CONTRACTORS are to be offered guidance on how to prove they are compliant. 

Members of the Forestry Contracting Association (FCA) will be given a helping hand in ensuring their paperwork is up to date, thanks to a new partnership with health and safety consultants Spot On Safety.

With ever-increasing pressure on small contractors to demonstrate they are “up to speed”, the agreement will provide documents and guides that assist businesses navigate these demands with “less stress and more confidence”. 

Nick Adams, vice chair of the FCA’s English policy committee, said “I am delighted to announce this offer for our members. 

“We are often asked, by all contractors, both members and non-members, where they can find this sort of documentation, so for us to be able to provide such a tangible benefit is a huge step forward both for what we offer members and for the industry as a whole. 

The FCA’s Nick Adams.The FCA’s Nick Adams. (Image: FJ/Jack Haugh)

“This partnership means the FCA are the only organisation in the industry to offer this level of support to contractors, and it is the kind of benefit we hope will really help.”

This range of documents have been designed specifically for contractors from self-employed one-man bands to larger businesses. 

The basic package, which will suit self-employed and small businesses (under 5 employees), is to be offered as a free product to members and will include:

•Generic risk assessments for a range of tasks
•COSHH assessments
•Site-Specific RAMS documents
•Forms; plans, registers and checklists
•Guidance to help comply with legislation
•Toolbox talks
•Safe Systems of Work
•Policy documents

This free service is only available to FCA members, who will be able to access these documents via the members area of the website. 

In addition to the above, SOS will also offer FCA members at a discounted rate their:

•bronze, silver and gold Health & Safety packages. These packages are suitable for larger businesses that need more comprehensive support and bespoke documentation. These resources will be tailored to the specific needs of the individual business and SOS will work closely with the customer to provide exactly  what is needed.
•Online training courses; awareness courses for such crucial topics as manual handling, COSHH etc
•Consultation services
•Individual site audits

All these packages come with full guidance, backup and 12-month reviews. 

Greg Tickner of SOS said: “We are excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to offer these benefits to FCA members as part of their membership.

"The forestry industry is under increasing pressure to improve compliance, particularly among smaller companies and solo operators who have previously avoided extensive scrutiny. 

“We are pleased to offer our services to make health and safety simple to understand and easy to implement.”

Spot On Safety will be joining the FCA on its stand at the APF. 

www.fcauk.com 
www.spotonsafety.uk