Safe Maintenance

Safe Maintenance Seminar Report - 16th June 2011

EU-OSHA Campaign on Safe Maintenance

This Europe-wide Campaign aims to promote safe and healthy workplaces by encouraging an integrated and structured approach to maintenance. Lack of maintenance or inadequate maintenance can lead to dangerous situations, accidents and health problems.

Poor standards of maintenance are a major cause of accidents and occupational diseases. It is estimated that 25 – 30% of manufacturing industry deaths in Britain result from maintenance activities.

Safe Maintenance Seminar Report- 16th June

Without proper maintenance things can go dramatically wrong in the workplace

SGUK hosted a ‘Safe Maintenance’ Seminar on 16th June 2011 at Middlesbrough F.C. supported by EU-OSHA to help promote their current campaign.


The free half day seminar covered some of the key issues in helping to promote an accident free and safe approach to maintenance. Speakers included: Jonathan Wills, HSE Inspector - Introduction to Safe Maintenance Stewart Howard, Technical Manager, SESS and Richard Taylor Chartered Structural Engineer, SESS - Warehouse Safety Kerry Ross, Chairman, Safety Groups UK - Selecting Safe Contractors Colin Richardson, Training Manager, Mines Rescue and Darren Lowerson, Brigadesman, Mines Rescue- Confined Spaces/Permit to Work Nathan Barwell, Seaward - Electrical Safety
A DVD was shown that recounted a real life story from Mike Ford and Russell Jones from Kelloggs. Both Mike and Russell have been friends for many years and both suffered life changing accidents one year apart. They are still employed at Kelloggs as maintenance craftsmen but are unable to resume their normal occupations. Their story told us how lives can be shattered in one minute with home and working lives being changed forever.


The Seminar was summarised by Roger Bibbings, Occupational Safety Adviser, RoSPA who shared his top tips on Safe Maintenance and invited the Speakers to share theirs. TOP TIPS PLAN DO CHECK ACT – always an important tool but especially relevant to Safe Maintenance Learn from near misses, they are valuable experiences so make sure they are investigated. Engage workers through discussion of near misses, perhaps develop this into a tool box talk. Nathan Barwood - Don’t underestimate the importance of a visual inspection Jonathan Willis - Concentrate on the Most Significant Risks Kerry Ross - Supervise Contractors properly and make sure you can demonstrate that you are supervising them Colin Richardson – Make sure you have emergency planning in place

After the seminar delegates were invited to stay for a drama based presentation by MacNaughton and McGraegor Ltd (www.2macs.com). The scenario explored how behaviours and attitudes could be barriers against ‘Safe Maintenance’ and delivered the message in a memorable and thought provoking way.

This was followed by the SGUK AGM 2011.