand, the value of practical training facilities at our other safety centres allowed me to design and implement structures and systems unique to our Bracknell Safety Centre. 
“A significant number of people are killed or seriously injured working at height or in confined spaces in the UK each year. Despite legislation and health and safety measures, working in these environments still pose a very high risk. Bespoke training to provide people with the correct skills and capabilities they need is essential. A generic ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach leaves workers and organisations open to huge risks. Dangerous working environments require consultancy and expert support that suits the specific scenario. Whether it is equipment, training or support, our experienced teams offer a complete solution.”  

For further information about Arco’s new Bracknell Safety Centre, visit: www.arcoservices.co.uk/home/bracknell-safety-centre 

More than 70 paramedics from the Hazardous Ares Response Teams (HART) at West Midlands Ambulance Service have been recertified for operating in confined spaces following several weeks of training and assessment.

The HART teams approached Arco looking for a facility to use, with Arco welcoming them to the Safety Training Centre in Staffordshire and providing instructors from Arco Professional Safety Services to support the training days as well.

Feedback about the centre's facilities and the expertise and knowledge of Arco’s instructors, who played a supportive role, was very positive.

Phil Piggott, HART Team Leader at West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “We’d like to thank Arco for their support in getting our HART paramedics re-certified for operating in high-risk confined spaces.

“The facilities at the safety training centre were excellent and provided the perfect setting over the past several weeks to undertake this vitally important training. The expert advice and knowledge of Arco’s instructors was also really helpful.

“We look forward to returning in the near future to complete recertification for working at height.”

In addition to re-certifying the paramedics, the training offered a valuable learning opportunity for Arco’s instructors, as they were able to observe how the HART teams simulate and manage trauma events.

Steve Dawson, Training Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “The continued professional development our instructors gained from seeing the HART teams work has been invaluable and we hope to do more of this within safety services.

"I'd like to thank our instructors, Rob Messenger, Nat Smart, Glynn Bibby and Rich Dinn, for conducting the training and helping build these working relationships and connections with West Midlands Ambulance Service.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to the HART teams for trusting us to support them and we hope to continue assisting them with their future training requirements.”

On behalf of the entire Arco Family, we are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family at this time of profound sadness and loss. 
As we now enter a period of national mourning, we reflect upon the unprecedented life of selfless service that Her Majesty lived, shining as a beacon of hope, dignity and forbearance throughout a period marked by unprecedented change and upheaval. 

Throughout her 70-year reign, marked by her Platinum Jubilee this year, she was a remarkable demonstration of a life truly dedicated to public service. Her unwavering sense of duty and responsibility to every community within our nation and across the Commonwealth: she set an example for leaders around the world. 
We take inspiration from her and her late husband’s commitment to supporting young people and to future generations and across the globe. 

We are thankful for the decades of service to the Nation and the Commonwealth that Her Majesty so selflessly gave.

Thomas Martin                                                                                                        David Evison
Chairman                                                                                                                  Managing Director

Fall Protection Standards Updated – An Easy-to-Understand Guide to Ensuring Safety

Falls from height continue to be the largest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK. The latest figures show 29 workers were killed as a result of falling from height in 2021/22. Under the Working at Height regulations, it is the duty of those in control to do all that is possible to ensure the safety of those working at height. Fall protection solutions play a key role and we talk to Ben Haughton, Technical Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, about the latest standards and what building owners and managers need to be aware of. 

Q. What are the key elements of a fall protection system?

A. High-level access solutions and anchor systems are designed to facilitate the safe and efficient working environment for roof maintenance and other tasks that are performed at high level or where there is exposure to a fall. A fall protection system incorporates several key elements, principally the anchorage whose design and application is influenced by a number of variables which depend on the risk and the situation and, as always, should only be necessary once all other methods of safe working from ground level have been considered.  

Q. What processes are necessary when designing and installing a fall protection anchor system?

A. The designer must have a very good understanding of the requirements for working at height and the tasks that are required to be carried out when using the anchor system, they must also have a good knowledge of building fabric and engineering principles. Buildings range from the modern to the ancient and, where knowledge is limited, it is important that the designer has a network of supporting specialists from whom to seek advice. 

Once a system has been designed and installed, it needs to be commissioned and certified. The installation and commissioning process for fall protection systems has largely been based on self-certification. The same goes for ongoing inspection and maintenance. In the past, a lot has been left to the interpretation of standards and as such there is always a risk of the system failing to protect workers properly and for badly maintained and faulty equipment to be in use. Without an appropriate design and inspection regime, the shortcomings of a system may only be realised when it is called upon to do its job, in the case of a fall arrest system, the outcome could be serious injury or death. 

Q. Is there a standard that needs to be met to ensure ongoing safety?

A. BS 7883 has been in existence since 1997 and was revised in 2005, amended in 2007 and recently revised again in 2019. The BSI (British Standards Institute) PH5 committee, made up of expert representatives from across the industry, was set up to look at the existing standard and address some industry concerns. This most recent update takes into account the advances in fall protection systems and technology and provides a more prescriptive approach than the original versions, putting a greater emphasis on what must be done, as opposed to what should be done. The revised standard incorporates all commonly used types of anchor devices and provides prescriptive guidance on design, installation and inspection.

Q. Could you tell us more about the revised standard and what it means?

A. For the designer, specifier or installer of fall protection systems, there has always been a requirement to provide evidence of the design process. In the revised standard there is additional guidance on best practice to ensure all elements of a safe system have been considered and are documented. The designer must provide a system technical file that contains a minimum amount of information, and this file should be made available for reference at every inspection. This is particularly important as inspections are often carried out by third parties, who may have no prior knowledge of the original system design. The file could include photographs taken at the time of installation and other details that may not be immediately obvious on initial inspection, this is of particular importance where hidden elements comprise parts of the anchor system.

Q. Once a system is in place, what are the main requirements for maintaining safety?

A. Following initial installation, the anchor system must be inspected and tested at least annually (six-monthly where Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998(LOLER) applies) by a competent and qualified person to ensure it is in a safe working condition and carries the supporting formal certification. It is the duty holder’s responsibility to manage the anchor system and to ensure that it remains certified. If the certification does expire, or the system is failed at inspection, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to ensure that no one is allowed to use the system(s), in the case of a fail, this may require the anchor to be physically put out of service so that it cannot be used. The revised standard recognises that if it were applied to many existing anchor systems, most would simply fail if the outcomes were binary pass/fail, for instance the lack of supporting design information/technical file. So, in order to help with the transition from past to present, two other inspection outcomes are available: Conditional Pass & Conditional Fail.

o Conditional Pass – does not represent an immediate safety concern and the anchor system can be put into service provided a report is issued to the duty holder detailing the remedial actions required to bring the system into line with the current standard and a timeframe within which this should be completed.

o Conditional Fail – represents an immediate safety concern but one which can be remediated. The system must be immediately taken out of service (ideally physically preventing its use) and a report issued to the duty holder detailing the remedial actions required before a re-inspection is carried out and it can be returned to service.

Q. This standard isn’t regulation but what are the consequences of not adhering to it?

A. This is a standard and not a regulation and therefore there is no legal duty to comply with it. However, if an accident were to occur that involved the failure of a fall protection anchor system and the alternative design, installation and inspection process was found not to be suitable or sufficient, the designer, installer, duty holder or inspector could be found to be negligent in discharging their responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act etc. and would most likely face prosecution under this and it’s aligned statutory instruments i.e. the Work At Height Regulations.

Q. Where can I go for further help and advice?

The design, installation and inspection of anchor systems is a complex matter and providing the right access solution may require a range of different anchor systems. The consequence of an anchor system failure could lead to serious injury or even death, so it is essential that developers, architects, constructors and duty holders seek the advice of service providers that are suitably qualified and have necessary experience of the design or installation that they are undertaking. Whilst not a legal requirement, commissioning of systems by a suitably qualified third-party provider can provide independent assurance that the anchor system has been designed and installed correctly.

Arco Professional Safety Services can provide expert assistance from initial concept design to installation, commissioning and periodic inspection.  For further information: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/services/fall-protection 

Arco Issues Respiratory Health Guidance as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Cracks Down on Construction Dust

The UK's leading safety products and services company, Arco, shares expert advice on protecting lung health as the HSE inspects Great Britain’s construction sites

From Tuesday 21^st to Monday 27^th June, it is Love Your Lungs Week, a national campaign to promote better lung health.

This national week is an opportunity to remind those working on construction sites across Great Britain that, between Monday 6^th June and Friday 1^st July, HSE inspectors will be visiting sites as part of a month-long respiratory health initiative.

To help businesses prepare and ensure construction workers are safe at work, Arco is sharing expert advice to continue its efforts to educate business leaders about the long-term dangers of construction dust.

In the UK alone, 23 new cases of work-related respiratory diseases are diagnosed every day.[1] As active members of the Construction Dust Partnership (CDP), Arco is dedicated to reducing this figure by working with the CDP to raise awareness and by offering expert guidance to its customers. 

Those who regularly work on building sites where there is excess dust created from activities such as wall chasing, stone cutting, demolition, drilling or sweeping, are more likely to be at risk from construction dust related respiratory illnesses. However, contracting these illnesses is avoidable with effective preventative measures and the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) or respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Controlling the Risks

Once the hazard has been recognised, and the concentration identified through air monitoring, reasonably practicable control measures must be developed. Depending on the risk, measures should be applied to each task to make sure workers are not exposed to levels over the workplace limits, ensuring the health and safety of the workforce. In accordance with good occupational hygiene practice, the risk assessor should adopt the hierarchy of control to reduce the risk:

1. Eliminate the use of harmful substances and remove the hazard in its entirety.
2. Consider substitution such as using a safer material.
3. Use engineering controls that work to isolate or reduce exposure of the substance, such as less powerful tools, introducing water or bringing in on-tool dust extraction.
4. Ensure there are a set of administrative controls in place, such as the implementation of an effective respiratory management programme which includes correct RPE selection, face fit testing, training, equipment inspections and maintenance, storage and record keeping. Then ensure that employees are confident to use the control measures put in place and follow procedures and systems correctly.
5. If these methods do not prevent or control the exposure, PPE in form of respiratory protective equipment will need to be issued and wearers will need to be face-fit tested.

Carrying out regular health surveillance on workers will check that control measures are working. By monitoring workers’ health, the surveillance can identify early signs of ill-health and by acting on the results helps ensure that adequate control measures are being followed.

Kevin Williams, Respiratory Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “Construction dust has been dubbed the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, as it’s responsible for an alarming number of deaths every year. We have long campaigned to raise awareness of this issue, working with industry bodies and our partners. We will continue to help employers with the guidance they need to implement better safety measures for their workforce.”

For more respiratory guidance, click here: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/services/respiratory-protection-services

1. www.hse.gov/statistics/at-a-glace

Arco Colleagues Receive Medal Honours for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Three colleagues from Arco Professional Safety Services, Mike Clayton, Bartek Biela and Rob Messenger, are being awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of their life-saving voluntary work with Midland Cave Rescue Organisation, and the Staffordshire Search & Rescue Team of Lowland Search & Rescue, respectively.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal is a recognition of exemplary service by members in frontline emergency roles, prison services and the Armed Forces with at least five full years of voluntary service. The three colleagues have utilised their expertise in the safety sector to support emergency services in life-threatening situations in some of the country’s most inhospitable environments, including the longest cave rescue in Welsh history last year.

Within Arco, Mike is an Equipment Department Manager and is responsible for the selection, procurement and delivery of the equipment in Arco’s Professional Safety Services business. Externally, Mike is the Chairman of Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation and the National Equipment Officer for the British Cave Rescue Council.

Mike commented: “I am proud to receive this medal as recognition for all the voluntary work undertaken over the past five years. No one volunteers for cave rescue for reward or honours but to be there to help others in difficulty, however, these acknowledgements are a bonus.”

Bartek, a Training Instructor at Arco Professional Safety Services, teaches a wide range of practical work at height and rescue courses as well as the IOSH accredited Work at Height for Managers and Personal Fall Protection Inspection courses. As an avid member of numerus caving clubs in the past, coupled with his expertise in the safety industry, Bartek understands the importance of rescue provisions for outdoor activities which guided his decision to become a Team Leader at Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation.

Bartek said: “It is a privilege and a great honour to receive the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. When joining the organisation, I never expected any recognition or rewards as we are only there to help when this is most needed.”

Rob, a Work at Height and Confined Space Instructor at Arco, has been involved in several major incidents, large scale missing person searches and operations to provide lifesaving first aid to injured hikers. As a Team Leader of Lowland Search and Rescue Team, Rob is tasked with operational command and control as well as legal compliance with the regulations set by the Charities Commission.

At Arco, Rob delivers comprehensive work at height safety and rescue courses, confined space courses and first aid training as well as bespoke rescue from height training.

On being nominated for his Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, Rob explained: “I feel honoured to be recognised amongst the men and women of the emergency services. People don’t volunteer because they have the time, they volunteer because they care.”

David Evison, Managing Director at Arco, said: “We’re incredibly proud that Mike, Bartek and Rob have been recognised for their excellent voluntary work over the last five years. They have each made a difference in their commitment to help keep people safe in inhospitable environments.

“As experts in safety, Arco, as a business, encourages its colleagues to share their knowledge and expertise in the communities we serve, including through volunteer work.”

Business advice following Health & Safety Executive (HSE) update on woodwork safety

UK’S LEADING SAFETY COMPANY ARCO SHARES EXPERT ADVICE FOLLOWING HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE) REVISIONS TO WOODWORKING SAFETY

From April 2022, woodworking businesses across the UK will be visited by HSE inspectors to ensure duty holders know the risks associated with woodworking and to inspect whether effective controls are in place to protect workers’ respiratory health.

To help businesses prepare, Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, is sharing expert advice, ahead of the Health and Safety Executive’s updates, to support employers with people involved in wood working.  

In January 2020, the HSE introduced new and revised workplace exposure limit guidance for 13 substances, including wood dust. Wood dust is a hazardous substance and inhaling the fine particles can develop into respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational asthmas. Settled dust contains the fine particles that are most likely to damage the lungs and hardwood dusts, such as oak, western red cedar and iroko, are carcinogens that can cause sinonasal cancer. 

In addition to the respiratory threat posed by wood dust, it is also a fire or explosion hazard. Unconfined wood dust can ignite and spread flames across a cloud in the air, while wood dust that is contained can build up pressure when ignited and lead to destructive explosions.

The serious health and safety threats demonstrate the essential need for appropriate controls and protective measures for woodworking environments. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidelines sets out the legal requirements for organisations to protect their workers’ health from hazardous substances. Due to the health risks, wood dust is covered by COSHH and thus risk aversion controls are a legal requirement.

Kevin Williams, Respiratory Team Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services at Arco said: “The risk from wood dust should be minimised, ideally by using methods that do not generate wood dust or by removing it at source. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be issued as a last line of defence once all other control measures are in place.

“The HSE will expect to see a clear education and understanding of the control measures put in place by employers to protect workers from harm. It is also a legal requirement for all employees to receive appropriate training and supervision for any related equipment to ensure safety standards are implemented accordingly.

“Workers should also be encouraged to be involved in health and safety as they are often the best people to understand the risks and help find solutions.

“Through worker involvement you can act together to reduce accidents and ill health within the workplace, by paying attention to layout, worker movement and keeping workshops and storage areas tidy.”

Learn more about how you can make sure your workplace is safe and compliant by reading Arco’s expert guidance: www.arco.co.uk/expert-advice/respiratory-protection/hazards/wood-dust