The newsletter provides information on several topics: 1) It welcomes readers to the third birthday edition and encourages submissions of articles and photos to keep the newsletter relevant. 2) It announces new additions to the website including a Q&A from the last seminar and details of an upcoming seminar on biological agents. 3) It discusses the HSE's ladder exchange initiative to help reduce falls from heights, allowing the trade-in of old ladders for new ones at a discount until December 2009.

1. www.necdm.co.uk
Newsletter Edition 36 - October 2009
In This Issue
Introduction - Ladder Exchange - Shocking Photographs - National Safety Passport
- Seminar Venue - Forthcoming Events
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Introduction
Welcome to our third birthday edition of the Group’s Newsletter. We
hope you have found the Newsletters useful and interesting however to
keep it relevant we really need your help in submitting articles and
photographs. Enjoy this month’s content.
Website News
This month’s our seminar contained a question and answer session and we will shortly be
publishing a Q&A document on the website. The Calling Papers have been sent and we
are taking bookings for the October Seminar, Biological Agents. Further details can be
downloaded from www.necdm.co.uk
Last month we told you that we hoped to ‘populate’ our Health & Safety Forms section on
the website during September. Unfortunately this has been delayed slightly as all the
forms need proof reading but they will hopefully be published in the coming few weeks.
However, this month we have added some more training material, a safety alert regarding
scissor lifts and details of FREE health & safety training that is available for residents of
the East Durham area.
Ladder Exchange
Despite a sustained long term reduction, falls from height remains the
most common type of fatal injury. In 2007/08, a total of 58 workers died
and over 3600 employees suffered major injury as a result of a fall from
height in the workplace. Many of these incidents could be avoided by
using the right equipment and taking simple precautions.
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2. As part of HSE’s Shattered Lives Campaign they have launched the Ladder Exchange
Initiative intended to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries resulting from falls
from height.
The focus of this initiative, that runs until 31 December, gives people the opportunity to get
rid of old, damaged and broken ladders by trading them in for a new one. Over 5,500
ladders have already been exchanged under this initiative since it first launched in 2007.
HSE’s message remains simple - "Don’t let a dodgy ladder shatter your life”. If it’s not the
right ladder exchange.
From now until 31st December 2009 anyone with a broken, damaged or bent ladder can
part exchange it for a new one with discounts of up to 50%. Details of HSE’s partners in
this initiative can be found on their website at www.hse.gov.uk
National Safety Passport
Cognition Media have developed an e-learning safety passport course to
deliver high quality safety training on a secure Flash Drive (memory
stick). The delivery method means that candidates can carry their
program with them and complete the modular course as and when they
have the time.
At the end of each module the candidate is validated on what they have learned and upon
the successful completion of the course the program will launch a short web form. This
allows the candidate to be registered for their EMSS Safety Passport Card and have it
posted directly to them. Nothing could be simpler.
The training aims to deliver a combination of industry best practice content and years of
research into the way the information is delivered to ensure maximum retention of
knowledge while making the learning experience more enjoyable. Employers benefit from
a safer workforce and significant cost savings while employees benefit from a more
efficient, more fulfilling course. A number of major clients across Europe including BP,
Conoco Phillips and Corus use the program for their own staff.
For further information please visit their website at www.nationalsafetypassport.com
Seminar Venue
We are always on the look out for a suitable, cost-effective venues for our seminars and
we would be grateful to receive any suggestions. The main criteria that we are looking for
are that the venue can accommodate up to 75 delegates (usually banquet style seating),
unobstructed view of the speakers, centrally located and with good car parking.
If you have any suggestions or, better still, a suitable room that the Group can use please
let Elizabeth Brown know at necdm@hotmail.co.uk
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3. Shocking Photographs
Firstly a couple more photographs from Riyadh showing some top class worker
accommodation and how not to carry out lifting operations. Additional photographs of the
crane overturn and a description of what happened can be found on the ‘Training Material’
section of our website.
And again this month we have some bonus photo’s taken by Colin Embleton, Volker
Stevin Ltd, in Uganda showing some novel PPE (or lack of it) and an innovative tool for
working on the tarmac.
Forthcoming Events
21st October 2009 – Biological Agents
25th November 2009 – Planning for Emergency
Both events will be held at the Esporta Sunderland Health & Racquet Club, Doxford
International from 1 p.m. (for coffee with seminar to commence at 1.30 p.m.) to 4.30 p.m.
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