CMSE Training Consultancy Recruitment

There was a rush on BER assessor courses in Ireland in the past year, as new legislation came in compelling property owners to have premises rated prior to when they were sold, leased or let. So, how much should one of these courses cost?

Following a recent survey on BER course prices reported that the cost of a Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI)-approved five day course is dropping substantially versus this time last year. The laws of supply and demand are driving costs down, with an increased number of course providers and a reduced number of course attendees seeking places.

The survey of the market place showed us that some providers are still offering the course at highly inflated prices of approximately €1950 trying to milk the last cent out of the unwary person booking the course.  The higher priced course providers will offer discounts only when pushed!  Others were providing the same course for just €1450 without any negotiation. If booking in bulk it is worth asking your training provider for a discount.

It is definitely worth doing some research on costs and quality of the various costs. There has never been a better time to get good value when doing a course, but at the same time the age old rules of caviat emptor (or let the buyer beware) apply. So the message when selecting a BER training provider is, shop around and do your research on who the training provider is.

Christmas is a time of Happiness and making Merry,  but make sure you think of safety in the home as well !!!  Beware !

1.  3 people die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue.
2.  31 people have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the Christmas lights were plugged in.
3.  142 people were injured in 2008 by not removing all the pins from new shirts

4. 58 people are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers.
5. 19 people have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were chocolate.

6. British Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year from cracker pulling accidents.
7. 171 people since 1999 have had broken parts of plastic toys pulled out of the soles of their feet.
8. 18 people had serious burns in 2007 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in their mouth.
9. A massive 543 people were admitted to hospital in the last two years during Christmas after opening bottles of beer with their teeth.
[Statistics Taken from RoSPA]

Have a Happy and Safe Christmas from Chris Mee

I have found the following sites to be excellent as information sources.

This HSE site has excellent information in video format on a huge number of safety topics. http://www.hse.gov.uk/resources/videos.htm

The following site from the US Chemical Safety Board has a huge selection of Chemical Safety Related Videos. Excellent Site
http://www.chemsafety.gov

The following site gives free pictures for use in the preparation of Safety Training Courses
http://elcosh.org/images/

The following site is excellent for Tool Box Talk information
http://safetytoolboxtalks.com/

I constantly update the best site list. Visit whenever you want to see the most recent best site list.

A few years ago I was investigating an accident at a client’s location when I heard a very sudden loud noise nearby.  I went over to check the noise and to see if there was a problem.   I found an engineer and two fitters standing near a moulding machine.  I enquired of them as to their well being and they all said they were fine but a little startled ! !   I asked the engineer what had happened.  He said that he was lifting a reconditioned mould into place and the lifting device (chain-block) had failed and the mould fell to the ground.

I asked him if he would be investigating the accident and he looked at me with a confused expression on his face.  His answer was interesting –  “ no one was hurt – why would we investigate ?”  I pointed out that there was a very high risk of serious injury from a recurrence of this type of event.  I then also asked him how much it would cost to repair the mould.  His answer here was VERY alarming to me also – “ not sure really – but the last time this happened it cost us €30 k”

For me both the possibility of future serious injury and the high cost of such an event made it very obvious to me that an investigation and new control measures were badly needed.  We did carry out an investigation and implement some simple, cheap and practical control measures.  There has been no recurrence and the MD of the workplace is now really delighted to carry out such accident investigations.  He was unaware of these hidden costs in his very high maintenance budget.

Do you know about all your hidden costs?  Can you afford to ignore such accidents in your workplace?

Jobseekers and unemployed people all over Ireland are trying to find work in a very competitive market.  Re-skilling, using short duration training courses of one day to two weeks, is one obvious way to increase your chances in the job market. The good news is that jobseekers who are trying to get back to work can now get free or subsidised courses from training companies nationwide.

This is a very positive move by the government to assist jobseekers in their efforts to enhance their CVs and thereby enhance their job prospects.  All jobseekers should be looking at the courses available and seeing if courses exist that will equip them for career paths that they may be interested in.

Typical short duration training courses that are available are – Certified Energy Manager Course – Building Energy Rating (BER) Course – First Aider Courses – Taxi Driver Course – Trainee Firefighter – Accredited Safety Certificate Courses – Registered Gas Installer Courses – Carbon Emissions Measurement Courses – and many more.