2007 - Food and drink

The client was planning to significantly increase the quantity of highly flammable material being stored on site. This would make it a Top Tier establishment under the COMAH regulations.

Andy's role was to specify requirements for developing the company's safety management system required to demonstrate major hazard risks were as low as reasonably practicable. This involved discussions with the Competent Authority and analysis of the company's activities. Andy developed a specification that identified what systems and procedures the client needed to develop in order to satisfy the requirements of COMAH. This specification was written in a way that could be included in the COMAH safety report as a description of how the company manages its major hazard risks.

2007 - Oil products distribution terminals

One of the conclusions from the inquiry into the Buncefield oil storage depot explosions and fire was that organisations must have effective shift handover arrangements.

Andy was asked to review arrangements at two of the client's sites to determine if they were suitable and sufficient. He was provided with copies of logs, handover procedures and audit findings; and had informal discussions with personnel. Comparing with available guidance he concluded that the existing system were too informal and ad hoc, and so needed improving. However, he recognised that no problems were identified with the way handovers were actually carried out in practice, and so was able to recommend that the action required was to largely formalise existing arrangements rather than generate a new system.

2006 - Retail, food

This was a small but rapidly expanding company. They recognised that they needed a safety management system, but wanted to ensure it was fit for purpose.

Andy carried out a number of risk assessments of their activities and collated key findings into a simple, user friendly system. The result was a management manual and separate staff handbook. The client was very impressed with how concise and 'to the point' the documents were.

2006 - Financial

The client had an existing management system that was overly bureaucratic and complex, given the modest risks associated with their business. Andy advised how the system could be slimmed down by focusing on significant risks and setting the objective of selling health and safety to managers and staff. He facilitated the development of a policy statement, safety organisation and risk control measures.

2004 - Health and safety executive

The Health and Safety Executive had recognised that many organisations had changed their team structures (e.g. downsizing, multi-skilling, self-managed teams), and this had affected the way supervision was being delivered. This project examined how these changes could affect health and safety, and developed a method that organisations can use to assess their supervisory arrangements and make improvements. Andy managed the project, and had a major role carrying out site visits, developing the methodology and writing the research report. He was assisted by a small team of consultants assisted performed literature searches and carried out some of the site visits. The practicality and value of the methodology was demonstrated in a series of site trials with eight process companies in the UK. The report was published as Research Report RR292.

2004 - Oil

The site had recently become a COMAH establishment. This created the requirement for a formal permit-to-work system. Being a very small and simple operation, the client did not have the resources to develop, operate or maintain a complex system. Andy was asked to develop a system that was compliant with relevant regulations and guidance, but practical for the operations taking place and staffing levels present on the site. Andy developed a two-part permit-to-work system. The first part was used during the planning stage of a job to analyse the potential risks and specify the necessary controls. The second was used to control the work on the days it was being carried out. The client felt this was a very practical solution.

2004 - NHS Health Scotland

Safe and Healthy Working is a service aimed at small and medium sized enterprises to improve occupational health performance as a contribution to the overall health of the Scottish population. This project was a cohort study of awareness and understanding of occupational health, before and one year after the introduction of the service. The study involved telephone and postal surveys, site visits and focus groups. Andy's role was project manager and quality review of the output. Although not actively involved in the research, he made a significant contribution to the completion of the report and overall coordination

2004 - Gas power station

The client was in the process of commissioning a 750 MW combined heat and power (CHP) power station that was to supply electricity to the national grid and steam to nearby industrial facilities. Andy reviewed the newly developed safety management system to advise on whether it was fit for the needs of the operating plant and compliant with the Health and Safety Executive's guidance (HSG 65) and the Occupational Health and Safety Specification (OHSAS 18001). Andy's review confirmed the system was largely compliant, but that it was in danger of being unnecessarily bureaucratic. He made a number of recommendations to simplify the system by ensuring the true nature of hazards and risks were reflected by the system and its associated procedures.

2003 - Waste Water

A very large sewage drying facility was located on the site. Problems with continual leaks had resulted in high levels of dust being experienced in the process buildings. The staff were concerned about the potential affects to their health, but little action had actually been taken to reduce dust levels. Andy's role in this project was to evaluate the risks posed by the dust exposure and communicate those risks to staff and management in a way they would understand so that effective action could be taken. Dust level monitoring was carried out by sub-contractors and an occupational hygiene company was employed to provide some analysis of the results. Andy worked with the staff to elicit their views and concerns, and to determine what practical solutions existed. Tasks were risk assessed (according to potential dust exposure) and those with the highest risk were analysed further. There was a significant cultural element to the situation, where high levels of dust were being tolerated, although everyone know this was a problem. The assessment showed that the risks from dust exposure were unacceptable and had to be reduced. Andy proposed some immediate behavioural changes that would reduce personnel exposure. Also, he advised the company that a wide ranging culture change was necessary to ensure dust releases were no longer tolerated, and when they did occur, dealt with efficiently and effectively. Andy presented the report to an action group tasked with addressing the problem, who accepted the findings and recognised the need to urgent action.

2003 - Chemical

The client had recognised that the way they were managing changes on the site did not guarantee sufficient control, and it was not possible to demonstrate after the event how changes had been managed. Andy, working with a colleague, assessed how changes were identified, assessed and implemented for process plant, procedures, materials and organisation. From this he was able to conclude that the same underlying process was present in all cases, but that this was not reflected in the existing procedures. He also identified that other systems played a part, especially permit-to-work where modifications to process plant were involved. From the assessment carried out, Andy developed an 'overarching change management policy' that documented the stages to be followed in implementing all types of change on site. This also formed the basis for specific procedures for different types of change and integrated other systems and procedures, including permit-to-work.

2003 - Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

The client was the design contractor for a large Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility to be located in Northern Norway. As part of the contract the client was required to provide an 'emergency preparedness report' that defined equipment and procedural requirements, that was to be used by the Operator to develop emergency systems for the facility. Andy developed the emergency preparedness report for the client. This involved reviewing the Operator's specifications and the plant design and risk assessments. Andy advised the client on the minimum requirements, and practical considerations given likely manning levels and environmental conditions (note the facility was to be operated in northern Norway). He attended meetings with the client and Operator to confirm the necessary arrangements.

2003 - Health/Medical

This project involved the use of the 'Work Positive' methodology published by NHS Health Scotland to assess the risks to health of the client's staff from Stress. It involved a postal questionnaire and series of focus groups. The subsequent report identified the areas where stress was the greatest concern, and suggested methods to reduce the risk. Although not actively involved in the assessment, Andy made a significant contribution to the analysis of the results and completion of the report.