Mecsafe Limited

Health & Safety Training

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01302 775900
Unit 9 Snape Lane Industrial Estate, Harworth, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN11 8SP

Britain’s biggest rail timetable shake-up

More than four million trains have been rescheduled in what’s been touted as the biggest timetable alteration in UK railway history.
The timetable changes came in on Sunday with the aim to improve rail efficiency – affecting Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink.
Some travel experts say the overhaul will benefit passengers and make journey times 15 minutes faster. But passengers in a number of smaller locations have complained, saying they will be served with fewer or slower services.

Just incase you have been hiding under a rock this weekend (or have been for the last 6 months) – Harry & Megan have now been pronounced husband and wife at their wedding ceremony in front of the Royal family, celebrities and the eyes of millions from around the world. For those of you who did watch it there may have been some moments you missed!

 

In construction news this week…

Homes for England launches consultants framework. Homes England launches the procurement of its new multidisciplinary and technical services frameworks at the end of this month.

Contractor saved after being sunk by the “Carillion effect”. A Telford based contractor sunk by the collapse of Carillion has been bought out of administration by its directors.

Wates Living Space looking for new subcontractors. Wates Living Space is looking to add new subcontractors to its supply chain.

 

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

Emergency First Aid – 29th May 2018

Health & Safety Awareness – 30th May 2018 (ask us about completing your CSCS test after the course)!

PASMA (Mobile Tower Scaffolding) – 30th May 2018

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Another day, another Twitter outburst!

An insult about Donald Trump’s age was enough to prompt another Twitter outburst from the US president. In response to being called “old” by Kim Jong-un, Trump wrote on Twitter: “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat?”.

Northern Ireland’s World Cup dreams are over, after they failed to beat Switzerland in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier game. The green and white army had to overturn a 1 0 deficit they suffered in the opening leg, but failed to break the deadlock in the city of Basel and drew the match 0 0.

 

In construction news this week…

Worker set on fire by cable strike. Court hears how site was not mapped out properly and worker had no training.

Kier tops October contracts league after 30 wins. HMRC win in Cardiff gives McAlpine biggest new work haul over 12 months.

 

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 16th & 17th November

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 20th November

SSSTS Refresher – 24th November

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Keeping Shtum on their Sausages!

People are left worried after reports of (own brand) pork products being sold at a leading UK supermarket may have infected thousands of people with a potentially deadly virus. According to the Public Health England, studies have found ham and sausages from a ‘specific’ supermarket was a recurring feature in the investigated 60 people who are already infected with the virus. The study does not name the retailer and so far the press have failed to identify the ‘leading UK Supermarket’ (however, some are pointing the blame at Tesco).

Barcelona players and fans held a minute’s silence prior to their football match against Real Betis last night. The Catalans had ‘Barcelona’ embossed onto the back of their shirts, rather than having the players names in tribute to those who lost their lives during the terror attack.

Most will be pleased to hear that courts have been told to get tough on social media hate crime. Prosecutors have been told to treat hate crime that is committed online the same as offences committed offline. In new guidance, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) states: “The internet and social media in particular have provided new platforms for offending behaviour.”

 

In construction news this week…

Chinese firm buys cladding giant Permasteelisa for £426m. Leading Chinese construction giant Grandland has bought loss-making cladding manufacturer Permasteelisa for £426m.

Engineers probe multi-storey car park collapse. Structural engineers are investigating how a large front-end section of concrete deck at a Notttingham multi-storey car park suddenly collapsed.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

Manual Handling / Working at Height / Abrasive Wheel – 25th August

CCNSG Refresher – 1st September

IPAF 3a & 3b – 1st September

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

She’s back!

After her three week holiday, Theresa May makes her return to Downing Street this week as ministers prepare to amplify their negotiating position on Brexit.

In the final evening of the World Championships, Great Britain picked up a silver and bronze medal in the women and men’s 4x400m relays. Their medals take team GB’s total medal tally to six.

Four time Olympic champion Mo Farah has accused the media of trying to “destroy” his legacy over allegations his coach breached anti-doping regulations. On Sunday, the 34-year-old insisted his achievements throughout his career has come from hard work.

 

In construction news this week…

Big Ben to fall silent for building works. On Monday 21st August at noon, the bongs of Big Ben will sound for the last time for a four-year conservation programme.

First ACM cladding passes fire tests. The first aluminium composite panel cladding system has passed the Government’s fresh round of stringent fire tests in the in the wake of London’s Grenfell disaster.

Google gets green light for £1bn King’s Cross HQ. Internet giant Google has been given the green light by planners to build its new £1bn headquarters at King’s Cross in London.

 

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SMSTS Refresher – 17th & 18th August

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 21st August (AM)

Manual Handling / Working at Height / Abrasive Wheel – 25th August

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Microchipping humans??

Would YOU let your company implant a microchip in your hand if it meant you could log into your computer, open doors, buy snacks and more with just the wave of your hand? A company (the first to action this in the states) is offering the procedure to employees – and some are taking them up on it! Last year, a report found that a third of Brits say they would be microchipped at work if their privacy was 100% guaranteed.

The Duke of Cambridge will today begin his last shift as an air ambulance pilot before moving on to life as a full-time member of the royal family, carrying out more public engagements and charity work. Prince William announced in January he would be ending his career with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Next week his grandad, the Duke of Edinburgh, completes his last official engagement for the Royal Family.

And, we couldn’t submit a blog without mentioning Trump!…
Donald Trump has announced transgender people will not be accepted or allowed in the US military “in any capacity”. In a series of tweets, the US president said that he had consulted with military experts and cited “tremendous medical costs and disruption”. The Obama administration decided last year to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military.

 

In construction news this week…

Balfour and subcontractors hit with £1.27m in asbestos fines. Balfour Beatty and two of its subcontractors have been fined a total of £1.27m after workers were exposed to asbestos while refurbishing a school in Waltham Forest.

Green light for London ‘Jenga tower’. Plans to build a 53-storey landmark tower near to Blackfriars Bridge in London have gained planning.

Shopping centre giant confirms £679m construction plans. Retail giant intu has confirmed development plans worth £679m up to 2020.

 

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 10th & 11th August

CCNSG Refresher – 11th August

Emergency First Aid – 14th August

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Testing Times?

What drama we saw last week with the election! One person who is certainly not pleased with the result is housing minister Gavin Barwell, who lost his seat in Croydon Central to Labour candidate Sarah Jones.

The result left construction uncertain about future policies as Theresa May’s promise of “strong and stable” government turned weak and wobbly.

Greg Hill, Deputy Chief Executive at house builder Hill said:  “No business likes uncertainty and housebuilders like it least of all.

“This hung parliament and the horse-trading that will take place over housing policy to get a coalition in place means that many housebuilders will hit the pause button on their investment decisions.

“This is the exact wrong moment for a construction slow down. The country needs new homes desperately.

“We hope that the negotiations are concluded rapidly so that the new government is in place and ready to work with the sector to go out and get building.”

 

In construction news this week…

Cricket chiefs plan major upgrade for the Oval. Surrey CCC is planning to make the Kia Oval the largest cricket stadium in the UK with a capacity of 40,000.

Fears grow over UK economy as manufacturing and construction stumble. Manufacturing and construction sectors performed poorly in April. 

London City office plan resurrected. Developer Fairplay Estates is seeking planning permission for a new 315,000 sq ft office building at the edge of the City of London high-rise cluster.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS – 15th & 16th June 2017

UKATA Asbestos Awareness – 19th June 2017

SMSTS Refresher – 22nd & 23rd June 2017

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Click here to get the latest!

The head of Europol has warned that the threat from the cyber attack that crippled international services “will continue to grow” as people return to work on Monday. Since Friday’s breach more than 200,000 victims – including the NHS – across 150 countries have been infected by the Wanna Decryptor ransomware, also known as WannaCry.

 

Today, Labour will promise an extra 37 billion for the NHS and pledge to remove a million people from NHS waiting lists today. The Tories are talking about workers’ rights, including new rights for those who have to leave work to care for family members, or experience child bereavement, a greater stake for workers in their companies, and a commitment to continue increasing the National Living Wage. While the LibDems say they would get rid of the public sector pay cap.

 

Emmanuel Macron has promised to restore France’s global standing, as he was inaugurated as the country’s youngest president at the age of 39.

In construction news this week…

Nominate your construction heroes now. There is less than a month left to nominate potential winners of this year’s Construction Enquirer Awards.

Hunt for £250m London concert hall design team. City of London Corporation has started the search for a design team to work up concept plans for a world-class concert hall in London.

Hero Keltbray worker steps in to save commuter. A Keltbray machine driver turned have-a-go-hero this week when a raging commuter confronted a woman at London’s Liverpool Street Station.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

SSSTS (Supervisors) – 18th & 19th May

Health & Safety Awareness – 24th May (ask us about completing your CSCS test on the same day)!

CCNSG – 25th & 26th May

SSSTS Refresher – 26th May (book before your current cert expires to save time and money)!

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Stick to the Speed Limit!

The Queen celebrated her 91st birthday on 21st April. Her majesty is the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain.

Jeremy Corbyn will tell trade unionists today (Mon 24th April) that if Labour wins the general election, they’ll overturn what he calls the ‘vicious Tory Trade Union Act’. The laws brought in by David Cameron meant that for any strike action, there had to be a 50% turnout at the ballot for the action to be legal.

Tougher fines for motorists who drive well above the speed limit are set to come into force from today. Drivers caught doing 41mph in a 20mph zone, 51mph in a 30mph zone, 66mph in a 40mph or 101mph on a motorway will face penalties starting from 150% of their weekly income – up 50% on the previous level. The new regulations apply in England and Wales.

 

In construction news this week…

Multiplex turnover soars to record £1bn on tower boom. London high-rise builder Multiplex has ramped up revenue by two-thirds to a record £1bn as a dozen major projects topped out last year.

BAM takes £30m Southampton Uni job. BAM is set to start main building work for Southampton University on a learning and teaching block at the Highfield Campus in the city.

Small builders bullish despite rising costs. Small construction firms enjoyed rising workloads in the first three months of 2017, despite growing concerns over the cost of labour and materials.

In MECsafe news this week…

We have new 2017 CSCS revision material in stock! We will be selling the books at £11.50 each (no VAT, RRP £11.50).
Don’t forget, you can also book your CSCS test at MECsafe in Doncaster, on your preffered date/time. We also offer a card applying service – Please ask us for further information.

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Round Pound Is No More!

The government has confirmed the new 12-sided £1 coin will enter circulation TOMORROW (28 March).

The round £1 will be legal tender alongside the new, more-secure coin until 15 October.

The public are being urged to use their current £1 coins or bank them before they lose their legal tender status.

The government estimates around a third of the £1.3 billion worth of coins stored in piggy banks or saving jars around the UK are the current £1 style.

Some of those returned by the public will be melted down and used to make the 12-sided version.

The new style was announced in the 2014 budget and has been billed by the Royal Mint as “the most secure coin in the world”.

So why is the new coin is harder to counterfeit?

  • 12-sided – its distinctive shape means it stands out by sight and by touch
  • Bimetallic – The outer ring is gold coloured (nickel-brass) and the inner ring is silver coloured (nickel-plated alloy)
  • Latent image – it has an image like a hologram that changes from a ‘£’ symbol to the number ‘1’ when the coin is seen from different angles
  • Micro-lettering – around the rim on the heads side of the coin tiny lettering reads: ONE POUND. On the tails side you can find the year the coin was produced
  • Milled edges – it has grooves on alternate sides
  • Hidden high security feature – an additional security feature is built into the coin to protect it from counterfeiting but details have not been revealed

For a photo of the new pound, head back to our October 2016 blog 🙂

 

In construction news this week…

O’Rourke fined £800,000 for Heathrow dumper truck death. Company fined after a worker was killed by a dumper truck driven by his brother at Heathrow Airport.

Lendlease launches “Futurehomes” in London. Lendlease is launching its new Futurehome eco-house concept in central London.

HTC crane drivers reject pay offer. The UK’s largest tower crane operator is facing an outbreak of industrial action over the summer after its drivers rejected a 3% pay offer.

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

London’s at a Stand Still

Today, members of the RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) unions are taking industrial action in protest at plans to close ticket offices on the London Underground.

The 24-hour strike will continue until 18:00 GMT on Monday.

Tube bosses have warned commuters that the majority of underground stations in Central London will be closed, and a normal service is not expected to resume until Tuesday morning.

The majority of Zone 1 stations will be closed and other parts of the network will be severely affected too.

Piccadilly Line services are expected to run between Hammersmith and Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5, but not to Terminal 4.

National Rail services are not directly affected but there will be no Underground services from stations such as Victoria, King’s Cross, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, Bank and London Bridge.

There will be no service at all on:

  • the Victoria line
  • the Circle line
  • the Waterloo and City line

The Bakerloo, Central, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, and Northern lines are operating limited services.

London Overground and tram services are not affected by Monday’s strike action.

Buses, roads and rail services including the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) are all expected to be much busier than usual.
You are advised to walk or cycle if you are able, rather than drive as there are major roadworks in many parts of the city, that are also causing travel delays.

Check out what those late for work and tourists are saying of the chaos in the BBC Live Feed.

In construction news this week…

UK firms brace for further Brexit price rises, surveys show. Manufacturing and construction sectors air concern over rising import costs with companies facing ‘more risks than opportunities’ in 2017.

Laing O’Rourke reveals £141m UK construction loss. Laing O’Rourke has filed results for its main UK construction business revealing a pre-tax loss of £141.3m for the year to March 31 2016.

Plant hire boss jailed after platform collapse kills worker. A plant hire boss has been jailed for two years after a worker was killed when a mobile platform collapsed on an office job in Scotland.

 

In MECsafe news this week…

We still have plenty of availability on the following courses:

If you would like any further information on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.