April 2010 Newsletter
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| Welcome to the April 2010 issue of Xmo Strata's online newsletter.
To view a story, please click on the relevant headline below. For further information on any of the stories featured, please contact us or visit www.xmostrata.com Content
Safety bulletins well received in the Middle East Customer ratings speak volumes Kate awarded Tech IOSH status New corporate manslaughter guidance Kevin passes CITB site management course Employee learns a lesson in safety at home - and reports it the Xmo way Awarding contracts in an uncertain marketplace A day in the life of an ABB Project Engineer Charity run to aid cancer research Good health and safety equals savings for Xmo Strata Reverse the signs of ageing MOST QUALIFIED SIGN CONTRACTOR - MOST QUALIFIED SIGN PEOPLE Xmo Strata has added three new accreditations to its name, further denoting its commitment to the quality of its service. The world-class accreditations awarded to the company and certified by ISOQAR - auditors for Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Standards - include: 
“We committed to providing the best service possible to our customers when the company was founded eight years ago and these accreditations offer further proof of this,” said Managing Director, Steve Martin. “They tell the rest of the world what our customers already know, that we have some of the best management programmes and procedures in the industry.” The ISO 9001 Quality Management accreditation certifies that the needs and expectations of customers are met by prescribing systematic control of a company's activities. “The ISOQAR accreditations are completed by independent professional auditors and are a universally accepted way of demonstrating compliance,” said Steve. “It shows our customers that our procedures are methodical, documented and traceable and that a world-class service is guaranteed - something extremely rare in our sector.” Despite the company's procedures being intricately examined during the course of the assessments, all elements were passed without a single non-compliance. The company is also accredited to the International Contractors' Safety Rating System, is accredited by the NICEIC to work in hazardous areas on petrol filling stations, carries Safe Contractor status and has a cabinet overflowing with industry and customer awards. For further information on any of these achievements please visit Company awards and accreditations.   
Back to content SAFETY BULLETINS WELL RECEIVED IN THE MIDDLE EAST  Xmo Strata's message is reaching far and
wide as word spreads that the company's regular health and
safety bulletins are available online.One company is so impressed by the notices that it posts them on its own notice board.....in Bahrain! Nigel Rennie, General Manager of Gulf Interiors W.L.L - who contacted Xmo Strata to register his approval of the initiative having viewed them online - said: “Bulletins are not just appreciated in the UK. I ensure that they are seen by all staff in our Bahrain and Qatar offices. I would urge Xmo Strata to keep up the good work as this information is so well received over here.” Xmo Strata's Managing Director, Steve Martin, said: “My stance has always been that safety should not be competitive; nothing can be gained by glossing-over safety issues for fear of damaging a company's reputation. Sharing information is the only way in which we can learn and improve the safety culture of organisations worldwide. “I am encouraged to know that our messages are extending both beyond the UK and outside our industry. I am pleased to share this positive feedback.” If you would like to receive the weekly health and safety bulletins please Contact us. Back to content CUSTOMER RATINGS SPEAK VOLUMES
Over 85% of Xmo Strata's
customers rated the quality of work they received as
‘excellent’ in 2009 according to the company's customer
satisfaction survey. Xmo Strata undertook over 1,400 jobs last year and was able to deliver what customers expected; a top-quality service. As part of the survey, customers were also asked for their feedback on safety and courtesy. 99% of customers described the safety of Xmo Strata crews as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, and 98% rated the courtesy of crews in the same way. Xmo Strata is constantly evaluating feedback from customers to improve its service, and these results show how well teams are performing and how well the company's work is being received. Back to content KATE AWARDED TECH IOSH STATUS
Operations Manager, Kate Parmentier is the latest member of the Xmo team to be awarded Tech IOSH status by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Technician status recognises the qualifications and competence needed by professionals working in health and safety roles. “I achieved my General Certificate with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health last year,” said Kate. “That qualified me to then go-on and apply to IOSH for accreditation to this grade.” Xmo Strata now has board and management level personnel that are formally accredited by IOSH as safety practitioners. Managing Director Steve Martin is also accredited to IOSH at Graduate level. “Whilst we are not a safety consultancy, it does mean that we are able to guide our employees and approved contractors to ensure that all jobs are completed safely and without tying-up customer health and safety management resources,” said Steve. Well done Kate! To find out more about IOSH and the membership categories, visit www.iosh.co.uk Back to content NEW CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER GUIDANCE  Companies tempted to compromise on health
and safety could be setting themselves up for a multi-million
pound fall as new corporate manslaughter regulations come into
force. New guidance published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council states that companies found guilty of corporate manslaughter should face fines that ‘will seldom be less than £500,000 and may be measured in millions of pounds.’ The guidelines also state that companies guilty of other health and safety violations that result in a death, should face fines that ‘will seldom be less than £100,000 and may be measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds or more.’ The new harsher penalties have already come into effect and can be viewed in full here www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk/docs/guideline_on_corporate_manslaughter.pdf Back to content KEVIN PASSES CITB SITE MANAGEMENT COURSE
Area Supervisor Kevin Cully recently completed an intensive five-day training course designed to increase the understanding of on-site safety accountability during construction activities. “The scope of works we are required to undertake for customers is growing,” said Kevin. “It is therefore essential that our skills base develops alongside this to ensure we are competent and confident in our ability to do the job safely.” The CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) covers:
The SMSTS course helps site managers and supervisors to run a safer and more efficient site, identify and avoid potential hazards, demonstrate skills to contractors and clients and familiarise themselves with compulsory safety legislation. It covers activities under the construction umbrella such as scaffolding, electricity, demolition, confined spaces and excavations. At the end of the course, each delegate must pass an assessment which qualifies them for the Construction Site Managers Safety Certificate. This remains valid for five years. Back to content EMPLOYEE LEARNS A LESSON IN SAFETY AT HOME - AND REPORTS IT THE XMO WAY  Thanks to Steve Knights for reporting this and allowing it to be used in the newsletter. Back to content AWARDING CONTRACTS IN AN UNCERTAIN MARKETPLACE
Officially the recession is over which would indicate that things are on the up, but with so many people searching for work in the aftermath, and so many companies vying for those big contracts, it is more important than ever to get the right people for the job. Paul Farrant, Senior Consultant with Proquire UK Ltd, looks at awarding contracts as the market steadily improves and the considerations involved in the decision making process. Paul has over 25 years of procurement experience in the oil industry and has worked as a consultant for blue chip companies since 2004. “When awarding a contract following a competitive tender process the procurement team should have made their recommendation based upon price, health and safety record and financial stability. “It is imperative that all of these are considered because the aim of the process is to appoint a supplier who not only delivers the best value for money, but also one who can successfully complete the contract. This is especially true in the current economic climate where an increasing number of suppliers are tempted to submit artificially low prices to win business - they then live in the vain hope that corner-cutting will allow them to complete the job on-time and on-budget. All well and good you may think, until something goes horribly wrong! “Check accreditations, qualifications - for both the company and its employees. Ask about credit history, cost transparency, gainshare, the company's previous experience and ability to handle subcontractors. And, don't just take their word for it, ask for proof. “Financial stability of the supplier, both short and long-term, is a key factor in the award process. It is essential for every supplier to make a profit from a contract, we all know what would happen if they didn't. But before appointing any supplier I would strongly advocate checking out its financial status. In addition to the most recent copy of the filed annual accounts, available from Companies House, there are many web-based options that can provide you with an instant credit check that will include any outstanding CCJs.”
Back to content A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ABB PROJECT ENGINEER
Dan Pass talks about his role within facilities management firm ABB and how this translates into his relationship with Xmo Strata. "I started this role in 2005 having previously worked as a Contract Manager for Scottish & Southern Energy. The attraction to the role was simply the experience and opportunities that exist within a global business that operates in more than 100 countries, employs more than 100,000 people and is engaged in so many different areas. This includes facilities management, marine engineering, robotics, instrumentation, electrical component manufacture and full service provision. "The main aspects of my role within the ABB Full Service® provision sector is to manage the overall performance of contractors including Health & Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) legal compliance, Service Level Agreements (SLA), audits (including on-site audits), invoicing, planned preventive maintenance and quality. "The three main areas of focus for me are preparation and planning, execution of work and maintenance engineering. This involves working with suppliers and agreeing standards with respect to methods, tools and materials, organisation and co-ordination of jobs, job analysis, safety and work permits, technical feedback and equipment history, maintenance techniques, availability of parts and life cycle costing of equipment. "In terms of contractors, I work particularly hard to achieve value generation for our client - saving money on true life costs. I firmly believe it is ineffective, and costly, to buy cheap and suffer the consequences of ongoing maintenance costs when, if work is planned in advance, substantial savings can be made and sites can be run with far less disruption. Another false economy is to not approve jobs - not spend the money and kid yourself that you're more efficient - all this does in reality is affect the image of the site and defer the cost until a later date. “I work with a lot of suppliers and I have been particularly impressed with some modules of Xmo Strata's XmoMan system, which is able to analyse both safety and cost trends. It is one of the best I've seen of its kind in the industry. The results achieved by using this, alongside the ABB concept system, have been amazing and since 2005 we have saved our client a seven figure sum on image maintenance alone. "One of the main challenges I face is overcoming work cultures that inhibit efficient or effective operation, for example, when people say ‘it can't be done’. What's refreshing about the Xmo team is that sometimes it genuinely can't be done, but they always give it a good try and come up with some fantastic alternative suggestions for how things can be done differently, or how we can save money in another way. “Reviewing the health and safety procedures of contracts falls heavily under my remit, including toolbox talks, site audits and safety paperwork. Having worked with Xmo Strata for four years and attended several of their safety awareness days, I have been impressed by such high standards across the business and such a strong safety culture amongst employees and subcontractors. Also impressive is the progress made on a year-by-year basis. Xmo can now not only tell me a site history, but integrate this with safety incidents, carbon footprint, non-conformances, customer complaints and productive versus non-productive time on our contract. I believe that the ABB concept system is the best in the industry and gives me a plethora of data relating to my client's sites; integrating my data with Xmo's safety, productivity and trend analysis reports, allows me to make informed decisions as to how to deliver my client REAL and sustainable savings.” Back to content CHARITY RUN TO AID CANCER RESEARCH
A long run through the streets of London may not sound like the ideal thing to do on a Saturday morning. But Xmo employee Darren Wilders will be doing just that to raise money for a charity close to his heart. Darren, which charity are you fundraising for and how did you become involved? All money raised will go to The Prostate Cancer Charity which funds research, provides support and information and campaigns to improve the lives of men with prostate cancer. My father was diagnosed with an advanced form of this cancer last year and I am keen to do something to help him, and others in the same position, beat the illness. Initially I was going to do a skydive but shortly after I'd started to organise it my wife and I discovered that we were expecting our first baby. I decided that this probably isn't the best time to be jumping out of a plane so it's been put on-hold - for now! Tell us more about the event and where it will take place? The run will take place on 26 September and is a half marathon - 13 miles. The route starts at the O2 arena on London's Docklands. We then run down the south bank of the Thames to Woolwich and head in the direction of the Royal Artillery Barracks and along to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The final stretch is back along the Thames to the O2. The event is called Run to the Beat. Both live and recorded music will be played at certain points during the course which research has found influences running performance. Dr Costas Karageorghis who is head of the Music in Sport Research Group at Brunel University, West London, has found that music can help an athlete's stamina and performance as the beat of the music can help regulate pace and help take a runner's mind off the fatigue they may be feeling. More information on this can be found at www.runtothebeat.co.uk/music/the-science Have you been doing any training? Not yet no, but I am playing hockey for my local team and when the season finishes in a few weeks I will then concentrate on running. Will anyone be taking part in the event with you? My two brothers will be doing it with me. Obviously we have all been affected by what has happened to my dad so we decided to do something together. How can people sponsor you? The best way is to visit my Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Darren-Wilders0 If anyone is able to spare even a few pounds it would be greatly appreciated. It's a fantastic charity and anything you can give to aid the research of finding a cure for this illness is, in my opinion, money very well spent.  For further information on The Prostate Cancer Charity visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk The Prostate Cancer Charity is a charity registered in England and Wales (1005541) and in Scotland (SC039332). Back to content GOOD HEALTH AND SAFETY EQUALS SAVINGS FOR XMO STRATA The stereotypical view of health and safety may be that it is unnecessary and expensive; but Xmo Strata has just received a 12.5% discount on its combined liability insurance - savings that will keep it competitive and benefit its customers in the long-term. The insurers commented, in a letter to Managing Director Steve Martin, that the saving “can only be attributed to the first class attitude that your organisation has displayed in respect of health and safety.” It also praised the company's impressive data capture and documentation. Back to content REVERSE THE SIGNS OF AGEING
Conceding to the hard-sell of companies pushing for complete sign replacement may be a thing of the past as Xmo Strata shares the benefits of technology that can reverse the signs of ageing.....and save you money. Vicom HQ can restore signs to their original colour and reverse the effects of damage caused by UV light, adverse weather and sheer old age. Here, Alex Galanis of Vicom4 International answers some commonly asked questions about the product. What sign materials can Vicom be used on? Vicom HQ can be used on coated metal signs, acrylics, polycarbonate and flexible canvas type signage. Vicom HQ is also used to restore the finish to metal clad buildings. How does the cost compare to complete sign replacement? Typically, the savings can be 75% when compared with the cost of replacing the signware. Equally importantly though is that the environmental cost of recycling or disposing of redundant signage is avoided. Is there any situation in which Vicom wouldn't be appropriate? The product cannot be applied to wood based signage. How long does the process take? To completely clean and coat a petrol filling station or motor dealership's signage, for example, would take between three and five days depending on size of the site. Can work take place on live sites? Absolutely. If correct procedures and precautions are taken then suitably qualified companies like Xmo Strata can carry out refurbishment work while premises remain fully operational. When did Vicom come to the market? Vicom has been available in the UK since 2007 and in Europe since 2005. Does anyone else offer a sign refurbishment service in the UK? Other companies may offer sign cleaning, painting or lacquering but no-one can offer the benefits of Vicom technology. The UK rights to this product belong to Xmo Strata. What other options are available? Generally Vicom is seen as an alternative to sign replacement. Some types of corporate branding can be painted but this is only ever a short term solution. Is this environmentally friendly? Clearly restoration of signs is far kinder to the environment than replacement. Is any specialist equipment required on-site during the application of Vicom? No specialist equipment is required for the application of Vicom but access platforms, scissor lifts or cherry pickers would be usual to access the signs. Are there any risks involved? Vicom is a chemical product and needs to be handled with care, as does paint for example. Typically though, COSHH assessments are employed, and risk assessments will be dominated by the dangers associated with working at height and moving traffic. Does Vicom work come with a guarantee? Vicom HQ comes with a 10 year guarantee against colour fade and gloss deterioration. Will signs have to be regularly cleaned after Vicom is applied? Once curing is complete, the finish of Vicom HQ is extremely hard, highly glossed and non-porous. The finish is maintained by cleaning approximately one quarter as frequently as before with minimal effort. Dirt cannot stick to the finish as easily as before coating.
Back to content IN THE NEXT ISSUE...... The Slater's reveal all about their all expenses paid trip to New York as Xmo Strata competition winners   Back to content |
