H&S Committee at PLT Training Ltd

The BPF Industrial Health & Safety Committee had a special meeting in February at PLT Training’s brand-new centre of excellence in Oldbury. Following our regular meeting the committee was treated to a 90-minute interactive workshop based on one of their most popular classes: Accident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis Training. The workshop will explore a scenario-based RCA method to real world problems and benefit from instructor mentoring as you gain the knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence required to solve problems, reduce risk and improve performance.

PLT Training Ltd. is a NEBOSH, ITSSAR, RTITB, and IOSH accredited training provider based in the West Midlands offering professional Forklift, Overhead Crane, Manual Handling, First Aid and Health and Safety Training courses throughout the UK. Training can be delivered in-house or at their outstanding training centre which caters for FLTs or purpose-built classrooms. Their trainers have both instructor certificates and teaching qualifications, which means they can write and deliver bespoke courses or adapt an off-the-shelf course to suit.

Committee Chair, Richard Bladon commented, “it was valuable to be able see PLT’s facilities first hand. The range of courses is impressive, and the classroom environment was excellent. Our trainer for the interactive workshop did a fantastic job of leading the committee and delivering key take aways.”

As for the committee meeting, members received an update from HSE, including ongoing inspection priorities – Noise/Manual Handling/Asbestos/Health Surveillance/Dust, and a new HSE report on significant failings in workplace hearing protection.

Also presenting to the meeting was David Cole, from Sandfield Penstock Solutions. David provided an introduction to CIRIA736. CIRIA 736 was commissioned by the Environment Agency in 2012 as a response to the failure to contain pollution at the Buncefield Oil Terminal in 2005. The guidance has been written for all business and identifies the need to understand what the potential pollution risk is; should a major spill or fire impact a business.

News on the relaunch of the Safety In Manufacturing Polymers (SIMPL) was outlined at the meeting. The new 5-year strategy for the initiative is based on 3 pillars of industrial health and safety:

• Competence
• Accident and Incident Investigation
• Proactive and reactive mental health and wellbeing measures

The strategy will be supported with a training course that will be available free to all. The training will be 4 e-learning modules, initially hosted on BPF’s polymercourses.com.

Suzanne Johnston of PS Partnerships has been commissioned by the SIMPL Committee to develop the content of the course. Suzanne attended the meeting to discuss the development of the training and how it will benefit the plastics and composites industries.

The meeting also discussed the HSE’s 13 Plastics Processing H&S Sheets that are available as a free download on their website. These documents have not been updated for a number of years. The Chair proposed a working review each of the information sheets and provide updates. A schedule of work was agreed with members and recommendations will be submitted to the HSE on completion.

If you would like to know more about the BPF Industrial Health & Safety Committee, the network of support available, and how to get involved, contact Graeme Craig on [email protected]