Call for action for the male population in BFFF membership!

Sometimes we are so engrossed in our working life we forget about own health (& safety). Statistics show the male population are not good at talking about sensitive and personal matters, so when it comes to talking about the prostate, forget it. It’s so easy to bury your head in the sand hoping it will never happen to me. We have found a better way without the need for any embarrassment whatsoever. There are 2 simple steps, with the first step taking less than 30 seconds:

1) Prostate Cancer UK has developed an online assessment ‘check you risk in 30 seconds’, this without the need to speak to anyone. The online assessment consists of just a few questions such as your age, if your father or brother had prostate cancer and your ethnicity, Check your risk in 30 seconds | Prostate Cancer UK

2) If step 1 states you are at risk, contact your GP surgery and request a Prostate Specific Antigen test (PSA, blood test), this can usually be arranged over the phone.

Prostate cancer survival has tripled in the last 50 years in the UK, this is probably because of PSA testing, which can result in earlier diagnosis and is therefore associated with higher survival.

Join the customs experts at Unsworth UK on Friday 24th November at 11:00am in an online webinar dedicated to highlighting how the recently implemented Windsor Framework will affect your exports to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

On October 1st 2023, The Windsor Framework came into effect, replacing the old Northern Ireland Protocol. The new legislation sees the introduction of Green & Red Lanes and a simplification of the import process to ease the movement of goods bound for Northern Ireland from the UK.

The event features a Q+A session, where you can get answers to your most pressing questions on this important topic and ensure that your shipments flow freely across the Irish Sea. You can register for the event here.

Initiative will help businesses meet safety and compliance standards

For a limited period, businesses using materials handling equipment can turn to the industry’s leading specialists in forklift training and safety for an expert, free-of-charge and no-obligation health check.

Outlining the initiative, Stuart Taylor of Mentor Training said: “Most businesses appreciate the importance of providing basic training for those using forklift trucks. That said, many are unaware that there is much more to ensuring operations are safe and legal requirements are met.

“With that in mind, our MHE Training Health Check helps businesses make sure they are meeting fundamental safety and compliance standards.”

In addition to the provision of basic courses for novice operators, the health check considers all training requirements for businesses using MHE. Not only does it identify areas where risk can be reduced but it signposts participants to relevant best practice guidance and solutions, with sessions already successfully delivered at businesses across a range of industries, nationwide.

The offer from Mentor is certainly timely, with fines from prosecutions hitting record levels and the likelihood of conviction from HSE prosecutions running at more than 94%.

“With a multitude of regulations and best practice to follow, keeping on top of it all can seem overwhelming… but failing to address vital training and safety can leave employers open to serious, costly accidents as well as prosecution,” explains Stuart.

“The objective of the health check is to ensure businesses are meeting their requirements and keeping their teams as safe as possible.

“In less than an hour, either online or face-to-face, a dedicated Mentor advisor will work with you to explore your current provisions. Importantly, at the end of the meeting the advisor will provide immediate feedback that will identify potential areas for improvement and ways to help your business.”

Drawing upon 30 years’ experience in the materials handling sector, Mentor has designed the health check to ensure those utilising MHE are meeting their responsibilities and reducing risk as far as possible, for the good of their people and their business.

“The health check has no cost, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain from the process,” concludes Stuart. “Those we have carried out so far have received really positive feedback. Even the most safety-minded businesses have been keen to confirm that what they have in place meets all necessary requirements, and they really value the follow up summary as a tangible record of our findings.”

Mentor’s MHE Training Health Checks are available until 31st December 2023. To book your session or find out more, click here: https://mentortraining.co.uk/mhe-training-health-check