News
Worker’s Finger Amputated
A TIMBER company has been fined after an agency worker lost the top of his finger in an unguarded machine. Grantham Magistrates’ Court was told that the 23-year-old worker was helping to clear a blockage on a woodworking machine at Select Timber Products’s premises in Donington, when the incident happened on July 15, 2013. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found two of the machine’s guards had been removed. The machine operator had lifted the main guard to clear the blockage, while a fixed guard on one of the...
read moreBrintons Carpets In Court
BRINTONS CARPETS appeared in court recently to face a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an explosion at the company’s dye house in Telford on June 4, 2013. The incident occurred when a large pressure vessel, in which carpet fibres are dyed and processed, exploded. The explosion propelled the vessel’s quarter-tonne lid six metres into the air. No-one was injured in the incident, but an investigation by the HSE concluded that the dangerous incident could have been prevented. Also prosecuted at the same time...
read moreBack Ache Costs Billions
AS WINTER approaches appeals are being made to workers, especially those in construction trades, including floorlayers, to take care of your backs. Musculoskeletal disorders, specifically back problems, are the UK’s most common type of work-related injury. The latest figures from HSE shows that work-related ill health or injury means a loss to the British economy of 27 million working days a year. And the biggest cause of workplace injury is manual handling and musculoskeletal disorders. And there is a massive economic cost to Britain....
read moreForbo Flooring Systems
Head of key accounts at Forbo Flooring Systems Did you ever get into trouble at school and, if so, why? I never got caught! What was your first part-time job? Packing and dispatching Land Rover parts in an Army warehouse. My father was in the military abroad. What did you spend your first pay cheque on? I was a lodger when my first pay cheque came through so I’ll have done something sensible like save a few pounds and spend the rest on treats for myself. When I moved in to my first house, the treats went out the window and I spent...
read moreCommercial Flooring V Domestic Flooring
Paul Pearce on carpet cleaning: Commercial vs domestic THE first thing to consider when cleaning commercial carpets is the amount of foot traffic they are subjected to compared with domestic carpets. This traffic can range from a few hundred pairs of feet to several thousand pairs every day, varying from building to building. The type, and amount, of soil found in a building where the company’s sole business is serving food would be very different from that found in a five-star hotel, a solicitor’s office or a factory or car showroom....
read moreCashflow In Flooring
Advice from experts that every business in flooring MUST READ EVERYONE agrees that sound cashflow is vital for business survival and growth. Some go further and say that cashflow outranks profit. The simple message is: Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cashflow is reality! Factors that affect your cashflow include: A change in your turnover (even a slight one); An increase in your prices; A decrease in your prices; A change in inventory levels; Taking on a new salesperson or any new employee. Or indeed letting one go; A...
read moreProfessional Indemnity Insurance
John McDonald on professional indemnity insurance PROFESSIONAL indemnity insurance is a liability policy to protect against legal liability (whether in contract or tort) for damages from an error in the professional services provided by the holder. It does not cover defective workmanship or contractor’s supervision. For design and build contractors, this insurance is required in addition to policies such as Public Liability and Contractor’s All Risks. A key aspect is that such policies are on a ‘claims made’ basis: It is the...
read moreProtecting Your Business In A Crisis
Stephen Sidkin on force majeure clauses WITH winter approaching, businesses could contemplate having to be adversely affected by a national emergency, such as a switch off in electricity or gas supply. Indeed, during the winter of 2012 the UK’s gas stocks were down to just a few days. For businesses, the result of such an emergency would likely be that many commercial contracts will not be performed. The consequences will depend on what the contract does or does not say. Many commercial agreements incorporate specific clauses designed...
read moreMuch To Do When Flooring Business Is Quiet
Craig Pawson on keeping productive during winter WINTER is nearly upon us and while we can’t predict whether it will be a mild winter like last year, or one that is disrupted by snowfall, December brings a slightly quieter time for flooring contractors. My advice is to prepare for this by taking advantage of the time in the office to drum up more business by developing existing customer relations, focusing on keeping up to date on training and looking into different forms of marketing. l Develop relationships: Keeping in contact with...
read moreCorporate Manslaughter Prosecutions
Phil Crosbie on individuals in corporate manslaughter prosecutions LAST month I discussed the growing number of individuals in corporate manslaughter prosecutions, and mentoned suggestions by many lawyers that individual charges were levied as an attempt to offer a bargaining position and secure ‘guilty’ pleas without the risks of going to trial. The notion that a senior executive can actually ‘sacrifice’ the company to save themselves from a potential prison sentence is a dangerous, and somewhat ill advised observation. l Is it a...
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