Last year I purchased a set of telescopic ladders from a well known online marketplace. The idea was that candidates on my ladder use and inspection courses could use them. When I opened the box, I was initially surprised at how little they weighed. But as they’re only 2.6 metres in length I thought it […]
Blog
Welcome to our blog! I write about loads of different subjects; from workplace health and safety, to how to cook your food, and everything in between.
I’ve broken the blog up into clear subsections, so if you’re looking for a particular topic, you may be able to find it more easily by looking in one of these sections. Simply use the links within the menu bar at the top of the page.
I’m always looking to add content by writing more posts. If you think that there’s something that’s missing & that I should write about, please get in touch using the contact form on our Contact us page. It would be lovely to hear from you.
Equally, if you’d like to write a guest post about a subject that relates to the subjects that we teach and write about, it would be lovely to hear from you.
Use by dates, Food poisoning & Foodborne diseases
So exactly what do the dates on your food mean? What is the meaning of a use by date? And why does bottled water have a use by date? In this blog post I’m looking at just what a “use by” date is and how it relates to food poisoning & foodborne diseases. I’ll also […]
Ladder inspection checklist for the home user
Ladder inspection, as dull as it sounds is really important for ladder users both at home ans at work. Ladders are a wonderful piece of equipment, that at first glance seem to be extremely easy to use. While this might be true of the majority of types of ladder (multi-function ladders are definitely an exception […]
“If you walked into this business, what would you expect them to have in place?”
“If you walked into this business, what would you expect them to have in place?” It’s a simple question and one that I ask when teaching a number of subjects. It tends to get people thinking and sometimes generates some surprising answers. Ask yourself the same question; if you walked into a hairdressers or a […]
Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19)
[Latest update: 15th May] Contents: Basic important information (updated) Our training courses (updated) Updates: 15th May 2020 15th Mar 2020 11th Mar 2020 28th Feb 2020 General and useful information about coronavirus How do you self-isolate & what should I do or not do while at home? Masks Hand washing Expert opinion Links And finally… […]
CPR during the covid pandemic
CPR during the covid pandemic As you can imagine, for those providing CPR during the covid pandemic, this brings with it additional risks. During CPR, there is always the potential for rescuers to be exposed to bodily fluids, as providing chest compressions or rescue breaths can aerosolise the naturally occurring fluids in the victims airway. […]
Face to Face courses in a post Covid-19 world
Face to Face courses in a post Covid-19 world With the lockdown situation being as it is, we have had to cancel all our face to face courses. Unfortunately this will have to continue until we are given guidance by the regulatory authorities that states that we can reopen again (with whatever distancing requirements are […]
Emerade Auto-injectors, again!
Emerade Auto-injectors, again! This morning the UK’s MHRA have announced via official Government channels that the manufacturers of the Emerade 300 microgram solution auto-injector pens have all been recalled by the manufacturer. Several months ago you may remember that we reported problems with these auto-injectors. Well, it seems that the manufacturers have been proactive in […]
Maintain your normal
Maintain your normal In today’s blog post I want to talk about things that you can do to help maintain a sense of normality, now that we are beyond the first couple of weeks of lockdown within the UK. The days seem to blur from one into the next I’m sure you’ve had the situation […]
First aid certificate expiry
First aid certificate expiry [Updated 30th July 2020] First aid certificate expiry dates are probably not top of your list of things to think about & since the UK went into lockdown (23rd March if you’ve forgotten), we’ve all had plenty to think about. But businesses have to ensure that they have sufficient cover available […]
First Aid Series – Which First Aid Kit Do I Need?
First Aid Series – Which First Aid Kit Do I Need? What should be in a first aid kit 2019? Is there a standard list of items in a first aid box? What should be in a first aid kit at work UK? Which first aid kit should I buy? We’re always being asked about […]
First Aid Series – The First Aid Needs Assessment
Undertaking a first aid “needs assessment” is a critical part of everyone’s first aid preparation, from the young family to the multi-national business and everywhere in between. In this blog I’m going to introduce you to the concept of a needs assessment & guide you through how to undertake yours. A good friend of mine […]
Responder courses – FREC, FPOS or Something else?
Responder courses – FREC, FPOS or Something Else? Responder courses: If you “do” first aid, whether as a volunteer first responder or an event medic, then these are terms that you’ve probably heard of before. They’re acronyms relating to various first aid qualifications that are more advanced than the standard First Aid at work course. […]
No one should be restricted from learning
No one should be restricted from learning. A family friend of mine died recently, as a result of choking while having a meal with his wife and young family. This is absolutely tragic and my thoughts go out to his family and friends. Learning simple skills can, and does, save lives. When you practice these […]
The Health & Safety Executive First Aid Bulletin
The Health & Safety Executive First Aid Bulletin Today (26th July 2019) the Health & Safety executive (HSE) issued their First Aid bulletin, in which they made some points expressly clear. Because these are publicly accessible, we’ve transcribed them here for you, as they are for both clients and trainers to read; First Aid at […]
Just another day – a fire evacuation story.
Just another day – a fire evacuation story. It’s just another day at work. You’re mid-way through writing an email when you’re dragged back into reality because someone shouted something. What was it? FIRE! You hear it again and this time you brain starts to whirl as the deafening sound of the fire alarm attacks […]
Anaphylaxis – Announcement of a potential defect in Emerade 150, 300 & 500 microgram solution auto-injectors
Anaphylaxis – Announcement of a potential defect in Emerade 150, 300 & 500 microgram solution auto-injectors: We’ve just received notification (11th July 2019) that there is a potential problem with EMERADE 150, 300 & 500 auto-injectors. Bausch & Lomb UK limited, the manufacturers of Emerade Adrenalin Auto-Injectors has highlighted a risk of Emerade products failing […]
Fire Safety Series – How often should fire safety training be undertaken?
This is another really good question and one that asked time and time again. In this article we answer this question & highlight the things you should be considering regarding to fire safety refresher training. You might be surprised at just how often staff training need to be renewed. Basic fire safety training Basic fire […]
Fire Safety Series – How many Fire Marshals do you need?
How many Fire Marshals do you need? This is a question that we’re regularly asked. In this article we highlight the things you need to consider during the decision making process. Sadly there isn’t a clearly defined answer to this question. There isn’t a “marshal per number of employees” or a floor area ratio somewhere. […]
Fire Safety Series – The Fire Safety Risk Assessment
In this article we aim to clarify exactly what a Fire Safety Risk Assessment is and how to undertake one for your business. We’ve included a number of links to freely available resources for you to download that will help guide you through undertaking a FSRA for your own premises. So I need one? All […]
Women are less likely than men to be resuscitated and survive a cardiac arrest
Research published 22 May 2019 in the European Heart Journal reveals that women suffering a cardiac arrest are less likely to be resuscitated by bystanders, leading to decreased survival rates. Tragically, this mirrors the results of a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and others that have gone before. What […]
Welsh Government to reform fire safety in high-rise buildings
Fire safety in high-rise residential buildings remains in the news. On the 21st May 2019, the Welsh Housing and Local Government Minister, Julie James, will consider new legislation to replace the current Fire Safety Order and a new building control process. This is part of the Welsh government’s response to the Building Safety Expert Group’s […]
Evacuation Chair Servicing
Evacuation Chair Servicing: Our evacuation chairs had their annual service today so that they’re all ready to be used on our upcoming evacuation chair user & assistant courses. While the engineer was working on them we got chatting. He said that having just won a new contract, they were amazed to find that the vast […]
Fire Safety Series – Fire Safety at Home
Fire Safety at home: Shocking figures have been released by the Home Office showing that last year, 248 people lost their lives due to a fire at home. Many of these could have been prevented had some basic measures for fire safety at home been put in place. Fire safety precautions at home can be […]
