With the Health & Safety Executive now charging you £124-an-hour in Fees for Intervention (FFI) if you contravene health & safety regulations, a free course in how to comply with those regulations looks an especially good deal.

In the two months after the FFIs were introduced in October the HSE sent out invoices for 1,418 contraventions of regulations, more than 40% of them to companies in construction. These bills are for notification of contravention forms/letters, or because a formal Enforcement Notice was issued. The total bill is £727,644.

You can find out what you need to be doing to comply with health & safety regulations at the Stone Federation/HSE Safety & Health Awareness Day (SHAD) on 20 March.

The Stone Federation and The Health & Safety Executive are working together to run this SHAD event specifically for the stone industry. Everyone is welcome (not just Stone Federation members). To book a place, contact the Federation now.

SHADs can benefit everyone at every level in a company, because health & safety should be part of the culture of a company, not something imposed by reluctant directors on reluctant employees. It is your health and your life.

Accident rates in stone workshops are above average for industry, and work on construction sites poses even greater risks. It remains important to manage the health & safety risks in your workplace.

This is a half-day event being held at the premises of stonemasons APS Masonry in Oxfordshire, running from 9.30am to 1pm. And, to reiterate, it is free of charge.

Topics covered in short, accessible sessions include: the safe handling of stone slabs; controlling silica exposure; hand arm vibration. Some of the speakers are from HSE and the Stone Federation’s health & safety consultant, Peter Robertshaw, will also be on hand to answer questions. He mans a 24-hour-a-day health & safety hot line that is free for Stone Federation members.

By attending the SHAD you will:

• Get practical advice in controlling health & safety risks
• Learn about common hazards and the precautions you can take to avoid them
• Have the opportunity to ask questions about your legal duties
• Be able to take ideas back to your workplace to improve or maintain safety.

For more information, email sandra@stonefed.org.uk.