The story of KSH Safety Services’ first year is quite long, but we've achieved a hell of a lot - and these are just on our website. Here is a summary of all our posts, in case you missed any ... Preparation for the business started in November 2017, when our fledgling website promoted a new business venture as Coming Soon.
A few weeks later we announced our membership of St Helens Chamber.
Early December saw the first snow of the year, so we gave advice to businesses on being ready for the inclement weather. With mobile phone charging hitting the news due to fires, we published advice on the safe charging of devices. As we said goodbye to 2017, we looked at our plans for the year ahead, advising businesses to use the new year to improve their health and safety management. On 1 January 2018, we informed you of the new Ionising Radiation Regulations as they came into force before a few days later announcing our new suite of e-learning courses. Later that month, the courses went live via a promotional video just as our first clients came on board, and we started trading.
Following five high profile fires over the Christmas and New Year period, we advised on fire safety. Using the analogy of the Captain of the Titanic, we advised on workplace accidents.
Towards the end of January, we promoted our two Display Screen Equipment e-learning courses and advised on two hot topics for 2018 – sprinkler systems and allergen awareness. We talked about legal compliance for employers and the self employed and we looked at the new ISO Standard for health and safety management, ISO 45001, as it was launched. We asked what questions should companies be asking to improve their safety culture. Into February, and we advised companies about a new Standard when buying ladders. We also advised on our training on fire safety and separately on fire safety in care homes.
We wrote about how an incident with a shredder led to a career in Health and Safety, and about the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM).
During the Winter Olympics, we spoke about how one Olympian gave the inspiration for KSH Safety Services and we examined whether winter sports were too risky. We wrote about Asbestos Awareness, COSHH and about us becoming a Supporter of the British Safety Council. We took a look at our Epilepsy Awareness course and our food safety and food hygiene courses. We discussed the importance of networking for businesses and talked about the fine given to a Red Arrows ejector seat manufacturer.
We ended February and started March by discussing safe working, Legionella, and Prostrate Cancer . We discussed abrasive wheels, women in health and safety, and the importance of sleep - highlighting that only 10% of us get regular good night's sleep. In early April, we advised you on Lone working and asked if you are protecting your employees. We informed you that stricter PPE laws had come into force, and we introduced our new Behavioural Safety online course.
We launched our health and safety package deals as we exhibited at our first Business Fair. In May, we discussed Health and Safety Jigsaws and explained the additional skills you can gain from using KSH Safety Services We talked about World Mental Health Day and celebrated the best of St Helens businesses The importance of exercise was topic of the day in late May as we also launched a new food safety e-learning course on HACCP.
The month ended with a joint article with St Helens Chamber, explaining how I had taken the leap of faith into self-employment, and the help and support I had received from the Chamber June started with us discussing the implications of the growing business trend of BOYD -Bring your own devices. We provided some basic tips on writing a good risk assessment and gave further insights into how you can use our package deals.
In late June, we gave a presentation to businesses in St Helens on how we don't always learn from previous mistakes, using health and safety issues throughout history as the examples. This was followed by an article on the subject on our website. In July, we asked if your business closed down for a few weeks in the summer, and commemorated the Piper Alpha Disaster 30 years on. We also became a member of GiveBackWorks.
We presented ten tips to improving your health while working at a computer workstation to businesses in Preston, then wrote an article on it. August was a time for planning as we remembered the "to me to you" manual handling catchphrase of Barry Chuckle.
We gave you ten tips to reduce the risk of fire in your premises and discussed Brexit and its impact on health and safety. We ended August with 40 reasons why sensible health and safety management is important. September started with us promoting our food safety e-learning courses, and was followed by a talk to businesses in Chorley on working safely and behavioural safety
We became pitch-side and programme sponsors at St Helens Town AFC and advised everyone to look after your eyes at work In October, we predicted that RIDDOR rules may change again and held a competition at Networking events, which was won by a garden landscaper.
We talked about how a concept became a reality in KSH Safety Services. We also gave a 16 minute TV Interview on health and safety in offices and contact centres. We launched our new Slips, Trips and Falls e-learning course and discussed how health and safety can be found in strange places
With the launch of the new Queen movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, we asked if you are a Great Pretender when it comes to health and safety. The start of November saw another successful day at a Business Fair. Following a family tragedy in 2017, we talked about how one drunken moment can kill in a thought provoking article called One split second. Later in December, we explained how the victim of this tragedy gave the gift of life to others.
As the world commemorated the centenary of the end of World War I, we looked at how the war shaped health and safety legislation, and how it puts many of our stresses and fears into perspective.
We gave a further health and safety update on Brexit and we became members of RoSPA and the FSB. We advised on how to plan in order to keep your business premises safe during Christmas shutdowns, and advised on the importance of keeping safe during the busy pre-Christmas season, and also at Christmas Parties. As Christmas approached we looked at health and safety issues around the world in our Twelve days of safety article.
All that is in just over one year - our first year of trading. You can receive future articles in your inbox by completing the form on our News Page. We send them a couple of times a month, and you can unsubscribe any time.
With clients in many industries, across the north west, Midlands and even Gloucestershire, KSH Safety Services has grown from nothing to an important force for good among the business community. We thank all our clients and those that have supported us thus far, and look forward to working with you all on the next exciting step of our adventure in 2019.