Former footballer Richard Rufus involved friends, family, and associates in a pyramid scheme in which a total of £15M was invested with him. Using his status as a former athlete to appear wealthy and successful, he claimed he was a foreign exchange trader and convinced his victims to invest in what he said were low-risk schemes. Ultimately he failed to make a profit from his trading activities. The Pentecostal church, which had invested with him, lost its £5m. Of the £15m paid to accounts controlled by Rufus, investors received back a total of around £7.6m. He was tried and convicted and received a jail sentence of 7 and a half years. Rufus was found guilty of fraud, money laundering and carrying out a regulated activity without authorisation.
The case raised a number of red flags–including the big one that Rufus was not regulated–that should have been picked up on but weren’t. Investors were blinded by Rufus’ charm and flashy lifestyle.
Read VinciWorks’ case study
VinciWorks new case study about the scam explains what happened, how Rufus was caught, what the penalties were, and what the red flags in the case were. The case study also includes important information on how to protect yourself from financial investment fraud and and what to do if you’ve been a victim of financial investment fraud.
AML training suite – relevant training for all staff
VinciWorks strives to make its AML training more than simply a tick-box exercise. Click here to learn more.
At a glance: AML ongoing monitoring
Automating the ongoing monitoring process can be the key to an effective and successful AML programme. Our one-page guide to ongoing AML monitoring provides a succinct and informative overview of ongoing monitoring including a definition, tips on how to comply with AML ongoing monitoring regulations, and answers the questions of who needs to be checked during ongoing monitoring, when to do CDD reviews, and what has to be recorded during ongoing monitoring.
Six men were recently convicted of taking part in a £30m money laundering scam which involved passing dirty money through a road haulage firm. The leading operator was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, while another person involved was sentenced to five years, and others to three and a half years and eight years respectively.
VinciWorks new case study about the scam explains what happened, how the criminals were caught, what the penalties were, and what the red flags in the case were.
In the last year in the UK, there were over 78,000 reportable injuries at work in the last year. At least 2 million sick days are taken because of back pain – two thirds of which could have been avoided through the use of safe manual handling techniques. Most manual handling injuries actually do not occur as a result of intense or strenuous activities or unexpected events such as a fall, but rather are the result of cumulative strain, i.e. gradual wear and tear caused by day to day tasks.
What is manual handling in the workplace?
Manual handling in the workplace refers to any activity that involves the lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or moving of objects or people by hand. It is a common task in many industries and workplaces, ranging from offices to construction sites, warehouses, healthcare facilities, and more.
Manual handling tasks can include activities such as lifting boxes, stacking shelves, moving equipment, transferring patients, and handling tools or machinery. While manual handling is a necessary part of many jobs, it can pose various risks to the health and safety of workers if not performed correctly.
Who is responsible for safe manual handling at work?
In the United Kingdom, the responsibility for safe manual handling at work primarily rests with employers. They have a legal obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated regulations.
The importance of manual handling at work
Effective manual handling practices are of paramount importance in the workplace. By prioritising safe manual handling techniques, employers can significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and promote the overall well-being of their staff. Proper manual handling not only safeguards employees from immediate harm but also helps prevent long-term health problems, such as back injuries and repetitive strain injuries. By providing appropriate training, implementing control measures, and fostering a culture of safety, employers can create a work environment that values the physical health and safety of their employees. Prioritising manual handling safety contributes to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and improved job satisfaction, ultimately leading to a more efficient and healthier workplace.
What are the 4 key factors of manual handling?
The four key factors with respect to manual handling are commonly referred to as “TILE.” Each letter in TILE represents an important aspect of manual handling.
Task: This refers to the nature of the manual handling task being performed, such as lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects. It involves considering the weight, size, and shape of the objects being handled.
Individual: This factor focuses on the capabilities of the individual involved in manual handling. Considerations include their physical fitness, experience, training, and any pre-existing medical conditions or limitations.
Load: The load factor involves assessing the characteristics of the object being handled. This includes its weight, stability, shape, size, and any potential hazards associated with it. It also encompasses factors such as the need for team lifting or the use of mechanical aids.
Environment: The environment factor considers the surrounding conditions in which manual handling takes place. This includes factors such as the layout of the workspace, the presence of obstacles or uneven surfaces, lighting, temperature, and any other potential hazards or risks present in the environment.
Manual handling at work: a guide
VinciWorks and DeltaNet have produced a valuable, in-depth guide to manual handling. The guide provides a background to the topic and explains what the risk factors are with regard to cumulative strain caused by manual handling. The guide sets out the legal requirements on employers and goes through different types of manual handling and the risks involved in each type. Readers are taught how to identify red flags, how to conduct a risk-assessment, and how to reduce the risk of injuries.
Any organisation whose workers engage in manual handling will benefit from this guide that sets out your legal obligations as an employer, explains the risks and how to make sure workers are able to perform their jobs safely and effectively and prevent lost productivity, increased absenteeism and reduced quality of life for affected workers.
DeltaNet provide market-leading Compliance, Health and Safety, and Performance online training solutions that fit the needs of your business. Click here to learn more.
FAQs on manual handling training
What is manual handling training?
Manual handling training refers to the process of educating individuals on safe techniques and practices for handling objects manually.
What is the purpose of manual handling training?
The purpose of manual handling training is to provide individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to minimise the risk of injuries and promote safe working practices when lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects.
Do staff need to do manual handling training?
All staff members that are involved in manual handling activities should undergo manual handling training. It’s important for organisations to provide this training to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their employees.
How long does manual handling training take?
The duration of manual handling training can vary depending on several factors, including the specific content being covered, the training provider, and the needs of the participants. Generally, manual handling training courses range from a few hours to a full day. The specific duration of manual handling training should be determined based on the needs of the participants and the scope of the training program being implemented.
Is manual handling training a legal requirement?
Under UK health and safety regulations (Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992), employers have a legal duty to assess and manage the risks associated with manual handling activities.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced that its mandatory diversity survey will be due sometime in the summer of 2023. The SRA has said that it will provide four weeks’ notification prior to the actual deadline. VinciWorks is proud to offer all law firms in England and Wales a simple, free and secure way to anonymously collect and aggregate diversity data via our compliance management software, Omnitrack.
After registering, you will be provided with a unique link to send to your staff. We will send you all data collected, together with aggregated data in the format required by the SRA, in advance of the reporting deadline. Click here to preview the questionnaire.
UK Government offers the bare minimum on fraud prevention
The UK government had previously announced they are pushing ahead with a game-changing new regulation to expand the ‘failure to prevent’ family of offences to failure to prevent fraud. More details have now been announced about the offence which will be brought forward as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. Significantly, the government have proposed a controversial exemption for smaller organisations, and have ignored calls for a failure to prevent money laundering offence, even for the regulated sector.
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has now been in force for five years, and GDPR’s reach is global, as any company that offers goods or services to anyone in the EU are required to comply. The most recent fines show that both large and small businesses are subject to regulators’ scrutiny, with over €1 billion in fines coming in the past 12 months.
Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation requires demonstrable compliance with the regulations. Our GDPR compliance checklist is designed to help you determine whether your organisation is compliant with the GDPR. Following the steps in this checklist will help you identify any areas where your organisation might be falling short with regard to GDPR compliance and take the necessary steps to ensure you meet your obligations and avoid any potential fines and legal issues.
Data protection rules under GDPR
How GDPR-aware is your business and staff? Does your organisation have a process for data portability? GDPR legislation allows individuals to obtain and reuse their personal data for their own purposes across different services. Other elements include the requirement for certain organisations to appoint a Data Protection Officer. Further, under GDPR, sensitive information includes biometric and genetic information. This means that organisations should familiarise themselves with GDPR and ensure staff understand how to process personal data.
With this new feature, admins will be able to choose between two access settings when creating a report: admin-only or allowing any logged-in user to view the report.
Under the admin-only setting, only admins will have access to view or edit the report. This is ideal for reports that contain sensitive or confidential information that should only be seen by authorized personnel. This setting ensures that the report’s data remains secure and is only accessible by those who need it.
Under the second setting, any logged-in user can view the report, but only admins will have the ability to edit it. This is perfect for reports that contain information that is relevant to a wider group of people.
Select access settings on report creation
Global filters
With our new global filter, admins will be able to set conditions that will limit all widgets within a report dashboard to specific conditions (e.g. “client name = HP”).
The global filter feature is designed to help admins save time and increase efficiency by eliminating the need to set conditions on each widget individually. Instead, with just a few clicks, admins can set the global filter, and all widgets in the report dashboard will be automatically filtered according to the conditions set.
While the global filter is a powerful tool for managing reports, it’s important to note that admins can still add conditions to individual widgets as needed. This allows for even greater customization and flexibility in creating reports that are tailored to specific needs.
Upload and Personalize Your Company Logo and Email Banner
With this new feature, users will be able to easily customize their email communication with their clients and colleagues.
Uploading a logo and email banner will personalize your Omnitrack account, making it immediately recognizable to anyone who receives an email. This is especially important for businesses that want to maintain a consistent brand image across all communication channels.
Upload logo and banner via the settings page
Users can change their company logo or email banner as often as they like, allowing them to keep their communication fresh and up-to-date.
To upload or change the company logo and email banner, users simply need to navigate to “Configuration” >> “System settings” within Omnitrack and select the appropriate option. Once the logo or banner has been uploaded, it will automatically appear at the top of any email sent out of the system.
Bug fixes
Fixed an issue within the logic builder on forms where edited logic on yes/no questions was not saving the first time.
Fixed an issue where date fields in email were appearing as UNIX timestamp.
Fixed an issue where automations with a “send email” action did not appear in the timeline.
Fixed an issue where hyperlinks were not appearing within multi select fields on forms.
Fixed an issue where Japanese was not exporting to PDF.
Added better warning text for when an email has been incorrectly modified and fails to send.
Ongoing monitoring is an essential part of an effective anti-money laundering programme. Regulations are constantly changing, clients’ circumstances are evolving and the ramifications of making a mistake are getting increasingly high. Ongoing monitoring is required to determine whether a customer continues to match the risk profile assigned to them at onboarding.
It’s essential to stay on top of compliance requirements to avoid exposure to financial crime and penalties. We have created a comprehensive guide to ongoing monitoring, including some tips for law firms.
Climate change poses serious risks to companies and not just those with asset-heavy supply chains. Even the most flexible, digital professional services companies may be vulnerable.
Thus, all companies need to understand the risks posed by climate change – as well as the opportunities. Companies that prioritise climate risk management will be better positioned to withstand its effects and capitalise on new opportunities.
Intersectionality describes the relationship between our multiple identities and how they can create a unique experience of discrimination, bias and privilege.
If a person has more than one marginalised or minority group identity, they are more likely to experience overlapping forms of bias, discrimination and disadvantage, both in the workplace and in wider society.
To tackle these inequalities, we cannot look at each identity and the associated injustices in isolation because people experience injustices intersectionally. Therefore, to tackle inequalities, we need to explore these intersecting identities and the unique experiences they create for people.
