Happy holidays from all of us at BSG!

As we bid farewell to 2021, we’re looking forward to sharing many more exciting things with you in the New Year.

Please note, our offices in Bristol will be closed from Thursday 23rd December 2021 at 17:00 and will re-open on Tuesday 4th January 2022 at 08:30.

BSG Awards 2022

The Building Safety Group is planning to hold its sixth annual Health and Safety Awards ceremony during the late Spring of 2022. The day will also include a keynote speaker.

Further details about the event, and how to submit your nominations for an award will be available on our website in the coming months.

Categories will include:

• Project Award for Best Health and Safety in Planning and Design
• BSG Innovation Award
• BSG Environmental Award
• Occupational Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the year
• Contractor of the Year
• Best COVID-19 initative
• Small Business of the Year
• Best Use of Technology in Health and Safety
• Training Award for Exceptional Achievement in Health and Safety

The BSG Hub mobile app

We’re very pleased to announce that the BSG Hub will soon be available to use as a mobile app. Members will be able to use tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices to access BSG Hub services. The app will be exclusive to BSG members only.

Users will be able to complete risk assessments, method statements, and COSHH assessments by logging into the app with the same username and password currently used for desktop devices.

Health and safety documents, toolbox talk videos, HSE Blitz notices, and safety alerts will also be available to view.

The app will initially be made available to download on the Android platform through Google Play. An iOS version of the app will follow shortly after.

A note will go out to all existing ‘BSG Hub’ users as soon as the app is live and ready to use, so please lookout for an email in your inbox or a message on one of our social media channels.

If you’re not already registered to access the BSG Hub, please complete this form and send us your details.

Contractor pre-qualification service

BSG is developing a new service for members, by offering to evaluate your sub-contractors’ health and safety competence and whether they meet the industry standards as set by PAS 91.

As many of you will be aware, your business has a duty to ensure that any contractor you appoint is competent to perform tasks safely, without unacceptable risks to other employees, members of the public, as well as others on site.

CDM 2015: Legal obligations

Where accidents do occur on-site through the incompetence or negligence of a contractor, you could also be liable if you did not take steps to appraise the contractor or carry out management checks to ensure that agreed standards of operation were being carried out correctly. Contractors should only be allowed to carry out work on-site if they have been vetted and approved by you. Even if you have used the same contractors for a number of years, you may still need to regularly assess them in order to ensure that you are adhering to your legal obligations. Detailed guidelines relating to the appointment of contractors are provided in regulation 8 of the CDM guidance document: Managing health and safety in construction (L153).

Contractors that meet the required health and safety standards set by PAS 91 will be approved by BSG to work with you. We hope this will save your business considerable time by allowing you to focus on your core competencies during these challenging times.

If you have not already expressed your interest in this service, please send an email to buildingsafetygroup@bsgltd.co.uk and let us know approximately how many contractors you would like BSG to prequalify.

CPR and AED training course

In 2022, we plan on launching our new CPR and AED training course, designed to equip first aiders and non-first aiders with the necessary skills and knowledge to use or assist in the use of Automated External Defibrillators and perform or assist in performing CPR.

…Watch this space!