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Health and Safety Archives - John Burke Associates

Introducing Graham Little Technical Manager

technical manager

John Burke Associates is proud to announce that we have a new member of our Clerk of Works department. Graham Little is our new Technical Manager, we are excited about the level of experience he brings to the team. Graham tells us a little more about himself below.

Introduction

My name is Graham Little, and I have joined JBA as the Technical Manager for the Clerk of Works department, reporting to the Technical Director Ian Carey.

Health and Safety is always my priority. I am NEBOSH certified, a first aider and a mental health first aider. My background is 25 years in the construction industry, where I have worked both client and contractor side.  I started my career as a Carpenter & Joiner and in my years I have cut fully blind dovetail joints, hand-dug trenches with a graft and have worked Civils, Quantity Surveying and as a Setting Out Engineer.

This has allowed me to work on Bridges, schools, hospitals and major infrastructure projects.  I progressed to the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Proving Grounds in the International Testing and Inspection sector. I managed a facility that was 650 acres, 26 building complexes and 50 miles of test track and designing and delivering on all construction projects within the company’s capex expansion plans. I had responsibility for a c.£10m p/y opex budget and a c.£42m p/y capex budget. Covering UK, France, Finland and Morocco and have notable projects consisting of;

Notable Projects

  • Designed and delivered the UK’s first Electric Vehicle Battery Test Facility.
  • Designed and delivered c.£100m of capex construction projects in the UK during 2017 to 2020.
  • Designed the global office standard for interiors of all company buildings in the group.
  • Managed the project to design and deliver an HV supply upgrade from 1.65MW to 10MW. This took two years from conception to completion. I also secured grant funding.
  • Legal responsibility for all Fire safety design and compliance.  I designed and implemented the fire strategy and upgraded all existing structures to current fire regs. This includes barriers, breaks, zoning, detection and suppression.
  • Designed all DSEAR areas on site, all fuel storage & testing, and designed controlled explosion zones for thermal run away from Battery tests, ethanol and Hydrogen which were the first facilities in the UK.
  • Designed and installed structures and buildings to government organisations specifications.

In conclusion

I am very excited to be on board with JBA and look forward to working with all our stakeholders and through knowledge, experience and CPD; Grow the business and contribute to the quality and safety of the industry.

 

HSE Work Right | Your Health | Your Future

health and safety

Late last month, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched their new campaign to combat serious aches, pains, and strains in construction. Many of us working in the construction industry have suffered with some form of workplace injury in our career. In fact, over 40,000 construction workers suffer with injuries to their muscles, bones, joints and nerves. While many organisations focus on avoiding major injuries, it’s these seemingly minor injuries affecting the industry on a major scale.

Cause and Effect

One of the primary causes of such aches and pains is the lifting and carrying of heavy objects on site. The daily tasks a construction workers body endures takes its toll to such a degree that it affects every aspect of their lives. From an organisational perspective it may be seen as hazards of the job, but this view is short-term. Such injuries can slow down production, cause low morale and generally become an issue in your organisation. Therefore, HSE inspectors will be carrying out 1,000 inspections in October and November to see how workers are moving heavy materials.

Your Responsibilities

Employers are required by law to prevent the ill health of their employees where possible. This includes long-term injuries which can develop over time such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It is your responsibility to ensure your workers have the correct training and equipment to carry out their duties.

Management Advice

Implementing and enforcing a clear health and safety strategy for your workforce now can save time, money and stress later. Taking a pragmatic approach to ensure workers are aware of the risks and manage them correctly. Here at John Burke Associates we provide CDM 2015 Health & Safety Advisory services for both the client and the Principal Designer. We offer them assistance with their respective ‘duties’. We also provide advice and support to ensure clients comply with their statutory obligations. Click here to find out more about our CDM 2015 Health & Safety Advisory services.