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Safe Contractor award for CK Group
CK Group has recently been awarded an accreditation certificate by Safe Contractor, a sought after health and safety accreditor, for achieving high standard health and safety services. These services broadly range from carpet and kitchen equipment cleaning to office and window cleaning and even graffiti removal.
During the assesment, a number of critical safety topics were considered. Safe Contractor ensured the emergency procedures, insurance cover, work equipment testing and the manual handling of the products and equipment within the CK Group met the high standards of the accreditation.
The certificate, valid until next year, highlights the hard work and determination the CK Group has put in to ensuring its services are up to the highest possible standard.
With over 30 years experience, CK Group companies have not only pioneered the introduction of some of the most effective and proven methods of ensuring optimum levels of hygiene, they are also ensuring that continuous daily use further develops these ideas.
The same equipment that CK Group operatives use, as well as tissues and wipes, janitorial supplies and cleaning chemicals, can also be supplied through its consumables division for in-house cleaning teams or other outside contractors to do the job themselves.
www.ckgroupservices.com
SCA listed in latest sustainability index
SCA has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index, one the most prestigious sustainability listings in the world. Companies included in the Indices are assessed according to certain economic, environmental and social parameters.
“We are very happy that our sustainability work is being recognised in this way,” said Kersti Strandqvist, corporate sustainability vice-president for the SCA Group. “We are proud to have been included in the index four times during the last seven years and there are many people who have done a fantastic job. When we didn’t make it last year we had a clearly-stated ambition to return in 2011. Now we are back.”
SCA’s sustainability work comprises an essential building block in the company’s global operations and represents an important part of its strategies for growth and value creation.
The company is regularly recognised for its sustainability by external bodies. In March SCA was named as one of the world’s most ethical companies for a fourth consecutive year - the only hygiene tissue manufacturer worldwide to appear in the rankings.
Earlier this year the company was one of only four companies worldwide to be nominated for the Globe Sustainability Reporting Award 2011. And in November 2010, SCA in Germany received a Global Partner Award from the Forest Stewardship Council for its responsible forest management.
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are the first global indices to track the financial performance of sustainability-driven companies worldwide.
Companies are selected for the indexes based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends. Only firms that lead their industries based on this assessment are included in the lists.
www.tork.co.uk
PHS releases corporate responsibility report
The PHS Group has released its annual corporate responsibility (CR) report. This is the first report to provide a thorough analysis of CR at PHS, and follows a recent strategic review of the area.
The report is designed to be an honest appraisal of the group’s drive to be a more sustainable business, and highlights many examples of its long-standing commitment to the areas of health & safety, environment, people and community. It also identifies key areas for further improvement, and outlines the organisation’s approach to reaching its three-year strategic goals.
Peter Cohen, chief executive, said: “It might come as a surprise to some that this is the first corporate responsibility report PHS has released. But it doesn’t mean our commitment to sustainability is new; it’s just that we haven’t always been the best at promoting our achievements. With nearly 50 years experience of operating in complex and highly regulated markets, environmental and ethical best practice has always been, and continues to be, fundamental to our business and a natural part of what we do.”
Both the group’s CR report and the development of its three-year sustainability strategy follow the recent appointment of Emma Wood to the role of group sustainability manager. This brand new position underscores the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility and to the development of a cohesive approach to becoming a more sustainable service business.
Wood is keen to point out that this is a practical and realistic objective, and not just fashionable ‘lip service’: “It’s about finding new and workable ways to manage the company’s environmental and social impact, simultaneously saving money and giving us a real competitive edge in the marketplace. No company is perfect, but we should be proud of what we are achieving and of our real, working commitment to the sustainability principle.”
www.phs.co.uk
CHSA tees up a great golf day
For the fourth year in succession the sun came out to greet the players in the 2011 CHSA pro-am golf tournament held on 22 September at the Oulton Hall course near Leeds. 25 teams, comprising three amateurs and a professional, fought it out for an array of prizes on a course set to be ‘challenging but not impossible’!
As in previous years, the professionals were provided by the Yorkshire PGA and this year included four players who appear regularly on the Europro tour. The professionals were magnificent. Not only did they play to an outstanding standard, but they all took time to encourage and coach the members of their teams as they overcame all the challenges that the course provided.
The day was rounded off with a presentation dinner in the Oulton Suite at the hotel. Led by Sky Sports commentator John Gwynne, who acted as MC, and local comedian Jimmy Bright, the evening led to an enjoyable close with the presentation of prizes made by CHSA vice chairman, Stephen Harrison.
The prize of a Nike VR tour bag for the leading amateur with 39 Stableford points went to Carl Theakston, chairman of CHSA member ESP Ltd. The winning team, who each received a Nike Collegiate carry bag, represented CHSA member Greyland Ltd and was made up of Richard Dyson, Mark Rogers and Phil Wilkinson. They recorded a Stableford score of 86 points.
Four other team prizes were also awarded along with prizes for: the longest drive, achieved by Stuart Berry of Peter Grant Papers; nearest the pin, won by Trevor Iles; and the Polaris Plastics sponsored nearest the pin trophy, won by Jangro’s Bob Grainger.
Award winning training courses
South Thames College has been recognised for delivering outstanding courses in cleaning this summer. An award was given to the college by the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, which judged training providers on their success rates and retention of students.
Representatives from South Thames College attended a lunch in central London and were given an award of £500. The college has chosen to donate the money to The Sickle Cell Society which will use the money in its educational fund which helps people affected by sickle cell to continue with their education.
Kalpna Patel from the charity said: “We are really grateful to the college for this donation, especially during times when it is difficult to donate to charity. This will help us a lot.”
The college’s director of employment skills, Mary Schramm, said: “South Thames College has been at the forefront of training for the cleaning industry for more than 20 years. A huge percentage of learners come from ethnic minorities which is why we chose this charity.”
Falls from ladders decline
For the second year running, figures released by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reveal that the number of injuries involving the use of ladders and stepladders has fallen from 2132 in 2007/08 to 2011 in 2008/09 and 1817 in 2009/10. This despite an average overall increase of 51% in the total number of falls from height reported to HSE over the same period.
The figure of 1817 compares with 2631 ladder-related injuries reported to HSE in 2001/02 represents a drop of 31%.
According to the Ladder Association, no one single initiative is responsible, but rather a combination of initiatives driven by the association itself and in collaboration with other agencies, in particular HSE and the Access Industry Forum (AIF), of which it is a founder member.
“Whatever the sceptics may say, it cannot be denied that these welcome statistics coincide with a significant increase in the number of users successfully completing a Ladder Association training course,” said Chris Ball, chairman of the association. “Since the training scheme was first launched in November 2005, the year-on-year increase, after an initial exponential growth in the first few years, has been consistent at around 25% for the last couple of years. We have constantly promoted the message that if it’s right to use a ladder, use the right ladder and get trained to use it safely, and that message finally seems to be getting through, especially when it’s supported by campaigns like ‘Don’t be a ladder lightweight’ aimed at experienced ladder users with a jaundiced view of training.”
Ball continued: “We are also the first to acknowledge that HSE’s Ladder Exchange has had a major impact in raising awareness and understanding of the need to inspect and maintain ladders and stepladders to keep them safe for use. Actively supported by the association since its launch in 2007, the campaign has helped remove thousands of ‘dodgy’ and damaged ladders from the workplace. The Ladder Exchange has proved to be an excellent example of what can be achieved when the trade body, the regulator and the industry at large work towards a common goal. Neither can the work of the Access Industry Forum (AIF) be overlooked. Since 2004 it has provided an effective platform for the Ladder Association to address a wide and varied audience at events like the Safety & Health Expo and the IOSH Conference and Exhibition. These have all contributed to driving home the association’s message about safety and best practice.”
Ball concluded: “In tandem with other organisations, the association is making a difference. Promoting the need for training to hardened ladder users was never going to be easy. It’s an educational process and that takes time. However, we’re making measurable progress and the statistics seem to underline that.”
