De Boer to share its health and safety expertiseTemporary structure specialist De Boer is championing industry-wide health and safety excellence by launching a series of specialist training courses for sub-contractors. The company has already taken the pioneering step of appointing a full-time, designated health and safety manager to oversee all contracts handled from its UK headquarters in Brackley. Its innovative policy – believed by the company to be unique within its industry – means a full-time safety specialist is available to work with De Boer teams tackling construction projects of all sizes, whether for a one-day build or a large-scale assignment lasting many weeks or months. The strategy also involves induction training for new De Boer personnel followed by annual refresher courses for all staff. De Boer’s clients also frequently request assistance to ensure they meet all relevant regulations on site and the new training resource has been established in response to their demands. External courses could be staged for sub-contractors as soon as February, covering topics that include basic health and safety, working at height, using personal protective equipment and complying with the Health and Safety at Work Act. Training will be provided at De Boer’s Brackley premises. The courses will be run by Phil Earl, who became De Boer’s full-time Health and Safety Manager in May 2008 and who already handles in-house training. Phil joined the company as a temporary tent builder 17 years ago and tackled a broad range of roles including those of truck driver, transport manager and warehouse manager before making his first foray into health and safety in 2003. Phil – widely known in the industry by his nickname Curly – has since gained the industry-standard NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) Certificate and is currently working towards his degree-level NEBOSH Diploma. He has already passed diploma examinations totalling nine hours and is hoping to successfully complete his dissertation over the coming weeks. According to Phil, the key to effective health and safety is in avoiding over-complication. “People find the idea of health and safety very scary until they actually get into it and then they realise it’s actually very simple,” he explained. “Keep it simple and you’ll stop people hurting themselves. You really don’t need a lot of bureaucracy to make health and safety work.” Phil divides his time between on-site visits and office-based work that includes conducting health and safety audits, running training courses and chairing De Boer’s Health and Safety Committee. His in-house training courses cover topics such as first aid, working at height and operating fork-lift trucks. “Health and safety is becoming more and more of an issue because customers are becoming increasingly aware of its importance,” he said. “People’s safety is of prime importance but health and safety now enters into everything you do. Every time you tender for a contract, there are detailed requirements relating to safety issues.” Phil is kept increasingly busy by De Boer’s ever-expanding portfolio of assignments. He is a regular visitor to the construction stages of high-profile events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Farnborough International Airshow, Royal Parks’ music concerts and the Playtex MoonWalk charity event, as well as a myriad of commercial projects including the creation of temporary offices, warehouses and retail facilities. But, according to Phil, health and safety issues are equally applicable to contracts of all sizes. He said: “A one-day job is just as important as an assignment on the scale of the Farnborough International Airshow. The team need to know that health and safety is being treated as a priority and that I will be available on site. I can also help clients ensure they don’t inadvertently breach any regulations.” 18 January 2010 About De Boer:De Boer is one of the leading international suppliers of temporary accommodation for large events and festivals, storage purposes, airport baggage handling and supermarkets. De Boer was established in 1924 and is headquartered in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. The company now has offices in The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain, Sweden and Dubai. De Boer is also represented in Qatar, Russia, China and the USA. It employs more than 350 people internationally and during high season another 150 temporary workers are deployed. NPM Capital has been major shareholder since August 2005. www.deboer.com MEDIA CONTACT: PAUL SMITH ASSOCIATES
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Phil Earl
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