Why First Aid Training is Important

12th January 202422nd October 2021 by John Keen

Why First Aid Training is Important

Prior to the great shift towards working from home, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) reported some 581,000 self-reported workplace injuries as well as an additional 69,208 company-reported injuries. 147 of those injuries resulted in workplace fatalities. Despite these surprisingly high numbers, though, this represents a 580% downward turn over the past 50 years.

While better labour practices and regulations are certainly at the heart of this downward shift, it’s hard to deny the role that workplace first aid training has played in helping to prevent further on-the-job fatalities. As well as being a legal requirement, workplace first aid training saves lives and promotes a healthier work environment.

For those who doubt the benefits of first aid training, we’ve prepared a general breakdown of how your company could gain from such preparation. Not only is it affordable and mandated, but it could also save lives.

Why First Aid Training Matters

In the simplest of terms, first aid is any form of emergency medical care given immediately after an accident, injury, or illness. It aims to preserve the victim’s life, promote their healing, provide them with necessary emotional support, and prevent the situation from growing more severe than it already is.

Although most workplace injuries are relatively small—such as minor cuts, abrasions, bruises, or burns—first aid still provides the care necessary to keep workers from suffering a long-term injury. Should something more significant happen, employees will also be prepared to provide emergency first aid if needed.

It’s simply not enough to keep a first aid box on hand at the office. Even low-risk workplaces could benefit from hands-on, in-depth first aid training to prevent more severe health issues from escalating into a fatality. For example, if an employee were to suffer a heart attack or seizure at work, immediate care could save their life in the time it takes to get them to a hospital.

Legal Requirements for British Employers

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations of 1981, all employers within the UK must provide their employees with adequate and appropriate facilities, equipment, and personnel to guarantee their safety in the event of an accident, injury, or illness. These regulations even apply to the self-employed.

Employers and business owners are required to assess their first aid needs, including what should be included in their first-aid box, whether they require an on-site infirmary, and the number of first aid respondents required to provide satisfactory medical assistance.

While assessing your first aid needs, consider all potential workplace hazards, including chemicals, sharps, heavy loads, electrical hazards, and potential falls. For more information, please read the Health and Safety Executive’s pamphlet on workplace first aid requirements.

The Typical Costs of First Aid Training

You’ll be surprised to know that training employees in emergency first aid is not only beneficial but also relatively inexpensive. Currently, workplace first aid courses in the United Kingdom cost around £200.00-£300.00 per person. These courses generally take place over three days and train employees to manage:

Workplace hazards
Emergency care
CPR
Heimlich maneuvers
Shock and excessive bleeding
Unconscious or seizing coworkers

Along with treatment plans, workers gain hands-on knowledge of how to assess and react to high-stress situations in a calm and collected manner. With better reaction skills, workers can act safely and protect each other’s health in the event of a workplace accident or illness.

After completing their courses, your employees will be awarded certificates of completion, qualifying them in emergency workplace first aid. They can renew their certifications yearly by attending refresher courses to brush up on the skills they learned at their first training.

We offer three different accredited qualifications in first aid training with prices starting at £60 per person.

Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work

Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work

Level 3 Award in First Aid Response

Benefits of Having First Aid Trained Staff

When it comes to first aid, cost shouldn’t be your main concern. Training and employing a staff of first aid responders comes with its own benefits:

First aid saves employees’ lives – It should go without saying that providing injured or sick employees with immediate medical care greatly improves their chances of survival. The sooner you begin treating their illness or injuries, the sooner they can heal and return to normal health.
First aid training prevents accidents – By learning about potential workplace hazards, your employees gain a greater understanding of how they can prevent and avoid accidents on the job. They’ll also be better able to prevent repeat accidents going forward. Treat first aid training as risk-reduction.
First aid training boosts employee confidence and safety – After completing training, your employees will feel safer and more confident in the workplace knowing that they have the skills to save lives.
Employees learn to properly use a first aid box – You’d be surprised by how few people can accurately detail what goes in a first aid box and how to use those contents. Training introduces employees to the contents of a first aid box and how to appropriately administer those materials.
Employees learn to live safer lives – First aid skills might be taught within the context of work but that doesn’t mean they’re inapplicable outside of the office. Your employees will be able to apply what they’ve learned in the real world, at home, and with their families too.
First aid training builds team confidence and company morale – Not only will your employees feel more confident in themselves, but they’ll also feel more confident in each other. First aid training builds company morale by encouraging employees to work together and think as a team for the better good.

At first glance, it may seem as if first aid training is limited and offers few actionable benefits but as you examine its outcomes, we believe you’ll see that first aid training is more than just a legal requirement—it’s an investment in your staff and business.

Conclusion

With more than 30 years of experience in ISO standards, first aid training, and workplace health and safety, we can ensure that worker first aid training is more than it may seem. It can save lives, prevent long-term injury, and improve the overall morale and confidence of your staff. Contact us today for more information on how you can participate in workplace first aid training.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

The Cost of a Fire Risk Assessment

12th January 202415th October 2021 by John Keen

The Cost of a Fire Risk Assessment

Fire risk assessments are not only required as a matter of law, they have become crucial in the modern age where properties and people are squeezed tight in urban spaces.

In this article, we will review how fire risk assessments have become routine in the UK, how to abide by the requirements and the cost of a fire risk assessment.

Why is a Fire Risk Assessment Important?

A fire risk assessment is a vital part of maintaining a safe workplace and protect people and commerce in the vicinity of a business. It is also a legal requirement for any business that cannot be classified as a private home.

In the UK, the Home Office requires that any business (with a license under enactment in force) whose premises are occupied by more than 5 people will need to perform regular assessments and maintain a written record which must be produced to the authorities on demand.

Any business owner and/or manager bears the primary responsibility (the “responsible person”) and would be in trouble if they were not compliant. Violations could lead to a stiff fine and even jail time for those shirking their duties in this regard.

There is a 5-step checklist that provides guidance on the necessary steps to be followed:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-5-step-checklist

Let’s review what the cost of fire risk assessment should be in a typical scenario.

The Typical Costs of Hiring a Consultant to do a Fire Risk Assessment

There are a few things that a fire risk assessment must cover, including:

Identifying fire hazards
Identifying the people who would be at risk
Evaluating the risks, prior to removing (or at least reducing) them
Documenting the findings, then preparing plans to address emergencies and training the workforce on how to adhere to the same
Regularly reviewing and continuing the updating of the fire risk assessments

Who Performs Fire Risk Assessments?

For some businesses, the fire risk assessment may be done by the “responsible person” (e.g. owner or manager) or a designated person or team. However, this may not be possible in certain situations, where the owner/manager may not feel qualified to handle the task and/or the task may be too complicated.

Businesses with certain characteristics could require help from seasoned consultants. For example:

Large complex businesses with substantial premises
Heritage buildings
Small or medium sized business that may not have people suited for the job inhouse

Which Consultants can you Hire?

If the responsible person – or the duty holder, as the person may be known – need to hire an outside consultant, the following brochure from the UK government provides guidance about the type of “experts” that could be hired:

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/media/5496/fsf_guide_october_20.pdf

To gauge competency, two aspects of the consultant’s background can be probed:

The consultants should be part of Professional Body Registration schemes, and
Certified for this specific activity by a UKAS accredited agency

Additionally, getting detailed background information, proof of prior work in your specific industry and references are all prudent steps to take.

Potential Costs of a Fire Risk Assessment

A lone fire risk assessment can cost under £200. However, given the ongoing nature of the requirement, and especially if the assessment is complex, such an assessment may not suffice in the face of official scrutiny.

A fire risk assessment by a certified consultant can cost anywhere from £200 to more than £1,200 according to industry publications. Where a specific assessment can end up depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to:

Physical area of the premises to be assessed – includes factors such as the number of buildings, the number of floors within each building, the total size (floor area, common areas, basements etc.) to be assessed etc.
Other characteristics of the premises – such as the usage of the buildings and the overall risk level (infrastructural risks etc.) of the buildings.
The characteristics of the occupants, including the number of occupants during office hours and the number who sleep in the building. Any specific vulnerability specific to occupants (e.g. age or disabilities) must also be considered.

Another important consideration is the type of fire risk assessment required, as mentioned at the outset. The cost of a fire risk assessment by a branded fire protection equipment manager, performed on premises/businesses that need significant work and equipment to remove or reduce fire risks, will likely run a business owner towards the high-end figures.

There are certain complex fire risk assessments that could cost companies that do not prepare some groundwork tens of thousands of pounds. There are ways to prevent those cost overruns.

How Primary Risk Manager can Reduce Costs and Save Time

The Primary Risk Manager is a certified tool that is available from a company with over 20 years of experience in conducting safety audits in the UK market. They are ISO 9001 certified, and specifically geared towards helping companies help themselves.

The goal of the team supporting and implementing the Primary Risk Management software on behalf of a client is simple – to save the client time, money and headaches. The way to accomplish this and avoid any unanticipated cost overruns or unpleasant surprises is to prepare businesses prior to ever having to hire consultants to do their fire risk assessment.

A cornerstone of the Primary Risk Manager team’s approach is to help their clients perform a thorough due diligence in anticipation of Primary Authority Scheme requirements. These span not only the best practices in operational governance, but utilise a well-developed approach to risk management with “joined up” systems and a service backed approach.

The Primary Risk Manager tool has become even more potent as a time and money saving tool post the 2012 health and safety (fees) regulations, where businesses can have to pay significant fees and/or fines without being able to comply on codes and keep updating their systems. The impact could be significant in terms of saving fees that could range from £750 to several thousands of pounds.

The consultant team has saved clients time and money over and over again due to their commitment not only to the organisation being assessed but a willingness to help the clients take over initial aspects of detailed due diligence and then helping them engage with other key stakeholders including the authorities who would inspect and sign off on the reports.

Learn more about Primary Risk Manager

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

What is Business Process Improvement?

12th January 202426th August 2021 by John Keen

What is Business Process Improvement?

Business Process Improvement (BPI) is a way for businesses to evaluate and improve their business approach via various different methodologies and techniques.

Techniques include six sigma tools, simulation methods, process mapping, and other methods that we’ll explore in this article. Read on to learn about these tools, as well as the benefits of BPI and how it works.

Understanding - What is Business Process Improvement?

So, you may be wondering, what is Business Process Improvement? In essence, BPI is a type of management exercise meant to look in detail. It examines what a business is currently doing to succeed and grow. This drastic change gets to the root of any issues to transform them into business value.

This may include analysing data that shows how operations are working on large and small scales. It may also include analysing how individual employees or company members are performing in their roles. These each affect the larger picture.

The Purpose of Business Process Improvement

Some of the main goals of Business Process Improvement include:

Improving business accuracy
Increasing business efficiency
Improving the effectiveness of the business processes
Ultimately replanning the business processes to implement the improvements
Reducing company waste (including wasted time and funds)

And a lot of the time, meeting these goals, in turn, creates a better relationship with the company’s customers. The aim is to improve these areas so that the business can meet customer or industry demands. Further, they can adhere to regulations that may be quickly changing.

Different BPI Methodologies

When we ask ourselves, what is Business Process Improvement?, it’s important to understand the methods it consists of.

Enterprise leaders will use various techniques to get to the root of any issues in their business processes. These include data analysis, cost assessments, waste elimination, and various other multi-step methodologies. We will explain in detail below.

Six Sigma

Businesses use Six Sigma tools to help satisfy customers in the end. This method of BPI does so by reducing overall defects in the processes.

There are a couple of different Six Sigma tools; namely, there are DMADV and DMAIC. Each of these acronyms represents a multi-step method. They work to analyse, design, and improve the company’s processes.

DMADV – The point of DMADV is to create a high-quality product that pleases the customer(s). It works by doing the following:

Defining – defining the goals of the project and the customer’s needs
Measuring – collecting and recording data regarding what the customer sees as a quality product (by using a CTQ – Critical to Quality Tree)
Analysing – determining what’s necessary to design the quality product
Designing – designing and documenting the manufacturing in detail
Verifying – verifying the customer’s needs and presenting the newly outlined process

DMAIC – The point of DMAIC is to identify and solve problems. It works by:

Defining – defining the problem
Measuring – measuring CTQ and data
Analysing – analysing data with GAP analysis (finding the cause of the problem to understand the gap between the current and future state of the business)
Improving – testing a solution to the problem that is cost-effective and beneficial
Controlling – put into effect the solutions that worked in the test

Learn more about Six Sigma here.

Process Mapping

Process mapping is a process of improving data analysis via diagram tools like flow charts, value stream mapping, and BPMN. BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) is a specific flow chart that maps all of the steps in a business process. It maps the company’s activities in detail.

Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing, as it suggests, is to slim down the company’s process in a sense. It does this by working to eliminate waste of inventory, defects, overproduction, transport, motion, waiting, and over-processing.

One specific type of lean tool is PDCA (plan, do, check, act). It’s a problem-solving method aimed to reduce waste in the most efficient ways possible.

SIPOC

In BPI, SIPOC Analysis stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers. It’s a type of diagram used to document business processes and problem solve them.

You use this technique to identify the specific suppliers of processes and the steps they take from start to finish. This technique basically aims to understand how the processes currently work and who the customers are.

DRIVE

The DRIVE technique involves:

Defining
Reviewing
Verifying
Executing

DRIVE is another problem-solving process aimed to create a plan, as well as analyse and review data. You verify the plan’s effectiveness and follow through before gathering feedback.

This detailed method is good for businesses who want to create and implement a solution based on real data.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total Quality Management is a systematic goal-achieving solution for a company. In this method, the employees of a company work together as a team.

As the plan ensues, the company monitors the customers’ satisfaction with the quality of products.

Simulation Techniques

There are several different simulation techniques. Each is for testing improvement plans on a budget and with little risk involved.

The company simulates a certain operation or company process. This might work with a software or other method. The insights gained from simulations help companies see where improvements must happen.

Benefits of Business Process Improvement

The main benefits of business process improvement include:

Improved customer satisfaction
Improved company systems and processes
Integration of new or improved technology
Lessened risk for errors and waste
Productivity on both individual and company-wide levels
Ability to meet industry regulations and rules (compliance)

Overall, the aim of BPI is to improve a company’s overall operation, from the drawing board to the customer. If they meet all goals, they should satisfy customers. And this can optimise money, time, and resources.

Conclusion

Many people wonder what is Business Process Improvement and how it works. BPI (Business Process Improvement) is a forward-thinking set of approaches to improving the operations of a company. Owing to techniques like Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma methods, process simulations, and more, companies use BPI to reduce errors/waste and optimise their customers’ satisfaction.

These techniques involve defining goals, analysing and measuring data, testing improvements to solve problems, and evaluating the customer’s needs. Benefits include not only the above-mentioned ones, but also the potential for a company to improve as a team and learn to be efficient and successful.

Interested in how business process improvement can help your business?

Our lean programme has run for over 18 years helping over 650 companies accross many sectors. It has identified £65 million in business savings and improvements since its conception. You could also attract funding of up to 95% of the costs.

Find out more by following the link below.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

What is Lean for Manufacturing?

12th January 202419th August 2021 by John Keen

What is Lean for Manufacturing?

When it comes to manufacturing processes, the term lean refers to a state of manufacturing that has reduced waste in order to optimise production.

Lean manufacturing aims to identify all areas of waste in a company (wasted time, resources, energy, etc.). Then, a company can work to eliminate waste and change processes to be more efficient and competitive. Read on to learn more about what is lean for manufacturing, its benefits, and how it all started.

A Brief Introduction to Lean for Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is a type of business process improvement that seeks to eliminate waste, improve company efficiency, optimise processes, cut expenses, become innovative, and more. Companies try to achieve these goals via various concepts, tools, and practices.

In the end, lean manufacturing helps companies move efficiently as the marketplace continues to change regularly. Lean manufacturing uses various tools and concepts like improvement, flexibility, automation, and more.

Tools and Strategies of Lean for Manufacturing

There are various tools that companies use to implement the lean strategy. In order to eliminate waste and reduce cost, companies will use the following strategies:

Rank order clustering
Control charts
Value stream mapping
Poka-yoke (error proofing method)
Total productive maintenance
The Toyota way (this method is a bit alternative to the others but aims to improve the workflow in order to eliminate unevenness rather than waste)
5S (workplace organisation methods)
Single-point scheduling

Types of Waste Lean Manufacturing Eliminates

Waste in a company goes beyond just money, time, and resources. Waste can even come down to the individual employee level, where a company evaluates who is wasting away time or not getting work done right on the first try.

Waste in lean manufacturing involves three terms:

Muda – Muda refers to waste in the form of work that doesn’t add any value to the company.
Mura – Mura refers to waste in the form of unevenness (fluctuating demands in the market).
Muri – Muri refers to waste in the form of overburden. Poor resource allocation (trying to do too much at once) leads to overburden.

Key Lean Manufacturing Concepts

Lean manufacturing is a set of principles that address a larger goal. The following concepts of lean each play a role in creating company efficiency and conservation.

Automation

Automation is a concept used in lean manufacturing that seeks to make processes more efficient with automation. Automated processes guarantee consistency, which means less errors and waste overall when properly implemented.

Minimisation of Waste

Perhaps the more obvious concept of lean strategies, minimising waste is something companies always keep in mind when lean manufacturing. This means looking for waste in all areas of the company, from employee idleness to waste of utility resources or cashflow.

Perfect First-Time Quality

This is the idea that if you can do certain tasks or operations perfectly on the first try, you can reduce waste. It aims to reduce wasted time, resources, and more, although methods like automation may be necessary to achieve this concept.

Continuous Improvement

A company can’t hope to remain efficient if they don’t continually strive to improve. Continuous improvement is a concept that values operational choices you can tweak and improve in the future to become even more efficient.

Flexibility

Continuous improvement is a good segue into flexibility since you need it for improvements to keep happening. A company must be flexible in its processes so it can reduce waste. For example, if you improve a process but don’t allow a way to change it easily in the future, you could be wasting a lot of time and energy.

Optimising Long Term Relationships with Vendors

Optimal vendor management is another key concept of lean manufacturing. It costs a lot of money to change suppliers at a business since turnover often means changing costs and less opportunity to get good deals. Long term relationships formed with vendors leads to opportunities to get discounts, buy in bulk for cheaper, and stay consistent with costs.

Load Levelling

Load levelling is a way of reducing the frequent and larger fluctuations in customer demand. Companies can either level by volume or level by product.

Pull Processing

Pull systems attempt to reduce waste by only providing what the customers need at a given time. The company will only replace products or materials as needed and once they are out of stock. This method solely meets customer demand so that money is not wasted on goods that may wait a long time to finally sell.

History of Lean Manufacturing and How it Started

Lean manufacturing traces its roots back to the Toyota Production System. After World War II, Toyota gained success by adopting American production techniques, like those of Henry Ford and Edwards Deming.

Toyota sought to involve employees in the company processes together. They also started to make processes that improved efficiency and quick changes. Eventually, American companies saw the success of Toyota and started adopting their optimised methods but with new names.

Americans called these processes World Class Manufacturing, Stockless Production, etc. Nowadays, these methodologies have been fine-tuned into what we now call lean manufacturing.

You can learn more about the history of Lean Manufacturing here.

Benefits of Lean for Manufacturing

There are many benefits to using lean manufacturing in a company. Namely, lean manufacturing leads to:

Reduction or elimination of waste – this is perhaps the most obvious benefit but is also one of the most important
Increased profits and financial improvements – overall, lean manufacturing leads to higher profit margins considering the contrasting lack of wasted funds in the manufacturing process
More customer satisfaction – lean manufacturing seeks to meet the customer’s values, so by following this concept you can satisfy more customers
Speed – improving processes and reducing waste can lead to faster and better processes overall
Improvement to company morale – lean manufacturing has principles that value teamwork

Conclusion

When most people ask what is lean for manufacturing? they don’t often realise that lean manufacturing is more than just reducing waste.

Originating in the mid-20th century, lean manufacturing is a set of concepts, tools, and strategies for saving time and money, improving customer satisfaction, and making enhancements to a company’s overall processes.

Interested in implementing lean manufactuing in your business?

Find out more by following the link below.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

What is Lean Management?

12th January 202412th August 2021 by John Keen

What is Lean Management?

What is Lean Management? The Concept is Changing the World of Business

Managing a business team is like leading an Army.

There are strengths and weaknesses. There are needed moments of tough love and those times of unwavering support. A business team should be united in a purpose and a goal.

Enter lean management, a concept that has taken the world of business by storm. Companies around the world have been embracing the streamlined process of managing work that’s designed to both improve and maximise performance that improves both morale and company output.

But what exactly is lean management? Let’s take a closer look.

The Lean Management Approach

The keyword here is “lean.” Lean methodology started as a concept in the manufacturing sector but has grown in use by multiple industries, since it can really be applied to any business process, including marketing, lenders, banking, and software.

The overarching goal: improving business output in the most effective way possible.

Lean management is guided by a few universal ideas, including fostering continuous employee and business improvement, giving customers expected and consistent value, and — this is a big one — eschewing company waste. That means doing away with anything that doesn’t yield the best product possible.

Under the concept of lean management doing everything possible to improve the performance of a company is brought to the forefront. It means taking a hard look at a company’s ingrained work style or processes and tweaking it to up the profitability, quality, and productivity of employees.

“Lean” is an apt word to describe the management outlook. Like a lean cut of meat, managers are cutting out the fat, getting their business plan down to the most effective and most impactful bare bones.

Principles of Lean Management

The beauty of lean management lines in its principles revolving around both customer needs and employee satisfaction.

Lean management generally involves five key principles:

1. Knowing value

Under lean management, identifying a company’s value is key. That value is usually defined by the needs of its customers — they’re the ones paying for the product after all — and understanding how exactly your product is helping your customer.

Everything about your company should revolve around tapping into the extreme value of your product. Under lean management, anything that doesn’t bring value to a product is a waste of time and energy.

2. Writing out the value stream

Once you’ve grasped the details of your value, a value stream is needed. In this principle, you’re mapping out your company’s workflow — and that includes everyone involved in delivering your product and all of their actions.

Within this principle, you are uncovering what brings value to your company and what does not — the big picture of what makes your team successful or not.

3. Establishing a clean, clear, and concise workflow

We’ll throw in another “c” word here: continuous. Here, you’re aiming to create a continuous, lean-and-mean workflow that is smooth and successful.

There’s no room for fat here when outlining the best workflow. You identify and eliminate bottlenecks and roadblocks and, at the same time, elevate the teamwork that leads to the best product possible.

4. Understanding a product’s pull and what it takes to create that pull

Developing a pull system comes from stabilising your workflow. With a pull system, you’re optimising your resources and products delivery by pulling work only if there’s demand for such work.

5. Prioritising continuous improvement

The last principle is perhaps the most important to lean management. Improvement isn’t improvement unless it is made continuously.

Continuous improvement involving all employees is the hallmark of successful lean management. Fostering improvement can come from various types of managerial techniques, such as leading weekly meetings with honest discussions about what’s working and what’s not.

History of Lean Management

Lean management is a 20th century phenomenon. Its birth is typically attributed to the Toyota company (who called it the “Toyota Way.”).

It didn’t get the “lean” name tagged to the management style until the 1990s when lean management’s five principles were formally developed.

The concept of “lean” applying to efficiency, predates Toyota, however. Though it didn’t go by that name specifically, lean management was valued by such manufacturing titans as Henry Ford.

Sakichi Toyoda, who founded the company that would later become Toyota, studied the mass production system and flow production created by Ford.

The specific principles of lean management were outlined first in the 1991 book “The Machine That Changed the World,” by Daniel Roos, Daniel T. Jones, and James P. Womack.

Benefits of Lean Management

Lean management has taken hold at many companies because of its many immediate advantages. These include:

Renewed focus

Reducing your company’s wasteful activities drastically can have a revolutionary impact. The biggest benefit: More focus. By cutting the waste, your team can streamline its activities that produce the most value to the company and your consumers.

The power of the pull

The pull system is integral to lean management and to accelerated productivity. By focusing on work that reflects actual demand, you are able to maximise your company’s and employees’ resources more efficiently.

Increased productivity

With tailored and targeting focus and priority placed on true, created value, productivity can go through the roof since unnecessary tasks and effort are done away with.

Better team management

When guided by lean principles, teams in various industries can experience new vigour and refocused purpose. Priorities are not only well-defined but better managed by a company. The team actually becomes a team.

Notable Lean Leaders

Looking to learn more about those who have led the way in lean management beyond Toyoda and Ford? Here are a few of the innovators.

Taiichi Ohno

Japanese industrial engineer Ohno is actually considered the father of the system that would later become known as lean manufacturing. His Toyota Production System paved the way.

Frederick Winslow Taylor

An American mechanical engineer, Taylor is considered one of the first-ever management consultants. His book “The Principles of Scientific Management,” published in 1911, showcased his mastery of industrial efficiency.

W. Edwards Deming

Deming, an American statistician, was so impressed with Japanese industry ingenuity that he brought the concepts to America, focusing on improved quality and management.

Shigeo Shingo

Another Toyota veteran, Shingo was a prominent manufacturing improvement consultant and authored the influential book “Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System.”

Interested in implementing lean management in your business?

Find out more by following the link below.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

What is ISO 45001?

12th January 202423rd July 2021 by John Keen

What is ISO 45001?

So, what exactly is ISO 45001? ISO 45001 is the international standard for the promotion of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S). The ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) is meant to provide standards through which organisations can protect both physical and mental health, and aid in the prevention and reduction of workplace injuries and diseases.

Why Would You Need It?

Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems are an essential element of any legitimate organisation operating under normal standards anywhere in the world, regardless of the industry, size and other characteristics.

Who is the ISO 45001 Standard Meant for?

According to the International Labour Organisation, over 7,500 workers die from diseases or work-related incidents every day. While there have been workplace safety standards put in to address safety and health issues on a national or regional basis, ISO 45001 is a concerted attempt to cover all the bases as far as OH&S is concerned.

ISO 45001 can be applied to organisations of all sizes, sectors and industries, regardless of where they are located or other distinguishing characteristics. Workplace safety is one of the primary matters that businesses are globally asked to adhere by – the ISO 45001 standard is meant to both protect the workers as well as the business owners from occurrences that jeopardize safety and cause untoward incidents.

The ISO 45001:2018 standard is constructed along the same principles as the ISO 9001 or the ISO 14000 series of standards, which make it easier for organisations to follow along with it.

According to the deployment plan, the OHSAS 18001 expired earlier this year (March of 2021) and organisations were supposed to have migrated to the ISO 45001 standard by that point.

Benefits of ISO 45001

As mentioned above, worker health and safety protocols are an essential part of any company operating in any jurisdiction of the world.

Companies certified in ISO 45001 reap a number of benefits, including but not limited to:

Comply with international, national and local regulations on worker safety.
Reduce operational risk while maintaining efficiency – effectively, adhering to OHSMS standards signifies that the company is not “cutting corners” in a manner that endangers its workforce.
Protect the organisation against the possibility of costly legal actions and settlements in the event of an untoward incident.
Help win contracts, especially those designated for organisations with the proper licensing and safety standards.
Help attract customers and form business partnerships.
Be able to participate in RFPs and RFQs where an ISO 45001 certification may be required.
Increase stakeholder and key investor confidence.

Overall, companies that use the ISO 45001 standard will be able to expand their business more readily, given that their workers, leadership, key stakeholders and investors are likely to be confident that there will be a very low chance of business interruptions due to health and safety violations or unsafe work conditions that result in costly accidents.

ISO 45001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

There are many common requirements between ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards. Companies may combine implementations of these standards, especially since (as explained above) the three standards all adhere to the ISO’s new organisational structure.

ISO 9001 is a Quality Management Standard (QMS) which helps companies deliver consistent quality while meeting customer objectives. ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management Standard (EMS) which is broadly adhered to on a global basis.

The three standards share a PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) structure that would allow companies to evaluate and deploy them simultaneously.

How Can Companies Get Certified?

Companies seeking certification have to go to an accredited third-party auditor to get certified. It is important to note that organisations may choose to adhere to the standards without getting certified. However, as mentioned above, certification does open up more doors and provide concrete benefits.

In order to get certified, the following steps are necessary:

The company must develop and implement an ISO 45001 management system.
They must appoint an accredited third party to audit the system, so they can review the processes and implementation of the standard and certify compliance.
If gaps are identified, the company should address them.

Upon the completion of these steps, an ISO 45001 certificate will be issued.

One thing to be cautious of is non-accredited certification bodies claiming to be accredited. Check out this article to learn the difference between accredited and non-accredited certification and how costly it can be to get it wrong.

Origins of the ISO 45001 Standard

The ISO 45001 standard was published in March 2018 by the International Standards Organisation (ISO). The initiative for publishing the standard was developed based on previous standards such as the OHSAS 18001 and the International Labour Organisation’s ILO-OSH guidelines, alongside various national and regional standards that have been created to protect laborers from workplace injuries and safety violations.

The ISO 45001:2018 standard is part of a number of standards introduced by the ISO to cover the Environmental, Energy, Health & Safety, and Quality (EEHSQ) standards for organisations. The full family includes the following standards:

Basis of Evaluation

ISO 45001:2018 covers all the aspects that were part of the OHSAS 18001 standard, with a few important amendments. The main aspect is that the standard now adheres to the ISO’s new organisational structure, which all ISO based management systems (e.g. ISO 9001, 14001 etc.) fall under. A Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model is instilled into the ISO 45001 structure as part of this new structure.

In particular, the ISO 45001:2018 standard helps organisations promote safety, security and health through engagement with all stakeholders.

The changes introduced as part of the ISO 45001 standard include:

Context of the organisation
Leadership and worker participation
Planning
Support
Operation
Performance Evaluation
Improvement

The Final Word…

The ISO 45001 standard is now the standard that companies must adhere to from an OHSMS standpoint. The grace period allowed to migrate from the OHSAS 18001 standards has expired, which means that the new standards are now fully in vogue.

The many benefits to be derived from enhanced worker health and safety extend beyond cosmetic changes. In conjunction with other critical standards such as ISO 9001 and 14001, the ISO 45001:2018 standard foretell that a company is fully equipped to conduct its business with full corporate and human responsibility in the modern world.

Hopefully we have answered your question on what is ISO 45001. If there is anything you’re still unsure of, check out our other resources or drop us an email. We’re more than happy to help.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Transitioning to UKCA from CE Marking

12th January 202420th July 2021 by John Keen

Transitioning to UKCA from CE Marking

UKCA markings are in the process of replacing CE markings in the UK market. While UKCA officially became the standard on the first day of 2021, manufacturers, retailers and distributors have been given a years’ time to transition and conform to UKCA standards for all products sold in the UK.

What are CE and UKCA Markings?

Conformité Européenne (French for European Conformity) or CE markings are a self-declaration by a manufacturer that their product(s) are complaint with the health, safety and environmental protections prevalent across the European Union (EU) and conform with other relevant requirements.

The UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) refers to the current standards by which manufactures selling products in the UK market are complying with UK legislation in a similar way that adhering to the CE standard demonstrates compliance per the EU guidelines.

It is important to note (as explained below), that the CE and UKCA marking are self-declarations. The proof of compliance is produced by the documentation held by the company.

Why Do Companies Need to Transition from CE to UKCA?

According to the UK Government, all products manufactured, distributed and retailed within Great Britain (which covers all products previously covered by the CE standard), must meet the UKCA standards. While the standards and processes for assessment of products is similar, the UKCA is a distinctly separate marking which is required to be carried on products by law.

Some products are legally required to have the CE / UKCA mark under the Construction Products Regulations. Where there is a “harmonised standard” e.g Structural Steel, you can self-declare up to execution class 2 but 3 and 4 require testing by a notified body as well as external assessment to the EN 1090 standard.

Exclusions on the Marketing of UKCA Marked Products

A few things should be noted (check the UK Government’s site for more details):

The UKCA standard cannot be used to sell products in the EU – there, the CE standard is currently still required. Over time, some convergence of standards is to be expected.
The UKCA standards are applicable to products sold within Great Britain – that is, England, Scotland and Wales.
The guidance for Northern Ireland is slightly different.
Products that are covered include most of those covered by CE, along with some others. There are, however, a number of products that have separate guidance, including:
- Medical Devices
- Civil Explosives
- Construction material and products
- Rail interoperability constituents.

Medical devices, for example, are sold under guidelines published by the Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Agency. They can be sold in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU after meeting said standards.

Who Needs to Transition from CE to UKCA?

All companies – manufacturers, distributors and retailers – that market, distribute and sell products (provided those were not part of existing stock that had been ready for sale prior to January 1, 2021) must have the UKCA mark affixed on their product and/or packaging to offer their products for sale in the Great Britain market.

The responsibility for getting the products assessed for UKCA conformity and marked accordingly falls upon the manufacturers of the product.

As discussed below, there is a one-year period when such products can be sold with CE marking. Also, we describe later how any product a third-party conformity assessment is required to have the UKCA mark.

When Does the Transition Need to be Completed by?

UKCA markings have replaced CE markings earlier this year – on January 1, 2021, to be more precise. In theory, any products that had CE markings as of that date must now have UKCA markings in order to be sold in the UK.

Having said that, a one-year transition period is still under way, which means that companies actually have till Jan 1, 2022, to transition fully into UKCA marking their products.

How Can Companies Get their UKCA Requirements Met?

The UK Government has clearly articulated steps that would evaluate manufacturers of all products that previously required CE markings, along with certain additional products (such as aerosol products that previously required the “reverse epsilon” marking), to evaluate their existing product standards vis a vis the requirements of UKCA and then carry out a series of steps to enable the company to get the marking.

As part of the process, products being marketed in the UK must undergo a third-party conformity assessment carried out by an appropriately licensed UK body. A UK Conformity Assessment Body (UK CAB) covers a range of approved bodies, Recognised Third-Party Organisations (RTPOs), Technical Assessment Bodies (TABs) and User Inspectors (UIs). There is also a class of UK Notified Bodies, who are able to produce certification for products sold in Northern Ireland.

Typical UKCA and CE Conformity Assessment Steps

The Conformity Assessment for a manufactured product consists of the following steps:

The company will identify the directives and standards that apply to the specific product being tested.
They will then verify the specific requirements that the product must comply with.
At this stage, the company will assess whether a third-party review is necessary.
The product will be tested by the third-party assessor, who will then …
Draw up the required technical documentation in support of the review and findings.

After these steps are completed and the documentation safely in place, either the UKCA (or CE, as the case may be) marking can be placed on the product and/or its packaging.

Companies could transfer their conformity files to a recognised EU body, in which case they may not fall under the requirement of needing to obtain CE and UKCA marking.

Why Would You Need It? Benefits of UKCA Marks

The answer is obvious. Companies will not be able to distribute and sell their products in the Great Britain market without UKCA marks in the very near future. CE and UKCA markings are mandatory for whichever classes of products they pertain to.

While there is not much debate on the benefits, a word of caution is warranted. A UKCA Declaration of Conformity is a legal claim that the products being marketed and sold comply with all of the UK Government’s directives and standard. However, it is not evidence that the product is actually in compliance with said standards.

In other words, placing a UKCA mark on the product or its packaging does not prove compliance with the standards. The company must carry technical documentation and updated files that can prove such a claim if challenged.

It is also to be noted, however, that a manufacturer placing a UKCA or CE mark on their product is not making any implicit statement about the quality of the product but merely asserting compliance with the requirements within the relevant jurisdiction.

UKCA Marking Consultants

RKMS provide extremely cost effective UKCA marking consultancy. Our consultants have vast experience in helping clients transition from CE to UKCA marking in a smooth manner.

Why not get in touch and see how we can make your life a lot simpler and ensure your compliance as soon as possible?

The Final Word…

UKCA markings are here to stay. Manufacturers need to check whether they need to switch from CE to UKCA and ensure that they employ a UK CAB to assess and provide necessary documentation. Time is running out, so it’s important to look into the matter sooner rather than later.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

What is ISO 14001?

12th January 20242nd July 2021 by John Keen

What is ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is the definitive international standard that provides the framework, and specifies requirements, for companies to create an environmental management system (EMS).

Historically, organisations have taken very different approaches towards environmental management, which made collaborations and comparisons difficult. The ISO 14000 series, out of which ISO 14001 is the most popular standard, was launched to satisfy an industry wide need for standardisation.

Why Would You Need It?

The landscape that deals with environmental compliance changes over time. The ISO 14001:2015 standard was designed to be flexible, taking into account the three main prongs of compliance – regulatory needs, stakeholder requirements and legal compliance.

While each of the above may be changing or evolving, an ISO 14001:2015 review and subsequent monitoring will advise your internal leadership, key stakeholders, customers and business partners that you are seriously committed to doing the right thing in terms of environmental compliance and that they can rely on you.

Who is ISO 14001 Meant for?

The ISO 14001 standard is part of the ISO 14000 series of standards, that were developed to provide affordable tools that operate in a framework that uses best practices to organise and apply information related to environment management.

ISO 14001 can and should be used by any organisation that is setting up or wishes to maintain and/or improve its EMS.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an EMS as a framework that helps companies improve their environmental management function through regular and consistent reviews that help evaluate existing protocols for the organisation’s environmental performance and lays out means to improve the same.

The ISO 14001:2015 standard has some in-built flexibility in that its requirements can be tailored to fit an organisation’s core characteristics – be it the product and service offerings, location, industry or environmental policy.

As such, the ISO 14001:2015 standard can be used by organisations of all sizes, sectors, industries and locations.

ISO 14001:2015 is the most frequently used EMS standard, the other notable one being Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) which was developed by the European Union in 1993 and is used in Europe and elsewhere.

Benefits of ISO 14001

As mentioned above, environmental management is a key factor for all companies, especially those operating in Europe and North America. ISO 14001 is the gold standard among EMS.

About 250,000 companies globally are ISO 14001 certified, and many “green” companies have declared that they will only do business with ISO 14001 certified companies. Similar trends have evolved in certain consumer product segments – for example, coffee.

When an organisation gets certified in ISO 14001, it leads to a number of specific benefits, including but not limited to:

Improve resource efficiency and reduce waste
Help to reduce costs
Reduce employee turnover
Help companies design of supply chains that lets them gain a competitive advantage
Help implement process change initiatives on a more efficient basis
Help to procure new business and enhance customer trust
Help drive higher ROI from internal change initiatives
Assure that the environmental impact is being accurately measured; helping to improve the overall impact and managing environmental obligations consistently
Increase stakeholder trust
Help to form business relationships with green companies
Help to meet legal obligations

Overall, companies that use the ISO 14001 standard have a far better chance of connecting to clients and business partners in a global economy that values environmental responsibility. Moreover, they know that their overall compliance with environmental and other legal authorities will never get violated if they adhere to the standard. It’s become an essential tool for most companies in this day and age.

Learn more about the benefits of ISO 14001.

ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

There are many common requirements between ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. Companies may combine implementations of these two standards.

ISO 9001 is a Quality Management Standard (QMS) which helps companies deliver consistent quality while meeting customer objectives.

The two standards share a PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) structure that often finds them being evaluated and deployed simultaneously.

How Can Companies Get Certified?

Companies seeking certification in ISO 14001:2015 need to work with an accredited auditor and usually, but not required to, with a consultant. The process of an audit can take anywhere from three months to two years, with a step-by-step review of methodologies, context (of the organisation), current steps taken and existing documentation.

It is likely that knowledgeable third-party auditors will both suggest improvements and continuous monitoring guidelines.

Origins/History of the ISO 14001 Standard

The first-generation environmental management system, BS 7750, was developed in 1992 by the BSI Group. In 1996, the International Standards Organisation developed the ISO 14000 family of standards.

ISO 14001 went through two revisions, first in 2004 and then again in September 2015. The current generation of the ISO 14001:2015. As described above, the standard is applied when companies set up their environmental management systems (EMS).

Basis of Evaluation

ISO 14001:2015 covers all the standard topics required under an EMS, taking account of the mission, vision and industry/sector of an organisation, it’s leadership and support, operations and planning. The goal is to evaluate performance and suggest improvements.

The basis of an ISO 14001:2015 evaluation is covered under Clause 9 (Performance Evaluation) of the standard. This clause sets the guidelines to help measure and evaluate performance. It also sets up the compliance requirements, which include ongoing monitoring of the EMS post implementation, with internal audit and archived documentary evidence.

In particular, the ISO 14001:2015 performance evaluation standards help companies evaluate their EMS through:

Evaluating effectiveness, esp. with regard to the minimal requirements per the standard.
Evaluating how organisational, stakeholder and legal requirements are being met.
Demonstrate effective implementation of planning and conduct a process-level performance review.

Identifying gaps in, or opportunities for, improvements in the installed EMS.

The Final Word …

The ISO 14001 standard, along with the rest of ISO 14000 family of standards, have been around for a while. The ISO 14001:2015 has been designed to accommodate industry, sector, size, objectives and other considerations that a typical organisation may be subjected to.

In the modern world, most companies that depend on business partnerships with green companies or depend on their products being certified “environmentally sound” should look into getting an ISO 14001:2015 certification. The process could be a bit tedious, but the results are going to benefit your business tremendously.

Do you want us to take care of your ISO 14001 journey?

At RKMS we have over 25 years worth of experience in assisting companies achieve ISO 14001 with a 100% success rate. All our consultants are IRCA lead auditors so we know exactly what the auditors want to see.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

5 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Fire Compliance Competent Person

12th January 20247th June 2021 by John Keen

5 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Fire Compliance Competent Person

There are questions every business needs to be asking when it comes to the longevity of its operations. Finances, people, future growth—we need to have our finger on the pulse in all areas of our businesses to give them the best chance of success.

There are questions we need to be asking when it comes to fire compliance, too. Questions like:

Do we employ a competent person who meets our legal duty as a business?
Do we have a written fire compliance policy statement?
Do we have processes in place to recognise and report fire compliance issues?

You might be surprised at how many business owners and key stakeholders answer no to some—or all—of these questions. If you are one of them, you are not alone. And, fortunately, the solution could be very simple: outsourcing.

In this article, we’re exploring the 5 key benefits of outsourcing your fire compliance competent person. You’ll learn what makes a good competent person, what they can bring to the table, and why it’s so crucial that you get it right now.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is a Competent Person?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order states that there are two ways to identify a competent person. They must either:

Have sufficient training and experience to properly carry out the task at hand, or
Possess knowledge and other qualities to properly carry out the task at hand.

There is a common misconception in the business sector that the competent person assigned to fire compliance only needs to be familiar with the current legislation. Ensuring people within the business have an awareness of your legal fire compliance requirements is an asset, of course—but it doesn’t meet the requirements of the competent person role.

Put simply, the person assigned the role of a competent person must be competent to fulfil the task at hand.

Here’s the tricky part: as the ‘task at hand’ could range from the mundane to the complex, the level of competency expected needs to cover a broad range, too. The expectation and demand on a person’s training, experience, knowledge, and ‘other qualities’ will increase in accordance with the complexity of any given situation when it comes to fire compliance.

Effectively, your fire compliance competent person must display the relevant competencies to meet the situation in question—for the safety, wellbeing, and health of your business and its people.

Why Do You Need One?

In a nutshell: it’s the law.

Your business has a legal obligation to provide competent fire compliance support. Whether you employ someone within the business structure, or outsource the role, there must be a person responsible for taking appropriate general fire precautions.

So if you know you need one—and you don’t have one—let’s unpack why outsourcing could be a strong business solution.

1. It Reduces Business Risk

Outsourcing your fire compliance gives your business—and your personnel—greater clarity around risks. Having a specialist analyse areas of risk within your business structure ensures you have identified the hazards associated with your specific business—and supports you in managing those hazards.

Digging further, we can also look at non-compliance risks: the legal and financial ramifications of falling short in your fire compliance. If the worst happens, and your business is faced with a fire—are you sure your competent person was up to the task?

When you outsource a professional, you improve your chances from a legal standpoint, and protect the people within your organisation.

2. It Can Improve Brand Management

Being an employer of choice can help you draw the best candidates in a competitive job market—and a positive culture of health and safety makes your business a more desirable employer.

Recruiting top candidates and promoting a safe work culture drive your business’s reputation, and your brand in the eyes of shareholders, consumers, and competitors. In a climate where value and integrity matter, a fire compliance professional can set you ahead of the pack.

3. It Increases Productivity

The legislation around fire compliance—and health & safety in general—changes rapidly. It can be difficult for small and medium enterprises to keep up with amendments that may be vital if your business is faced with a fire.

By bringing in a specialist fire compliance consultant, you can be assured that they bring the knowledge, experience, and up-to-the-minute training you need to stay compliant—and to stay safe.

The added bonus: your team can stay focussed on your business, instead of reacting to legislative changes that reduce productivity and efficiency.

4. It Can Save Money

Fire compliance takes time—and time is money. Outsourcing your fire compliance competent person can eliminate the added time involved in:

Studying the relevant legislation
Identifying weak points within your organisation’s fire compliance
Becoming compliant

Further, bringing in a professional can protect you against the steep fines involved in non-compliance, and help you eliminate the risks of deadly, dangerous, and destructive fire damage.

For small businesses in particular, the prospect of employing a qualified fire compliance person isn’t justifiable for the business. When you outsource, you pay for the service as you need it—leaving you to run the business lean the remainder of the time.

5. It Can Reduce Stress

Let’s face it: running a business is stressful. Rewarding and challenging and stressful. Eliminate the added stressor of getting fire-compliant by outsourcing the role and putting yourself—and your key stakeholders—in a position to monitor the bigger picture.

Outsourcing your competent person means your business is less reactive to issues that arise—and more prepared for the future.

One More Thing

So, have you got somebody within your team with the level of knowledge and experience to face down complex compliance issues?

If not, consider outsourcing.

From protecting your brand and your people, to reducing the impact on your bottom line, now you’ve got five ways outsourcing your fire compliance competent person could be a game-changer in your business.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

H&S Competent Person – 6 Reasons You Should Be Outsourcing Your Health and Safety Competent Person

12th January 20247th June 2021 by John Keen

H&S Competent Person – 6 Reasons You Should Be Outsourcing Your Health and Safety Competent Person

As a business, you know the value of good people within your business. You’ve invested a lot of time and energy into the team you have, because they can be the drivers behind the success of a project—and even the success of an entire operation.

Is it really in your best interest to pull them from their roles to focus on your health & safety procedures?

Typically, the answer is no.

So you employ someone in a health & safety capacity, and absorb the costs of recruiting, screening, and hiring them. You pay top dollar and hope they have the initiative, training, and knowledge to deliver what your organisation needs. You take the risk that the ongoing investment will pay off.

Is that your only option?

Again, the answer is no. If moving an existing employee into health & safety is counter-productive, and hiring a new employee into the role is too risky, your third option could be the best: outsourcing.

If your business doesn’t have the competence under UK legislation to manage H&S in house—maybe your business is too complex or too high-risk—outsourcing could have far-reaching benefits. We’ll unpack those benefits here.

First Up: What is a Competent Person?

In the Health & Safety sphere, a competent person is one who has the:

“Necessary skills, experience and knowledge to manage health and safety.”

As an organisation, you are required under UK legislation to appoint a competent person to help you achieve your health and safety obligations. More than just someone who can safely perform the tasks required of your business, a competent person will be tasked with ensuring all areas of your business adhere to best practice.

In essence, a Health & Safety competent person can recognise risks and hazards within your operations, and help to structure controls that protect you, your people, and your business.

Does My Business Need a Health & Safety Competent Person?

In a nutshell: Yes.

While the standards for health and safety in the UK workplace are set in the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, it’s the latter standards that specify:

“Employers must appoint a ‘competent person’ to oversee health and safety in the workplace.”

Appointing a Health & Safety competent person is crucial to the longevity and compliance of your business, but it can also be a time- and money-consuming task. When you’re looking for a more effective way to stay compliant in the workplace, here are 6 reasons you might want to consider outsourcing the role.

1. It Frees Up Your People

The most valuable resource most businesses have is its people. A large amount of time, energy, and financial support goes into putting the best people into the right roles, so it makes sense to keep those people where they best achieve your business outcomes.

Hiring a new employee is a costly process in general, and more so for businesses that are unsure of what they should expect from a health and safety role. Onboarding a new employee is a period of adjustment and managing expectations, and in many cases, this just isn’t feasible for the business in the short-term.

For these reasons, bringing in a consultant who specialises in health and safety outcomes keeps your team free to drive strong outcomes for your business.

2. It Drives Efficiency

Health & Safety legislation in the UK is wide-ranging and ever-changing. This is a space that becomes even more complex when you factor in industry-specific caveats and expectations.

What we’re saying is: staying across health and safety obligations takes focus.

Outsourcing your health and safety competent person can give your organisation the peace of mind in knowing an expert is laser-focused on managing the risks and liabilities in a way that is compliant, effective, and efficient.

3. It Can Streamline Costs

One of the most important considerations in business is costs. Wage costs can quickly get out of control, and productivity—especially in a role in the health and safety sphere—can be difficult to measure.

Outsourcing can help maintain more consistency in running costs, whilst avoiding the high cost of a full-time health and safety officer.

In addition, employing a health and safety competent person as an employee comes with its own set of legal requirements and compliance tests. If your business isn’t prepared for this level of investment, bringing in a contracted professional could be a more simple, cost-effective solution.

4. It Protects Your Business

Any good business owner or operator wants to protect its people. A safer, healthier workplace is a happier workplace—and a better place to work.

By gaining clarity from a professional surrounding your health and safety obligations, you reduce your risk of non-compliance fines, legal trouble, damage to your business brand, and loss of productivity.

When you are seeking to build confidence within your team, with external stakeholders, and key investors, outsourcing a professional advisor can help you achieve that outcome.

5. It Promotes Strong Company Culture

Research has shown that a positive company culture improves employee wellbeing, and reduces accidents in the workplace by up to 50%. It reduces employee turnover, drives productivity, and increases consumer engagement.

And the #1 factor in a positive company culture? Employees feeling valued in the workplace.

Demonstrate how much you value your team by delivering a robust, professional health and safety process that protects everybody in the workplace. Emphasise your company’s commitment to a safe working environment through quality procedures and consistent monitoring—and enjoy the tangible benefits.

6. It Puts You in The Driver’s Seat

Have you heard the phrase, “I can’t see the wood for the trees.”?

When you are heavily involved in developing and maintaining the health and safety processes within your business, you may struggle to see the big picture. As you—or any key member of your management team—becomes caught up in “putting out fires” it becomes incredibly difficult to navigate the HSE ship as a part of your overall business convoy.

An independent consultant allows you to step back and consider practical solutions, rather than to operate your business from a reactive response position.

Final Thoughts

A strong health and safety process can keep your business agile, help you identify and prepare for HSE issues, and support you in making compliant, flexible, and well-informed decisions.

It can keep your team free to focus on driving your business forward and reaching crucial outcomes. Most importantly, it keeps your people and your organisation safe.

The question is: do you really have time to do it yourself? If not, outsourcing your Health & Safety competent person could be the strong solution for your business.

Do you want us to take care of your Health & Safety Compliance?

At RKMS we have over 25 years worth of experience in assisting companies with Health & Safety matters. Leave your H&S compliance in the safe hands of our expert consultants.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Related Resources

Why ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Are the Smartest Investments You’ll Make This Year

Cheap ISO UK: 7 Hidden Costs That Could Damage Your Business

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

John Keen

Apart from work John enjoys sports (football, karate & walking) as well as travel & spending time with friends & grandchildren.

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

At RKMS we are determined to make a business run as efficiently as possible. Will that next business be yours?

Why First Aid Training is Important

Why First Aid Training Matters

Legal Requirements for British Employers

The Typical Costs of First Aid Training

Benefits of Having First Aid Trained Staff

Conclusion

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Related Resources

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

John Keen

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

The Cost of a Fire Risk Assessment

Why is a Fire Risk Assessment Important?

The Typical Costs of Hiring a Consultant to do a Fire Risk Assessment

Who Performs Fire Risk Assessments?

Which Consultants can you Hire?

Potential Costs of a Fire Risk Assessment

How Primary Risk Manager can Reduce Costs and Save Time

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Related Resources

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

John Keen

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

What is Business Process Improvement?

What is Business Process Improvement?

Understanding - What is Business Process Improvement?

The Purpose of Business Process Improvement

Different BPI Methodologies

Six Sigma

Process Mapping

Lean Manufacturing

SIPOC

DRIVE

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Simulation Techniques

Benefits of Business Process Improvement

Conclusion

Interested in how business process improvement can help your business?

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Related Resources

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

John Keen

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

What is Lean for Manufacturing?

What is Lean for Manufacturing?

A Brief Introduction to Lean for Manufacturing

Tools and Strategies of Lean for Manufacturing

Types of Waste Lean Manufacturing Eliminates

Key Lean Manufacturing Concepts

Automation

Minimisation of Waste

Perfect First-Time Quality

Continuous Improvement

Flexibility

Optimising Long Term Relationships with Vendors

Load Levelling

Pull Processing

History of Lean Manufacturing and How it Started

Benefits of Lean for Manufacturing

Conclusion

Interested in implementing lean manufactuing in your business?

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Related Resources

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

John Keen

Do you want us to take care of your fire compliance? H&S compliance? ISO certification? training? human resources?

What is Lean Management?

What is Lean Management? The Concept is Changing the World of Business

The Lean Management Approach

Principles of Lean Management

1. Knowing value

2. Writing out the value stream

3. Establishing a clean, clear, and concise workflow

4. Understanding a product’s pull and what it takes to create that pull

5. Prioritising continuous improvement

History of Lean Management