Nottingham-based graphics and art hardware and materials distributor, ArtSystems, is dedicated to a programme of continuous development towards greater excellence in every aspect of its business, both in servicing its customers and caring for its staff including health and safety improvements. To underpin this initiative Simon Cooksey, Operations Director; Armando Carvalho, Technical Manager; Norval ‘Nobby’ Cree, Logistics Manager; Chris Chadburn, Warehouse Manager; and Michael Joannides, Warehouse Supervisor have all successfully completed the Institute of Safety and Health (IOSH) “Managing Safely” course.
IOSH Managing Safely is a 4-day, nationally recognised and respected, certified training course for managers and supervisors. It’s designed to give managers all they need to safely supervise health and safety in their teams. Simon Cooksey explained its importance: “Every manager should have an understanding of their responsibilities when it comes to health and safety and this flexible course proved ideal for bringing us up-to-speed on the skills we need to tackle safety and health issues in the workplace.”
He continued: “It covered issues we needed to understand in more depth and underlined our existing policy of ensuring that everyone has the knowledge and tools they need to tackle the H&S issues they’re responsible and accountable for. At ArtSystems we know health and safety is an essential part of the Integrated Management System and every member of the team is aware of that, but correct H&S culture is driven from the top down so it was very useful for us to refresh and re-examine the protocols we already had in place.”
After training the managers are better equipped to plan, implement, monitor, measure and continuously improve the risks within their departments. They have also taken on a wider remit as part of the company’s Safety Management team. Simon concludes: “Our approach to H&S is fully aligned with ArtSystems’ Corporate Governance Policies, incorporating Quality and Environmental Certification, Legal Compliance, Information Security and Business Continuity; which is founded on risk-based thinking not reactive correction. This means we will always prefer to put a problem right before it happens, rather than pick up the pieces post event. We have always put safety at the heart of management, and completing the IOSH Managing Safely course we are better placed to do so with clarity and conviction.”
