Tidworth & District Chamber of Commerce

16/03/2020

18/10/2014

AS AN EMPLOYER ARE YOU AWARE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING MANUAL HANDLING? If not please read on:

Legal duties and obligations around manual handling

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations These Regulations state that employers should adopt a hierarchy of control measures:

to avoid hazardous Manual Handling Operations so far as is reasonably practicable

to assess any hazardous Manual Handling Operation that cannot be avoided

to reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.

For more information look up The Manual Handling Regulations at the HSE web site.

03/07/2014

AS A BUSINESS ARE YOU AWARE OF THE FIRE LAWS AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES? to be sure read on:

‘No Idea’ on Fire Laws

A ‘staggering lack of awareness’ among the owners of small businesses about their responsibility to undertake appropriate fire risk assessments has been uncovered by a recent survey.

FireUK contacted 580 owners of UK-based small businesses, including offices, pubs, take-aways and restaurants, the majority of which were ignorant of the laws surrounding fire safety.

Mark Hall, the company’s Commercial Director told the FIA : “Most of the companies were very honest with us and admitted they were unaware that they needed to undertake proper fire risk assessments, regardless of the numbers of employees they had.

“Often companies have no idea that they are breaking the law until they are fined, or they know someone who has been prosecuted and then they suddenly realise that they might find themselves in the same position. Frankly, if I wasn’t in the industry myself, I probably wouldn’t know what I was obliged to do in terms of fire safety,” he said.

Mr Hall believes that very small businesses would benefit from some advice as soon as they are set up, either via national government or local authorities, however he admits that this would be a huge bureaucratic undertaking.

“I understand that it can be expensive to be assessed and this may put a lot of business owners off, but cost should not be an issue when lives are at risk. Prevention is a lot cheaper than cure in the long run, as your insurance company will then pay out in the event of a fire, and more importantly, you, your staff and your customers will be safe.”

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

In a bid to remove potential fire hazards, commercial buildings and non-domestic premises in Scotland are already forced to carry out a fire safety risk assessment under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, in conjunction with the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the enforcing authority has the power to prosecute the Dutyholder.

A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Northern Ireland under the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

If the fire risk assessment is deemed to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Appropriate Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

FIA
June 2014

02/06/2014

AS A BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA PROTOCOL/POLICY IN PLACE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES? If not, why not? Read on and please pass this on:

25/05/2014

IN BUSINESS IN THE TIDWORTH AREA? FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE PLANS OF THE MILITARY AT A SPECIAL REBASING MEETING ON THE 28th MAY 2014 - Read on and please pass this on:

A special meeting to give communities an opportunity to hear the latest proposals on relocating Army families to the Salisbury Plain area is being held later this month. As part of the Army’s Basing Programme, an additional 4,300 military personnel and their families (approximately 3,300 dependants) will be moving to Wiltshire by 2019.

The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) estate management organisation – Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), has put together a Masterplan which details proposals for delivering the additional infrastructure required.

The DIO has worked with Wiltshire Council and partners to ensure the right level of facilities and services, including healthcare and education provision, are in place in time for the relocation of service personnel and their families.

On May 28 there will be a special meeting, hosted by Tidworth Area Board, at the Tidworth Garrison Theatre, where the DIO will present the plans and answer questions, alongside representatives from the Army and Wiltshire Council. Leader of Wiltshire Council Jane Scott said: “This meeting is the latest step in ensuring our communities are kept fully informed about developments so we are ready for the changes ahead. “Our partnership working with the DIO and Army has been key in all of this work and we will continue to engage with communities to ensure that we have the services in place for the whole community so that Army families feel welcome and we maximise on the economic opportunities that the rebasing brings.”

The meeting will start at 7pm and will include a presentation on the Masterplan including the changes resulting from the public consultation which was held between February 19 and April 1. People can view the Masterplan document at www.gov.uk/dio and at Salisbury, Tidworth, Ludgershall, Amesbury and Durrington libraries from May 20 until June 17 2014. The Masterplan details proposals for delivering the additional infrastructure required by the Army in the Salisbury Plain area which will include: Up to 1,300 new homes for service families; New accommodation blocks for single soldiers; Construction and conversion of other buildings, such as garages, armouries, offices and mess facilities; and Future plans on the training estate. All intended developments will be subject to the normal planning application process and Environmental Assessments.

These will be submitted once the proposals have been finalised and all internal MOD approvals have been given. After reviewing more than 300 comments received during the public consultation period, DIO has updated the Masterplan to take account of this feedback. A ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ outlines all comments received during the consultation and demonstrates how they have been considered in drawing up the document

This will be published alongside the Masterplan. The Masterplan and Statement of Community Involvement are available from May 20 at www.gov.uk/dio and www.army.mod.uk/basing . DIO will submit the final Masterplan to Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee in July 2014.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our armed forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.

22/05/2014

WILL YOU KEEP ON TRADING IF DISASTER HITS? EVEN SMALL BUSINESSES/SINGLE TRADERS NEED TO HAVE A BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT (BCM) PLAN IN PLACE TO ENSURE YOUR CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE YOUR SERVICES, Read on and please pass this on,

29/04/2014

SAVE A LIFE - ENSURE THAT ALL OF YOUR WORK TEAM UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING and please pass this on to a colleague:

24/04/2014

AS A BUSINESS OWNER/MANAGER ARE YOU AWARE OF THE HEALTH & SAFETY RISKS IN YOUR OFFICES?

There is excellent help available on the HSE website: try this link and pass this on to your business colleagues - http://www.hse.gov.uk/office/

HSE provides information on how to keep safe in a working office environment. Accidents happen in the office but the health and safety measures need to be matched to the level of risk.

24/04/2014

LOOKING FOR A BUSINESS VENUE THAT WILL IMPRESS YOUR CLIENTS? Read on

09/04/2014

THE ENTERPRISE NETWORK - Starting a HOME BUSINESS?

Are you thinking of starting a home business?

Or even already running a business from home but in need of more space, a meeting room, professional advice and funding, or just a bit of company?

Then think TEN (The Enterprise Network) run by Wiltshire Council that stands ready to help in any way it can, and is particularly keen to assist service personnel leaving the Forces and planning to stay in Wiltshire, partners of serving and ex-service personnel, their dependents and any women led rural business.

It has centres in Ludgershall, Salisbury, Trowbridge and Royal Wootton Bassett.

For more information please ring:

01264 848311

or visit:



http://www.theenterprisenetwork.co.uk

02/04/2014

As a Business SAVE MONEY, be SAFER and do YOUR bit for Climate Change - Switch off your photocopier; Switch off your computers and all non essential office equipment when you leave the office in the evening.

01/04/2014

CHANGE OF TELEPHONE NUMBER

Please note that with effect from the 11th April 2014 our contact telephone number is 01980 600 300 our email address remains the same at [email protected].

Please pass this on.