Health & Safety refresher training for Highlands Council Operators

Cutting Edge Training, the independent training division of grounds care equipment manufacturer Ransomes Jacobsen, participated in a recent Health and Safety refresher programme run by the Highlands Council for their operations staff at Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club.

The half day seminar was attended by 66 operators and eight other personnel with grounds care responsibilities within the Inverness area and featured four presentations covering all aspects of Health and Safety in the workplace.

Fairways GM, Ransomes Jacobsen's dealer for Scotland supplies the majority of mowing equipment used by the Council. Bill Smith, the company's Sales Director, contacted the Cutting Edge Training team in Ipswich and Will Carr, a Senior Trainer travelled to Inverness to address the council's staff. His presentation focussed on safe operation, routine maintenance and the hazards associated with self-propelled and other mowing equipment.

John Taylor of the Highland Council, who organised the seminar said, "As a responsible employer, we run these refresher courses on an annual basis and they are normally delivered by our own staff. However, after discussions with Fairways, it was suggested that it would be beneficial for a representative from Cutting Edge Training to address the operators. We welcomed the opportunity and Will Carr delivered an excellent presentation."

Jason King, who heads up Cutting Edge Training added, "We were delighted to attend this refresher seminar as it is part of our remit to ensure that end-users are fully trained on the safe use and operation of our equipment. Operator training has become an important factor in our industry since the advent of PUWER '98 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations). These regulations stipulate that any person operating self-propelled machinery must be trained in its safe operation and it's good to see that the Highland Council are acting so responsibly. "

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