Following the successful completion of its audit the West Anglia Training Association has become the latest training organisation to gain accreditation for the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme.

It will now be in a position to offer courses in both the use and inspection of scaffolding. As a result a new practical training area has been erected at its premises in Huntingdon. The site has been developed over the last six months and started out as a field occupied by a few rabbits. They now have a fully certified training facility to add to the other existing facilities within the campus, including classrooms, canteen, and welfare provision which all combine to create a great atmosphere for learning.

The organisation will also offer apprenticeships in Scaffolding to satisfy a demand created with the expansion of the industry itself in recent times. This will help to further reduce the numbers within the industry. The latest HSE report shows a marked reduction in accidents and in the last twelve months there have been no fatal accidents and only thirty major injuries were reported. The latest NASC Safety Report showed fifteen falls from height reported with the highest being 5m. However, these figures still show that more training is required for those involved in order to reduce them further.

It should mean that I have less to write about when companies are found guilty of flouting the rules and being safe at work is paramount to all of us so lets make sure that we all wear the right equipment, such as Regatta Workwear Shorts in these warm summer months, and follow the best practices that training instills. Who knows when the safety report is published next year we can hope for a zero figure in more categories of accidents.