HAE in partnership with HSE will present demonstrations on the risks to customers from dust, noise and vibration. The demonstrations will clearly explain the risks and how they can be controlled effectively with being aware, effective tool use and maintenance and selection of the right PPE.

On the second day of the show, Thursday 9 February 2012, in the Jaguar Suite of Ricoh Arena, demonstrations and presentations will take place to encourage passionate hirers to recommend and promote the correct PPE to their customers when hiring equipment.

The demonstrations and presentations will take place between 11.30 am and 1.00 pm and will be followed by a free, buffet lunch.

For more information contact Gill Bridger on 07718 801324

Visit HAE on Stand C60

The first article is quite encouraging, showing that equipment hired from most hire shops is in good condition and generally staff are careful not to hire to those not competent in the use of chainsaws.

The second article shows quite tragically what can happen when operators don’t understand how to use their equipment safely.

Article 1

Article 2

The hire industry has a responsibility to ensure it’s customers use their equipment safely, have training and all the right safety gear.

Remember you can contact us with any queries concerning safety and good practice with customers, not to mention training courses on all types of equipment, as well as competency cards.

Lets work together to keep your customers safe from harm.

HAE & You – Stronger Together

The key to any business is the competence of it’s workforce and you can give yours bags of extra potential by giving employees a brand new skill. Not only will it have positive effects on your day-to-day running of the company, but it will also give your staff abilities that will stay with them throughout their lifetimes and open up new channels for you!

Take full advantage of accessible, affordable and flexible training at the click of a button. Use as a stand-alone tool or as the perfect compliment to classroom learning, HAE Learn helps take potential and turn it into skills.

Fully online, the service aims to promote better skills through effective training, with over 60 courses currently available.

The education service also includes valuable daily tutorials on a variety of business topics, keeping you and your employees informed and competent, plus a training management and record keeping database for your company and the individual.

All this from just £399 + VAT per annum, to include up to five user licences.

All you have to do to get started is call Jenny on 44 (0)121 380 4617, so don’t delay – improve your prospects today!

Be prepared and stay safe this winter

If predicted storms do hit, some immediate things to consider:

Snow or Ice

• Avoid travelling if possible, but if you have to make a journey make sure you have a phone, warm clothes, food, water, boots, torch and spade. Also let someone know when you expect to arrive.
• Grit staff and customer parking and pedestrian access routes within your property.

Windstorm

• To help prevent windstorm damage to items in the open and surrounding areas, ensure they are secured or moved indoors.
• Close and securely fasten doors, windows and shutters.

Allianz Insurance have kindly provided useful hints and tips in the following documents to help you and your customers prepare for the weather ahead and protect yourselves, your property and your vehicles.

Motoring Safety

Property

The met office has put together some guidance on what to do in severe gales.

Please feel free to pass this on to your customers and help them and their businesses stay safe.

Your Association & You – Stronger Together

As usual, to make it easy for our members to get hold of we have published a copy on the ‘downloads’ page in the members area of the website.

Alternatively for real convenience you can download it directly by clicking here.

HAE & You – Stronger Together

Outlined below are some of the main points of his budget:

• The planned 3p-a-litre rise in fuel duty in January has been cancelled and a further rise in August limited from 5p-a-litre down to 3p-a-litre.

• Plans to raise the state pension age from 66 to 67 would be brought forward by up to ten years to 2026, to save £59bn in the long term.

• A £20bn national loan guarantee scheme for small businesses will be brought in.

• Growth forecasts for UK economy cut 0.9% this year and 0.7% next year.

• £40bn “credit easing” scheme to underwrite bank loans to small firms.

• £5bn plan to improve national infrastructure over three years with 35 road and rail schemes identified. Further £25bn could be spent in future years.

• £1bn scheme to subsidise work placements for the young unemployed.

• Mortgage indemnity scheme to help 100,000 people get onto the property ladder & a £500m house building plan in England.

• A £1bn regional growth fund for England.

• £250m help for energy intensive industries to alleviate cost of EU carbon trading.

• Reduced corporate tax rate and an extended business rate holiday for small businesses.

• An extra £1.2bn for schools.

As with all such announcements, more details will appear in the small print of press releases and consultation documents later – we will do our best to keep members updated. If you are looking in detail at how tax and other changes will affect your business, please take professional financial advice.

If your organisations took part in the research, or you are interested in the outcomes you may read the report in full here.

Yesterday the Government published a response to the report, largely accepting the outcomes but rejecting what is arguably the most radical proposal; bringing local authority enforcement under the direction of the HSE.

The full Government response can be found here.

Your Association & You – Stronger Together

Key features of the announcement include:

Consulting on proposals to simplify the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) – TUPE

Merging 17 National Minimum Wage regulations into one set

Vince Cable

Consulting in spring 2012 to streamline the current regulatory regime for the recruitment sector

Requiring all employment disputes to go to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to be offered pre-claim conciliation before going to a tribunal and from April 2012 increasing the qualification period for unfair dismissal from one to two years

Publishing a consultation in the new year on ‘protected conversations’ which allows employers to discuss issues like retirement or poor performance in an open manner with staff – without this being used in any subsequent tribunal claims and also an independent review of the existing rules of procedure governing employment tribunals

Further consultation on measures to simplify compromise agreements, which will be renamed ‘settlement agreements’

Considering how and whether to develop a ‘rapid resolution’ scheme which will offer a quicker and cheaper alternative to determination at an employment tribunal

Modifying the formulae for up-rating employment tribunal awards and statutory redundancy payments to round to the nearest pound

From April 2012 witness statements will be taken as read, expenses are to be withdrawn for witnesses and judges are to sit alone for unfair dismissal claims – all of which are designed to lower costs and speed up tribunal claims.

In addition, the maximum level for cost awards to businesses in winning a vexatious tribunal claim is to rise from £10,000 to £20,000. Deposit order amounts for claimants, when a judge determines that a part of claim in unmerited, will rise from £500 to £1,000.

A copy of Vince Cable’s speech can be found at www.bis.gov.uk

For members this booklet will serve as a handy reference guide of benefits & services as well as who to contact for assistance.

Whereas potential members can, from one resource, gain a significant understanding of the advantages of joining HAE EHA. The Propsectus provides a clear understanding of our aims as a trade body, what we do to help improve our members businesses and how we are working hard to raise and maintain standards across the hire industry.

To view or download your copy please click here, alternatively for hard copies please contact Membership Development on 44 (0)121 380 4600 or mail@hae.org.uk.

Your Association & You – Stronger Together

Give your business a wonderful gift this year!

The night’s are dark, it’s cold outside and there’s an excited fervor in the air. Everybody is counting down the days in anticipation. The day when that certain fellow in a suit arrives and you receive your surprises is almost upon us (assuming you’ve been good this year!). That’s right – it’s almost time for the Hire Awards of Excellence!

The Entry Pack is now available on the Hire Awards of Excellence Website ready for you to submit your entries. Inside you will find a breakdown of the Award Categories as well as the entry criteria. There’s also a handy outline of the competition rules and some other useful stuff. Best of all you can find some great pictures of the fun everyone had at this year’s show and praise from past winners and sponsors.

All you have to do to enter is simply print out the entry form on page 11 of the pack and send it back to the Awards Administrators (don’t worry – they’re not as scary as they sound!). Alternatively complete the interactive entry form and email it back using the button – remembering to attach all the essential evidence for your chosen categories.

The environment affects us all and we’re big believers in looking after it, so where possible please submit your entries electronically and help us promote sustainability.

We are also taking bookings for the gala dinner. Tickets are £92 plus VAT each or £850 plus VAT for a table of 10. Please visit the booking page for details or simply click here for a booking form.

If you have any questions or require assistance please contact the team on 44 (0)121 380 4600 or email awards@hae.org.uk.
Entries are required no later than Friday 17 February 2012 – it’ll be here quicker than you think so please start to plan your entries now for the Hire Awards of Excellence 2012.

…and good luck!