Health & Safety Week features talks from notable speakers

Friday 08 January 2021

The Guernsey Occupational Safety & Health Association will be hosting a series of talks to promote good workplace practices; and amongst the guest speakers list is Director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink.

The talks are part of the annual Guernsey Workplaces Safety & Health Week, which aim to promote good business practices in the Bailiwick.

"We find that a lot of the accidents reported each year were avoidable had people been better informed," said GOSHA Chairman Andrew Mills.

"That's why we have health and safety week, which basically provides a vehicle for people to hear about health in the workplace who otherwise wouldn't get involved."

"We've found that if people come along to the talks in January, they come along to some of our other meetings as well. The real aim is to help businesses, and people that work at businesses, have a back and forth about occupational health."

Pictured: Dr Nicola Brink will be discussing how to manage the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace at one of three healthy and safety talks.

Three talks will be held from Tuesday, 19 to Thursday, 21 January, each with a different speaker to talk about their specialist subject. The first of these speakers is Steve Wilkes, a former firefighter who is now Operations Director for local company Fire Defence Services. He is a qualified 'life safety' fire risk assessor, and will be discussing best practices for fire safety in the workplace.

Guernsey's Health and Safety Executive Robin Gonard will also be presenting a talk about working alone, at home, or in confined spaces - "This is another very obvious hazard that crops up from time to time," explained Mr Mills.

"Doctor Brink will talk about management of COVID in the workplace. She's done such a great job for our island and we're incredibly privileged to have her as one of the speakers this year."

"We've got good speakers who are talking about subjects that are really relevant to people here in the Bailiwick, and hopefully we'll get good attendance, and we'll get people better informed."

Anyone who works, owns a business, or even volunteers for a nonprofit or charity is invited to attend the talks, which will be held for free at 08:00 each morning at La Villette Hotel; breakfast rolls and tea and coffee will be provided.

Tuesday, 19 January: Steve Wilkes, Fire Safety at Work

Wednesday, 20 January: Dr Nicola Brink, COVID safety

Thursday, 21 January: Robin Gonard, home/lone working and working in confined spaces

Pictured top: CLICK HERE to read more about the events.