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Spring 2021 29 COVID-SECURE WORKING ENVIRONMENTS As businesses remained open or began reopening for customers, HAE EHA focused its attention on implementing appropriate measures to minimise the spread of infection, including social distancing and hygiene arrangements. The association hosted Covid-19 Safety Guidance webinars, developed e-learning modules and created ve industry related Covid-19 Social Distancing Practical Safety Guidance documents, o ering practical information and guidance on areas speci c to the hire industry. You can download these online at: • Practical Guidance for Hire Centres https://bit.ly/3sn8WBD • Event Hire Practical Guidance https://bit.ly/2CjY7Lo • Cleaning Portable Dehumidi ers https://bit.ly/3vRWID4 • Cleaning Portable Evaporative Coolers https://bit.ly/3vXFCnf • Cleaning Portable Air Conditioning Units https://bit.ly/3slf8Kg MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS HAE EHA maintained its SafeHire Assessment of regulatory compliance during the pandemic by supporting members with Covid-19 Safety Guidance, Covid-19 Safe Checklists and providing a SafeHire Remote Audit programme to ensure members maintain the highest standards throughout lockdown. As we move into a new phase of easing lockdown restrictions, and supporting a safe return to work, HAE EHA is adjusting its focus to include the return of face-to-face SafeHire Certi cation Audits fromMonday 12th April. Be rest assured that audits will be conducted in line with social distancing regulations and government guidelines in place at that time. SafeHire Auditors are responsible for carrying out a Point of Work Risk Assessment to ensure that an agreeable and safe method of conducting the audit process is determined at the outset. The auditor observes all Health and Safety control measures implemented by member organisations and communicates with the audit team whilst conducting SafeHire desktop and site audits. NEW PARTNERSHIPS FORMED Strength from adversity results in an outcome that brings worth and value. HAE EHA’s strength is its members, its customers, and its people. The HAE EHA team is working harder than ever to support members and has been proactive in creating new partnerships. 1 SAFETY SCHEMES IN PROCUREMENT (SSIP) HAE EHA announced in December how SafeHire Certi cation Scheme achieved SSIP status, as a Registered Member, aligning the hire industry’s standard with the government backed construction pre-quali cation document PAS 91. The new partnership creates an improved bene t for members who not only demonstrate SafeHire compliance but also SSIP approval, reducing duplication and demands on suppliers, who have multiple certi cations to di erent schemes, saving both time and money. 2 NEW SAFETY GUIDANCE LEAFLETS AVAILABLE FROM PRINT ON DEMAND HAE EHA’s Technical Health and Safety (THS) Panel has created four new safety guidance lea ets by pooling their knowledge of the equipment sector and taking on board member feedback to produce the new guidance. The new safety guidance lea ets cover the following types of equipment: • Floor Scrubber-Dryers - Mains Powered • Floor Scrubber-Dryers - Battery Powered • Oil Filled Radiators • Hand Held Suction Glass Lifters 3 HIRE BLENDED LEARNING QUALIFICATIONS HAE EHA’s new partnership with Arden University to facilitate the degree element of the Careers in Hire programme. Arden University challenges traditional conventions in higher education through o ering a digital- rst approach to study. Their programmes are delivered online and co-created with industry employers and partner organisations. Arden University o ers degree and masters programmes to learners in over 150 countries around the world. A key element to support members access to funding for their employees is through the HM Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. Whether an organisation pays the Levy to HMRC or not, they are able to utilise funding raised in the UK to support apprenticeships. Unlike in previous years, apprenticeships vary from the traditional Level 2 entry programmes through to Level 7 senior management. The Apprenticeship Levy will support the majority of costs for employers engaging their employees on such programmes. With this in mind, there are two programmes in particular that HAE EHA is excited about announcing alongside Arden University. The rst is the Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMI Accredited). The second is the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship plus MBA. Both receive support from the Government. 4 SPECIALIST CLEANING FOR COVID-19 CONTROL One of the areas missing from HAE EHA’s Practical Guidance documents was a trusted partner who could assist the hire industry with both responsive cleaning and undertaking planned cleaning services. HAE EHA is pleased to announce a new partner for specialist Covid-19 cleaning and infection control, SafeGroup. SafeGroup holds a wide range of certi cations inducing Acclaim Accreditation, Achilles, Altius, CHAS, Constructionline and SafeContractor. They have signi cant experience across a wide range of areas which include Covid-19 services such as Electrostatic Disinfection and Ultraviolet Decontamination. HAE EHA continues to support members in the recovery from the pandemic and adjust to a new way of working… one year on, we are proud and stronger. <<