HSE International ISSUE 100 | Page 48

WORKING AT HEIGHT: ONE STOP HIRE LTD moves us another step closer to becoming a ‘Total Solutions Provider’.” HEALTH AND SAFETY Safety is of paramount importance in all areas of industry and One Stop Hire Ltd make no exceptions. The safety of their employees, customers and the public is a number one priority at all times. Steve commented: “Health and safety drives our business in many ways; Dust, HAV (Hand arm vibration) and Working at Height for example, have all influenced the products we hire and sell and has also driven our Training business. “In house, we ensure these areas are all covered by training our drivers, fitters and hire staff accordingly through our Training Centre. Our training strapline is THINK SAFE – WORK SAFE – HOME SAFE.” A safety guide is attached to all equipment issued by One Stop Hire and a HAV guide is issued to all sites they visit. The HAV guide (alongside many other HSE and manufacturer guides) is available for viewing or download from their website. To further improve and maintain their excellent health and safety standards, One Stop Hire have joined and are active members of two safety groups backed by HSE (the Health and Safety Executive): The Lancashire Working Well Together Safety Group and The Greater Manchester Northwest Construction Safety Group. “We attend monthly meetings with these groups and actively support them by sourcing and demonstrating equipment at their safety open days and seminars. This helps us understand the needs of the industry and allows us to invest in equipment most suited to helping our clients eradicate risk on site. “In addition, our hire fleet continues to undergo major investment and we ensure it is the safest and most upto-date available through constant and scrupulous fleet reviews and updates,” Steve added. One Stop Hire are members of HAE (The Hire Association Europe), IPAF, PASMA, The Ladder Association and Constructionline, are Acclaim Accredited and are Achilles Link-Up approved. Their memberships and accreditations ensure that the business stays up-to-date with the latest safety legislation and legal information. Steve continued: “In terms of the companies we re-hire equipment and services from, we send out SHEQ questionnaires to assess their credentials and also visit them. The equipment providers we use all supply fully branded and approved equipment that is the best in its field. We also test out all new product lines prior to placing large volume orders. “We have been awarded with ISO9001: Quality Systems, and are currently in the process of attaining ISO14001: Environmental and ISO18001: Health & Safety accreditations. We want to ensure our clients get the best and safest service available in our industry, whilst providing our employees with training and a safe, structured environment to work in. “Health and Safety is a living, breathing and ever shifting subject that you have to try and pro-actively manage every day, and the ISO18001 accreditation will be the icing on the cake for One Stop Hire. 48 HSE INTERNATIONAL