FAQ
At SHEQ Aspen-Thorn, we provide the complete health and safety solution – from risk assessments and audits. Read some of our more frequently asked questions below.
For all other enquires please contact us directly.
ABOUT US & SERVICES
What does a health and safety consultancy do?
In a nutshell, a health and safety consultancy provides specialist and expert advice on a broad range of safety, health, environment, and quality issues. Health and safety doesn’t have to be complex or confusing. We guide you through current legislation, ensuring your company is fully compliant whilst providing you with a jargon free service bespoke to your needs. Our support includes, but is not limited to, annual competent person, writing comprehensive policies and procedures, support with accreditations to monthly site inspections and bespoke requests.
We firmly believe that a proactive approach to SHEQ and training is crucial to meeting your expectations and that by striving for continuous improvement we can evolve with your business.
SHEQ Aspen-Thorn also offer a variety of health and safety training courses including IOSH, SMSTS, SSSTS, asbestos awareness, working at height, behavioural safety, first aid, fire safety. visit our online training page for more details.
Do you have recognised accreditations?
Yes, we are accredited with: IOSH, IIRSM and IFSM.
Do you only do in-person training?
We are an expert health and safety training provider and offer a combination of online, virtual, in-person and bespoke training packages to suit all business needs. Please contact us or visit our online training page for more details.
What health and safety training and coaching packages do you offer?
We offer various bespoke packages to suit all business needs, including, but not limited to:
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SMSTS and SSSTS
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IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)
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Environment and sustainability
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Investigations
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Asbestos
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Working at height
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Behavioural safety
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DSE (Display Screen Equipment)
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Manual handling
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Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS)
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Fire, including basic fire awareness, fire Marshall, fire extinguisher
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First aid
What if none of your packages fit my business needs?
We appreciate that all businesses are different and as such we can tailor our packages to provide a service that suits your organisation’s needs and budget when you need it, whether you are a sole trader or one who hires in labour. Our client base is broad across many sectors, including education, construction, care homes, civil engineering and nuclear, to name a few.
What is the cost of your health and safety training packages?
Our training courses vary in awarding body, duration (one-day IOSH courses, five-day SMSTS and three-day first aid at work), and location (virtual or classroom). Therefore, it is difficult to provide a ‘set’ price. However, we can offer open courses for x1 or bespoke courses at your premises for x20. Please contact us or visit our online training page for more details.
Do you offer support with health and safety bids?
Our team of experts has many years’ experience of compiling PQQ, tender and bid submissions to the highest possible standards.
Can you help with legal compliance?
Yes – we give you the reassurance that you are always legally compliant. Our proactive approach through audits, inspections and reporting will ensure our clients are always performing to best practice. We provide support with governance and assurance, Acts and regulations, report writing and presentations. In relation to specific areas of compliance, we offer COSHH assessments and bespoke risk assessments. We also have a proven track record of working with accreditation bodies to implement ISO management systems and known Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) such as CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline.
Can you help with CDM (Construction (Design and Management)) Regulations?
We offer the specialist service of advising on health and safety risks throughout projects. As appointed Principal Designer we will ensure designers have fully considered pre-construction safety by design, through construction phase and onto the end user. We will compile project F10, attend design and construction meetings and arrange Health and Safety File for Clients in accordance with CDM 2015.
Can you provide support with health and safety incidents?
If you experience health and safety incidents, we have extensive expertise in investigation support. We have vast experience in working on legal claims, defence with material breaches, court representation and liaising with enforcement authorities
What is a workplace risk assessment?
A workplace risk assessment is a systematic process of assessing what risks and hazards are in the workplace and identifying the best controls to mitigate them to a minimal level. The end goal is, if possible, to eliminate the risks and hazards completely. Our online training course in risk assessment offers a fantastic opportunity to learn the all the fundamentals of risk assessment and how to conduct one in your workplace.
Can you help my business to manage its health and safety risk?
We carry out risk assessments of your sites and offices to identify any hazards that exist in the working environment. We assess individual work tasks, compile method statements, and communicate these to your workforce.
Which health and safety course is most suitable for my business?
We have a variety of health and safety courses, please visit our online training page for more details. If you would like any guidance regarding the suitability of our training courses, please contact us on info@sheq-aspenthorn.co.uk or ring us on 0151 7073244
Who can attend your training courses?
Our training courses are suitable for everyone. From one-day refresher courses to manual handling to first aid, we have a variety of health and safety courses, so please visit our online training page for more details. If you would like any guidance regarding the suitability of our training courses, please contact us on info@sheq-aspenthorn.co.uk or ring us on 0151 7073244
What steps are you taking to prioritise the environment and sustainability?
SHEQ Aspen-Thorn, we take our environmental responsibilities seriously and always consider the impact of our decisions and actions on the surrounding environment. Like many other businesses we are more aware then ever of the need for our business to be sustainable as the world around us becomes far more conscious of the impact we have on the planet. We give the utmost consideration to travelling responsibly.
We provide advice to our clients on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. We ensure and offer our clients a more stakeholder-centric approach to doing business that will provide a sustainable policy, ensuring they are here today and long into the future.
GENERAL
Where can I find the most up-to-date health and safety legislation?
The SHEQ Aspen-Thorn team are always well-informed and on hand to provide up-to-date guidance on current legislation. The HSE website is another excellent source of information and advice in this respect, but we will interpret the information you research and provide guidance that is easy-to-read and understand.
What are my main responsibilities under health and safety legislation?
Regardless of position within a company, all persons have a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of themselves and others is protected and secured. We must all work to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This means that the actions you take do not pose a danger to yourself and potentially others in your area of works or with the actions that you are performing. You must also ensure that any dangers observed are reported through the appropriate communication channels and if possible, dealt with by yourself or the person responsible for health and safety in the organisation.
Do I need a health and safety policy?
All businesses and organisations should have some form of policy to manage their health and safety. This is a legal requirement and must be documented if you have five or more employees. This can be done in both paper format and digitally. The health and safety policy will explain how you manage safety within the business and any changes you make to this should be communicated to all employees. Small businesses (under five persons) and sole traders do not have a legal requirement to document their policy, but best practice is to always have this available. SHEQ Aspen-Thorn will work with you and ensure your policy is suitable and sufficient to protect your people and business.
What should be included in a health and safety policy?
A health and safety policy is composed of three main sections. The start of the policy is the statement of intent. This is where the organisations ethos, culture, aims, and objectives are detailed down and demonstrates the commitment to health and safety. This is signed by the most senior individual within the organisation.
The middle section of the policy will feature the organisation of health and safety. This details names, positions, duties and gives accountability for the persons who hold responsibility and should outline communication channels used within the company.
The final part of the policy is the arrangements section, which gives more detail into the processes and procedures used to detail how the policy statements goals and objectives will be met. SHEQ Aspen-Thorn will work with you and ensure your policy is suitable and sufficient to protect your people and your business.
What is the difference between virtual training and online training?
Virtual training is carried out on a personal device, such as a laptop, iPad or computer and the course is delivered live by a tutor over electronic platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts. You will be in a ‘virtual’ classroom with other delegates and be able to interact with them and have the option to ask the tutor questions. The course will be structured with set dates and start and finish times.
Online training (also known as e-learning and distance learning) takes place over the internet. You will usually be provided with a username and password to log into an online portal and will be able to complete the training at a time suitable for you. The format of the course will vary and include graphics, audio, video and possibly web-links and you can progress through the various elements at a pace to suit you. There is no tutor or other delegates.
We have a variety of virtual and online training courses available, please visit our online training page.