Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Don Aers
Are you checking PASMA cards properly?
If you’re responsible for managing work at height, you already understand how vital it is to ensure everyone involved is competent. Competence isn’t just a best practice, it’s a legal obligation and, in many cases, it starts with checking the qualifications of the person in front of you. When it comes to building, inspecting and using mobile access towers, tower scaffolds and low level access equipment, PASMA training is the industry standard.
Getting down to basics: 5 fundamentals of tower safety
This year marks a big milestone for PASMA as we celebrate 50 years of advancing tower safety. Founded in 1974, today the association has more than 360 members ranging from tower manufacturers and hire centres to training companies and hire and assembly businesses. Each of them works alongside PASMA to champion safe equipment, administer industry-standard training and share expert guidance. During PASMA’s lifetime, the number of accidents on towers has reduced significantly.
In the cold light of day
Sunlight is vital for many reasons – sleep, concentration, mood and wellbeing. Even this doesn’t cover all its benefits, as experts say we still don’t know the whole story about sunlight’s power. So, are we dangerously in the dark about the benefits of light? And how can we bring more of it into our working lives? Sleep and mood One of the most well-known side effects of using screens at night is disturbed sleep.
working at height safely
Mobile access tower (sometimes called a scaffold tower) is only safe to use if it’s been assembled correctly. But how can you be sure it has? Before work begins, take a step back and check the completed structure. Not only is this a requirement of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, it’s also a crucial part of tower safety. By taking a few minutes to double-check everything is as it should be, you have the chance to resolve any issues before they become a problem. When should a tower be inspected?
Building safety manager | safety reforms | Judith Hackitt
The concept of the Building Safety Manager (BSM) first featured in Dame Judith Hackitt’s report Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. Her vision was that the BSM would be responsible for the day-to-day management of the building while also acting as the point of contact for residents.
home working | remote working
Much has been written and discussed about our working lives post-pandemic. We are shortly to reach a significant milestone, the first anniversary of full-blown home working. Some employers foresaw the likelihood of lockdown and started to plan. Most, however, were forced to switch their businesses to remote working with little or no preparation. It’s fair to say that despite the relaxing of lockdown during the summer months, many employers opted to maintain the home working model for many employees.
Covid-19 guidance for business
Although there is a vaccination programme in place in many countries, the need to manage workplaces to prevent the spread and transmission of Covid-19 will remain for some time to come. In this context, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched a publicly available specification (PAS), ISO/PAS 45005:2020 Occupational health and safety management – General guidelines for safe working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
older workers
Across the world, societies are ageing. And so are our workforces. We know that one in three workers in the G20 is already aged 50 and over – and this is set to increase to more than four in ten by 2040. Alongside other major trends, like the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and tech, this will fundamentally transform and reshape the workplace of the (not so distant) future – not just for older workers but for young and old alike.
Neal Stone | British Safety Council | leadership | coronavirus
By a quirk of technology, my interview with Neal Stone did not start well. A video malfunction meant that Neal could only look at an empty, black screen whereas I was able to see him clearly in the light of locked-down Pendle in East Lancashire. Though not ideal, as anyone who knows Neal will appreciate, he was perfectly able to speak freely and fluently across the geographical and digital divide on a subject that has dominated his life for nearly 30 years, without much prompting.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Don
Contact Don, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack