OTHER SERVICES
Tailored Services
Recognising the need for flexibility, OSTAS is able to tailor its services according to individual customer requirements; this enables a wide variety of organisations with differing size and scope to benefit from our specialist resources available.
Qualified Experts
All qualified experts, OSTAS personnel are dedicated to providing and maintaining the highest standards of service and up-to-date knowledge within each area of expertise.
Membership
Let OSTAS become your professional safety advisor/competent
person and discover the many benefits it offers, for full
information please see specialist services section.
Members
The members range from small companies in industry & commerce to members of large national and international groups employing thousands. Whilst many members have their own training and safety departments they see membership of OSTAS as a very valuable backup resource, giving access to a wealth of health and safety knowledge.
Health & Safety Advisory Service
Unfortunately the need for an ongoing safety programme is all too evident in today's commercial environment, 500 industrial deaths, half a million non-fatal accidents (reported) and over 15 million lost working days leading to a staggering loss of over £1 billion pounds each year. Many companies cannot afford to maintain a specialist safety department and often the job is left to someone as a secondary duty who finds it hard to do justice to the position. Membership allows companies such as this to have access to specialist backup services with a diverse knowledge of safety. In other words they have a safety department on call at a fraction of the cost.
Many companies who do not have extensive safety departments also find membership invaluable as they supplement their own facilities with an independent view and are kept abreast of changing health & safety legislation, in the form of Regulations, Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes and current best practice that are applicable to their business.
Membership provides a convenient and cost effective way of keeping senior management in touch with safety.
The benefits of our advisory service are: -
- A standing contract with a number of arranged visits, which will eliminate the need of employing someone on a permanent basis in the safety field.
- Regular predetermined visits by an experienced safety advisor who is not subjected to the production or commercial pressures experienced by a direct full time employee.
- Updating on all relevant Regulations and changing legislation that is of importance.
- The creation of a specific health & specialist safety service, tailored to your needs.
- Availability to a wealth of unbiased independent safety advice.
- A fixed fee agreed and related to the number of visits allows budgetary control, which can be measured and spread over a twelve month period.
Visiting Services
It is essential that practical steps be taken to reduce the drain on resources of an organisation caused by accidents. The benefits of reducing the number of accidents are numerous, including the reduction of wastage and reduced damage to equipment. The advantage of reducing losses due to accidents cannot be ignored. To this end OSTAS provide services ranging from an in-depth safety audit to a structured safety inspection.
Safety Audit
An OSTAS safety audit subjects each area of the company's activity to a systematic crucial examination with the object of minimising losses. Every component of the total system is included, e.g. management policy, attitudes, training, features of the process and of the design, layout and construction of the organisation and operating procedures. As in the field of accountancy the audit aims to disclose the strengths and weaknesses and the main areas of vulnerability risk and is carried out by appropriately qualified personnel. A comprehensive report will be compiled with a suggested action plan, which will be monitored. Subsequent follow up visits can then be agreed to ensure proper standards are maintained.
Safety Survey
A safety survey is a detailed in-depth examination of a specific field of activity, e.g. major key areas revealed by safety audits, individual plants, procedures, or specific problems common to the works as a whole. This needs to be carried out by a qualified person such as the consultant provided by OSTAS, giving the added bonus of an independent view and freedom from the commercial pressures of a full time employee. A formal report will be prepared along with a suggested action plan, which can be monitored. Further visits can be agreed to ensure proper standards are maintained.
Safety Inspections
A regular scheduled inspection of a unit of department carried out along with management and employee representatives. The inspection checks maintenance standards, employee involvement, working practices and that work is carried out in accordance with procedures, etc.
Accident Investigation
Legislation requires immediate notification for certain categories of injuries and dangerous occurrences. Confirmation in writing must follow within ten days. Most insurance companies require early notification of accidents that could lead to a claim. OSTAS takes the anxiety of investigations away from the company, providing a comprehensive accident report and liaising with the insurance companies and factory inspectorate where necessary.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SERVICES
Noise Assessment
The Noise at Work Regulations propose that where noise reaches 80 dB (A) employers must have hazard areas assessed by a competent person, provide workers with information and make hearing protection available. When exposure reaches 85 dB (A) the employer must take more action including noise reduction and making sure hearing protection is used by anyone exposed.
OSTAS offer a wide range of services from a simple noise assessment to a noise management survey: - This includes a comprehensive noise survey cost/benefit analysis of noise control options in priority areas, simple noise control recommendations for immediate implementation and a suggested action programme with reference to current Regulations.
Monitoring for Dust, Fibres, Gases
OSTAS also offer an extensive environmental monitoring service for various kinds of dusts, fibres and gases, including asbestos. A full report is provided which includes suggestions for action is necessary. All sampling work is tailored around the individual company and provides valuable independent information.
The cost of these services will vary according to the hazard being sampled and the duration of the survey.
