Passport to safety in logistics

UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), in conjunction with Safety Pass Alliance (SPA), is looking to create a one-day health & safety passport training scheme specifically for the warehousing and logistics industry.

SPA is one of the UK’s leading providers of safety passport schemes and has developed a number of successful safety programmes including Petrol Retail, Mineral Products (Quarry), Food & Drink and Live Events.

With approximately 1 in 12 people working in the UK employed in logistics, there is clearly a large number of employees or contractors who could be at risk. A good percentage of these workers are coming in from employment agencies typically on short-term basis or even daily hires as required. Many of these workers may be working for more than one site or employer so there is a need for a clear process to ensure all of these workers have health & safety training to a minimum industry recognised standard.

On successful completion of the one day health & safety passport training scheme, each contractor or agency worker will gain a SPA Passport, which needs to be produced on request by appropriate member of staff for the employing organisation. There is scope within the scheme to open this up to employees too. The commitment from the logistics industry is in the ‘policing’ of the passports at site level to ensure the momentum and importance of the programme is maintained.

The course will be designed with input from the industry to ensure the content is the most relevant and up to date. The content will cover topics such as accidents, organising for safety, key health & safety requirements, risk assessment and potential hazards within this sector. The safety passports are valid for 3 years and a refresher course will meet the requirements of renewing the passport as well as highlighting new and best practices within the renewal course content.

Peter Ward, CEO of UKWA commented: “Health and Safety is something UKWA takes very seriously and we must constantly seek ways to reduce the risk for those working in logistics. I believe that this passport initiative is an important further step towards a safer logistics sector.”

With many companies requiring evidence that visiting workers and contractors have been trained in health and safety, more and more industries are introducing safety passport schemes.

Ray Gibbs, managing director of SPA commented: “A growing number of blue chip companies were using passports to help reduce accidents, injuries, costs and improve their efficiency.

“Most companies need contractors or agency workers to visit their premises to carry out such vital work as repairs, maintenance as well as production and distribution operatives. Unfortunately they can pose an unknown risk, as it’s not always possible to check if they have been properly trained to an acceptable level of health and safety.

“This is where SPA comes in. Contract workers and company employees who complete our sector training can prove their knowledge of basic health and safety. By showing their Safety Passport, complete with tamper proof photograph to reduce fraud, a contractor or employee can demonstrate they have achieved that knowledge.”

The advantages of the SPA safety passport are:

• Developed by the sector to create best practice throughout the sector. 
• A known standard within the sector when recruiting staff. 
• Training can be carried out in-house or at a designated training centre by a SPA accredited training company. 
• Increased safety awareness contributing to higher standards of safety performance. 
• Commonly recognised and validated standard. 
• Validation accepted in other sectors. 
• Shorter site-specific induction and quicker site mobilisation. 
• Overall cost reduction to Client and Contractor. 
• Refresher course at 3 yearly intervals. 
• I believe that this initiative is an important further step towards a safer logistics sector. 

For further details please visit www.ukwa.org.uk