GroundsWeek is an annual celebration of the often overlooked groundskeeper, who plays a vital role in maintaining the green spaces that enhance our lives and support mental and physical well-being. The week is marked by activities and campaigns to promote the profession, share best practices, and appreciate the work groundskeeping professionals accomplish. An entire week dedicated to highlighting the skills of grounds staff, whilst inspiring everyone to appreciate the industry. Groundskeepers Roles and Responsibilities It requires specialist training to enable for a grounds person to carry out their daily activities such as mowing, hedge-cutting, strimming and leaf blowing...

National Scaffolding Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the industry and provide advice, information and valuable insights which can influence the direction of training in the industry. The campaign, which runs from 7th – 11th October 2024 will showcase the diverse range of career options available within the industry; highlight achievements of both organisations and individuals operating within the sector and aim to inspire the next generation to take up a role within the scaffolding and access industry. While many people look past or ignore scaffolding as they go about their lives, these temporary structures are a vital part of the construction industry. National Scaffolding W..

An investigation was carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a gruesome incident which was so severe that an employee had to have his leg amputated above the knee. The incident occurred on the 5th of October 2022, whilst employees were sorting out refuse at the Pink Skips (NW) Ltd site at Levenshulme. CCTV footage provided the HSE investigators with key knowledge about the incident. When reviewed, it showed employees working around and in close proximity to a 360° rotating excavator. One of the employees was standing behind the vehicle whilst it was moving waste, when it suddenly reversed, striking him and running over his leg. The investigation also found tha..

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation following an incident at Code-A-Weld, Harfreys Industrial Estate, Great Yarmouth on the 19th November 2022. A man (54 years) was airlifted to hospital and placed into an induced coma after being struck by an object whilst manufacturing steel cable drums for the offshore industry. During the manufacturing process, the jacking set-up failed, causing parts to strike the man in the face. This caused extremely serious injuries including fractures to the man's face and skull, and him losing the sight in one eye. The man required facial reconstruction surgery and spent just under three weeks in hospital. Although the company..

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation was carried out after the death of a construction worker. Gary Webster, a 60-year-old man was repeatedly pulled under water after his boat capsized during routine cleaning of the River Aire. Mr Webster and another worker (who managed to swim to safety) had been removing debris at the bottom of the weir gates at Knostrop Weir. The accident occured when the boat they were using was pulled into churning water due to the considerable rush of water flowing over the top of the weir. Mr Webster was eventually recovered by a dive team 14 minutes later but was pronounced dead two-days later on November the 1st 2017. The investigat..

Managing hazards in a business is fundamental to maintaining the safety of employees. Under UK law, employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of all employees. This means it’s an employer’s responsibility to identify the hazards facing their employees and implement measures to mitigate them. It's fairly common for employees (and in many cases, management) to be unaware of the hazards they face regularly. Those who haven't encountered an accident often feel they aren't at risk. Additionally, many workers become accustomed to an unhealthy or unsafe workplace due to working in that environment for an extended period. The best way to prevent injuries..

A motorsport engineering firm based in Kent has been fined after Britain’s workplace regulator identified numerous health and safety breaches. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited Hispec Motorsport Limited - a specialist designer and producer of aftermarket brake upgrades for road, race, track, and kit cars. During their visits, the inspectors found serious breaches of the law and enforcement notices were issued. The subsequent investigation found the business had not maintained work equipment and staff were seen operating Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines with safety panels removed allowing access to dangerous moving parts. A high voltage panel..

On 30 October 2019, Niall McCormack from Kettering, Northamptonshire had been working with another carpenter at a new build construction site in Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire. The pair were removing trusses from a pack, to then spread and install across there building. As they were in the process of spreading, a gust of wind caught a spandrel panel, pushing it against the remaining trusses in the pack. Both the truss pack and spandrel panel fell into the work area, hitting Niall McCormack. An investigation conducted by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) following the tragedy found that KM Carpentry Contractors Limited had failed to identify the risk and effect the wind cou..

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation after an employee of Dnata Ltd was crushed to death at London Heathrow Airport on the 23rd February 2022. The incident occurred during the unloading of baggage containers from an Emirates Airbus which had arrived from Dubai. The employee walked underneath a high loader (a raised platform similar to a scissor lift) in order to access the other side of a trailer. At the same time the high-loader operator lowered one of its two hydraulically operated platforms, which trapped then fatally crushed the employee. A spindle locking mechanism used to secure containers onto the baggage trailer was broken at the time of the..

Forklift truck inspections can increase productivity by up to 25%. Additionally it will reduce breakdowns by 70% and lowers forklift truck maintenance costs by 25%. Depending on the type of forklift truck, costs and technical sophistication, a broad spectrum of maintenance strategies should be applied. A faulty forklift truck may significantly slow or completely halt your entire production process. Poor maintenance strategies can reduce the overall productive capacity of a warehouse by 5 to 20 percent. “Predictive maintenance increases equipment uptime by 10 to 20% while reducing overall maintenance costs by 5 to 10% and maintenance planning time by 20 to 50%" Why Preve..

Capital Karts in Barking, East London has been fined almost £120,000 after an incident on the 6th August 2021. Newham youth group organised a fun filled day at Capital Karts with a group of teens, however the day turned to horror when one of the teens had to be resuscitated at the venue after her hijab (a traditional muslim headscarf) got caught in a go karts drive axle. Ruwaida Adan, 15, died in hospital of hypoxic brain injury and asphyxiation four days after she visited Capital Karts in Barking, east London, she was described by her mother as a "beacon of kindness" with the "sweetest soul". An investigation by Barking and Dagenham Council found that Capital Karts fail..

A food manufacturing company has been fined following a serious incident at its premises in Wirral. Sharon Bramhall had been supervising four members of staff as they completed high-level cleaning tasks during a night shift on the 22nd April 2022. She had been acting as a "banksman" as the MEWP turned at a right angle into the warehouse and struck Sharon, crushing her left leg. The 58-year-old had to have her left leg amputated below the knee following a incident at Baker & Baker Products on Stadium Road, but said that she felt "lucky" and stated "I know i could have died". An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed a series of failings by Baker & Baker Produ..

TakeAIM are proud to announce that the easter bunny has begun using TakeAIM. Santa Claus contacted the easter bunny after they had success in the north pole using TakeAIM. Santa's team used the system to assess toy quality and inspect Santas sleigh prior to flight. Santa encouraged the Easter Bunny to try TakeAIM and we can now confirm they are using it in the run up to Easter. The easter bunny is able to assess, inspect and manage their eggs with TakeAIM! They're able to check their eggs are of egg-cellent quality prior to drop off...

A manufacturing company (Mifflin Construction Ltd manufacture and install steel components for the construction industry) has been fined £120,000 after a employee was fatally injured in the Leominster workshop. Steve Rooke, 55, an employee of over 27 years, sadly lost his life when a steal beam he was moving rotated and toppled over. The beam which was 18 metres long and weighed 1,800Kg trapped him against another beam causing fatal injuries. Karen Rooke, Steve’s wife said: "It’s changed everything, every plan we had has gone and our future is cancelled. I’ve lost a husband and the girls have lost a loving dad. He'll miss out on so many things like becoming a grandparent.” ..

A 46-year-old worker was crushed to death by two granite slabs whilst working for Graniteland Limited at the company’s Lyde Green site in Halesowen. An investigation by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) found that the incident which occurred on the 30th November 2020 could have been avoided with the correct training and maintenance procedures. The investigation found that Robert Czachracz, who was from Poland, had been moving the granite slabs onto storage racks, using an overhead crane when two of the slabs, each weighing a quarter of a tonne, fell and fatally crushed Mr Czachracz against a forklift truck. The HSE found that Graniteland Limited and its director, Mr..