CPD Certified: All DeltaNet International Courses

Our teams work tirelessly to produce eLearning courses that add value for our customers. Every year, we launch and update dozens of courses to make sure our offering is comprehensive, relevant and valuable. We conduct thousands of conversations with our clients, new and long-standing alike, to make sure we are exceeding their expectations wherever we can.

Our commitment to creating training materials of the highest quality had previously been recognised as our Compliance courses have been CPD Certified for several years but we have recently added our Health and Safety, Performance Management and Take5 courses to our certification. Our eLearning suites were independently reviewed by the CPD Certification Service and were found to meet the exacting standards required.

CPD certification is recognised and respected across industries. It provides an independent measure of quality, giving organisations and learners alike the peace of mind that they are using tried and tested courses of the highest standards.

What Does a CPD Certification Mean for Us?

Ultimately, the CPD certification of our eLearning courses is your assurance of the quality of our courses.

We stand by the excellence of our courses – but you don’t have to just take our word for it! Our eLearning materials have reached all of the demanding benchmarks set out by the CPD Certification Service. This means our courses are consistently high quality and provide significant value to the organisations who invest in them.

Please get in touch if you would like to know more about our CPD certified courses.

Every Workplace Death is a Tragedy

Our physical wellbeing at work is in the spotlight like never before. We are still in the midst of one of the biggest shifts in working culture in living memory, with the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath set to change everything from the amount we work from home to the layouts of our offices.

With workplace health and safety in the headlines, in July the HSE released its annual report into workplace fatality figures. (They don’t include deaths directly resulting from COVID-19.) The good news is that they are lower than before – 111 in 2019/20, a drop from 147 the previous year. This might be due to the break in many physical jobs the pandemic caused and the rise of homeworking for many, but though every workplace death is a tragedy, a fall is a good sign no matter what the cause. The long-term trend shows a steady decline in deaths.

Delving deeper into the figures, they tell an interesting story about the risks across industries – and how workplace health and safety still has a way to go before we get the fatality figures down to zero.

Construction and Other High-Risk Industries

The HSE website includes a breakdown by industry of the workplace fatalities. This shows construction had twice the amount of workplace deaths as the next highest industry, agriculture.

In many ways, the industries most likely to suffer tragedies like workplace deaths are no surprise: they are often more physical in their day to day work and involve work in difficult conditions, such as on buildings in need of repair or using machinery. There are more opportunities in these lines of work to fall victim to the most common causes of workplace deaths: falls from height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving object. This underlines the need for robust risk assessments and safety measures in place to protect all workers and members of the public.

New Challenges

Recently it’s been almost impossible to avoid the phrase “the new normal”. Used to describe everything from new workplace layouts to socialising over Zoom, the phrase covers both the challenges and opportunities ahead. Unfortunately, nobody can agree exactly what “the new normal” will mean at this point.

Health and safety will need to stay front-and-centre of companies’ minds for the foreseeable future. Training will be even more important for all employees, including those working from home, and engaging employees in this learning will be vital.

The challenge facing employers in the future, especially in high-risk industries, is how to protect people from COVID-19 whilst not neglecting their traditional health and safety arrangements. All previous protections and control measures must be in place, even if they have to be adapted to meet the new guidelines.

It remains to be seen how COVID-19 and the associated changes to workplaces will affect the workplace fatality figures in the years to come. With appropriate training and keeping the focus on all aspects of workers’ health and safety, employers can play their part in bringing that figure lower and lower.

Yikes! 8 Health and Safety Rules Your Business Could Be Breaking

The UK’s alert level for COVID-19 was recently downgraded from level 4 to 3 and, in light of this, we’ve seen many businesses cautiously reopen and embrace a new kind of normal. Still, the easing of lockdown means the pressure is on for organisations to remain ultra-vigilant and to implement all measures possible to protect their customers and employees from risk.

Understanding health and safety best practice is more important now than ever before, and whether your organisation is already open, or plans to implement new working from home measures long-term, there are regulations employers cannot afford to neglect.

To help ease the transition, we’ve spent some time uncovering the 8 laws your organisation is most likely to unwittingly break. With employee wellbeing in the balance (not to mention companies can face heavy fines if found guilty of non-compliance at an employment tribunal), it’s important your business doesn’t drop the regulatory ball.

Here are 8 laws you could be breaking right now:

  1. You don’t consider your employee’s request for flexible working

It’s likely many organisations will consider more flexible working policies following the coronavirus outbreak. Senior management teams around the country have been pleasantly surprised by levels of productivity from remote workforces, and, likewise, many employees have enjoyed having no commute and a better work/life balance. Equally, returning to the office ‘as usual’ could result in high levels of anxiety amongst employees, with a recent survey confirming that many of us have concerns about returning to work. With this in mind, employers should remember the Flexible Working Regulations 2014 which state that an employee who has been “continuously employed for a period of at least 26 weeks is entitled to make a flexible working application”. In fact, employers can only refuse a request for one of eight reasons, and this reason must be given in writing alongside details of your company’s appeals procedure.

Possible fine for non-compliance: You could be required to pay your employee up to 8 weeks’ pay. A week’s pay is currently capped at £538 and is increased on 6 April every year.

2. You aren’t considering the health and safety of remote workers

Employers with teams of more than 5 people have obligations under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, The Display Screen Equipment Regulations, and The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations to safeguard the health, safety, and wellbeing of their workforce – even if that workforce is working from remotely. This means risk assessments must be completed (they can be self-assessments) for all employees working from home to highlight and mitigate any areas of high risk. It is the employers’ responsibility to implement any changes necessary that are uncovered by the risk assessment.

Given the current circumstances, and in their eagerness to move the workforce to the safety of their own homes, it’s possible that employers may have overlooked their responsibility for home workers’ health and safety here. Don’t forget, furloughed staff are still employees with employment rights and, as such, are owed the same duty of care as members of staff still able to work.

Possible fine for non-compliance: The Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Ltd case demonstrates that organisations can be heavily fined for breaching regulations. This firm was fined £1 million for breaching regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at work Act 1974.

3. You fail to provide staff with the right equipment

Following on from above, it’s the responsibility of employers to ensure employees have completed a display screen equipment assessment (although this can be undertaken as a self-assessment with appropriate guidance). However, there’s also a non-delegatory duty to fund costs under The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations which applies to workers who use DSE daily and continually for more than an hour at a time for the provision of eye tests and of special corrective equipment.

For example, you may have come across organisations that provide employees a budget with which to purchase equipment and appliances they need to work safely, e.g. a supportive chair, footrest, or wrist support. It’s worth remembering that this equipment remains the property of the company for return upon request.

Possible fine for non-compliance: Recent legislation removed the fine cap (previously £5,000 – £20,000) and allowed magistrates courts to give out unlimited fines for offences committed on or after the 12th of March 2015.

4. You neglect to consider your employees mental health

According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, companies must assess and mitigate the risk of work-related stress amongst employees. Given recent circumstances, these levels are potentially higher than normal (employees working from home are reporting higher workloads and longer work hours in some circumstances, as well as the additional stress of caring for children and other dependents during lockdown). Keeping open communication between managers and team members, scheduling in regular breaks throughout the day, and offering regular company updates to keep employees informed about the business, are all things you can do to help manage stress levels at work.

Possible fine for non-compliance: Employees can be awarded compensation Working Times Regulations breaches, where they suffer serious mental or physical consequences as a result of the circumstances imposed by their employer.

5. You haven’t provided new employees with written particulars of employment

It has been encouraging to see many organisations continue to hire new staff during lockdown (ourselves included!) with interviews being carried out virtually using video conferencing software. Remember, though, virtual employment offers do not excuse the need for written particulars of employment. In fact, under the Employment Rights Act 1996, all new members of staff must be served in writing with information about holiday rights, sick pay entitlements, and information about notice agreements within two months of joining. Additionally, any changes to this contract must also be served in writing or companies could face a breach of contract claim.

Possible fine for non-compliance: Failure to have written particulars: 2-4 weeks pay. Currently a week’s pay is capped at £538 but is increased on 6 April every year.

Failure to consult on changes to a contract could result in a fine per employe of up to 90 days gross pay (if this involves 20 or more employees) or could result in a breach of contract claim or constructive unfair dismissal claim in which the compensatory award is currently capped at 52 weeks gross pay or £88,519 whichever is less.

6. You haven’t given employees information on the company’s health and safety policies

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that business leaders must “prepare and, as often as may be appropriate, revise a written statement of his general policy in respect to the health and safety at work of his employees and the organisation and arrangements for the time being in force for carrying out that policy, and to bring the statement and any revision of it to the notice of all his employees.” This directive is also covered under the The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Worryingly, according to a survey by data capture app provider, WorkMobile, as many as 65% of staff have not received any information about their company’s health and safety policies. Yikes!

Possible fine for non-compliance: The maximum penalty for failure by an employer to comply with a general duty imposed by HSWA 1974, ss 2–7 on summary conviction is six months imprisonment or an unlimited fine or both. On indictment, the maximum penalty is two years imprisonment or a fine or both.

7. You aren’t reporting workplace injuries

There are certain workplace injuries, diseases, and near-misses that must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the UK. This directive is covered under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, also known as RIDDOR. Additionally, organisations employing more than 10 members of staff are required by law to keep an accident book and store it safely for 3 years.

Possible fine for non-compliance: Failure to report ‘reportable’ accidents is a criminal offence and the responsible person can be sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court with a fine up to £20,000, or in the Crown Court with an unlimited fine. Individuals deemed responsible for non-reporting can also face a period of imprisonment for up to two years.

8. You aren’t protecting staff from the risks of workplace diseases

Does your workplace have air-con, hot and cold water systems, or on-site showers? If so, you need to be aware of hidden dangers like Legionnaires’ disease, an uncommon yet potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Legionnaires’ disease can spread to humans when we inhale small water droplets containing the bacteria. Given the amount of time many of us spend in the office, it’s important to inspect, maintain, and regularly service all water management systems your employees use (think water tanks, thermostatic mixing valves and water treatment equipment).

Possible fine for non-compliance: G4S Cash Solutions has been fined £1.8 million after failing to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease from its water systems

Final Word

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a tough year so far, and we want to reiterate that the information above is not meant to scaremonger or cause further alarm. Rather, it’s a reminder about the legislative responsibilities all business owners have to protect their biggest asset – their staff.

With special thanks to Richard Nelson LLP for their expert advice on this topic.

Legionella: A Silent Killer in Workplaces

If you’ve returned to your workplace or are planning to soon, no doubt health and safety has been at the forefront of your mind. But there’s one aspect you might not have considered yet: your water systems.

Water systems and air conditioners might have been sitting unused since March. Unfortunately, this can make them a key breeding ground for Legionella bacteria. The HSE have released a set of guidelines on handling the issue – but how does it relate to workplaces?

What is Legionella?

Legionella is a type of bacteria that can spread in water and heating systems. There are many different types of Legionella bacteria. Some of the most dangerous cause potentially fatal diseases such as Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionella can appear in either man-made or natural water systems. It is most at risk of appearing and multiplying where the water is stagnant and the temperature provides the perfect breeding ground for it. Thankfully, in most workplaces, the temperature and flow of water can be controlled to minimise the risk of Legionella and its associated health risks.

Air Conditioners

Many of us will be returning to our workplaces, either full or part-time, when there is still a chance of hot weather. For people who have been living through the mini-heatwaves while working from home, a return to an air-conditioned environment might be welcome!

Lots of air conditioning systems will be entirely safe. The HSE guidance provides more information on which systems are at risk and which will require a thorough cleaning before being used again.

Checking Water Systems

Water systems should be checked for Legionella risk and flushed and cleaned if necessary. This includes hot and cold water systems, cooling towers and commercial spas. If they have been used less often during the coronavirus crisis (or not used at all), it is likely they need to be cleaned and checked.

Make sure this work is carried out by someone competent to do so, wearing the correct PPE. If the coronavirus crisis makes it hard to get a competent person to complete this work, it could be safer to not use the water systems – it is better not to take the risk.

One of the most common ways of protecting water systems from Legionella and other bacteria is temperature control.

Training on Legionella and Water Safety

We offer two courses on Legionella:

Legionella and Water Safety provides an overview of the risks of Legionella.

Advanced Legionella covers the subject in more depth and builds on the knowledge gained in the first course.

NEW RELEASE: Explosion eLearning Short Course

You’re going about your normal day and you hear a loud bang. There’s been an explosion nearby. Do you know what to do?

Our Explosion eLearning short course gives all employees the peace of mind of knowing what they should do if the worst happens. The course presents the aftermath of an explosion from the perspective of a person in the next building. Learners must answer a series of multiple-choice questions about their immediate response to handle the situation safely and pass the course.

The Explosion course is part of our Emergency Response suite, which when complete will include Civil Unrest, Active Shooter, Bomb Threat, Suspicious Items and Medical Emergency.

See our new course HERE.

Offices After Covid-19: What is “the New Normal”?

It’s something we’re hearing daily: businesses and employees will have to adapt to a post-coronavirus “new normal”.

It seems clear that the life we return to, if and when restrictions are lifted, will not be the world we left when lockdown began in March. It’s possible the full extent of the changes prompted by this crisis won’t be clear until years after the fact. But as governments around the world start to plan a route back to something like normality, we can see some likely themes emerging as “the new normal” takes shape.

The Death of Open Plan?

In the short-term at least, offices will need to change. Until we have an effective vaccine for Covid-19 and the threat level has reduced to zero, going back to our close-knit collaborative offices doesn’t seem to be an option.

This may spell the end of open plan office layouts. Nobody knows how long social distancing measures will need to be in place and until we know, keeping employees at a physical distance from one another is a must. This could mean staggered working times, part-time working from home where possible, and physical re-designs of the office space to make more room.

Communal areas like kitchens may need to be closed and one-way systems brought in to avoid breaking social distancing rules. Even if only some of these measures are necessary, this will be enough to make it a very different office space than we were used to.

Working From Home?

Home working was long predicted to be the future of work but progress was fairly slow. The coronavirus crisis has accelerated adoption of this model, with millions of businesses adjusting to widespread home working – but will it last?

Businesses that have adapted well to the change might find they want to make it permanent, at least for part of the time. If their business can continue to be productive without a central office hub, they might find it cheaper to do without a permanent office altogether. Likewise, employees who never got the chance to work from home before might have found it suits them better, helping their work/life balance and improving their overall happiness levels.

Between the extremes of companies going straight back to their old working model and those allowing unlimited home working, there will be many organisations who settle somewhere between the two – perhaps allowing staff to work up to 3 days a week at home, for example, but asking them to return to the office for key (albeit socially distanced) meetings.

Whatever happens, it appears highly likely that home working will be far more widespread than before and the days of commuting to the office for 5 days a week may well be over.

Culture Changes?

Coronavirus has had an effect on everyone in society. Within a few weeks, it changed the way we worked, socialised, enjoyed time with our loved ones and our hobbies. It seems unlikely this won’t spill over into working culture long-term.

Even when coronavirus becomes less of a threat (if this is indeed how events play out), presenteeism may be more frowned upon. Every worker is likely to have seen people struggle into work while coughing and spluttering but with the new awareness of how we can easily infect each other, this might be more strongly discouraged.

Employees that have worked from home for several months and proved it can be done may expect more flexibility from their employers. Should home working become more normal as predicted, there will be an uptick in use of videoconferencing technology. Collaborating with team members based remotely will seem more casual – even with teams on different continents!

Coronavirus has changed our working lives on many levels. Whatever “the new normal” entails, we’ll all have to adjust to a post-coronavirus world – and find a way that improves working lives for employees and employers alike.

What Does Stress Feel Like?

What Does Stress Feel Like?

This Mental Health Awareness Week, many of us will be giving our mental health more thought than ever before.

With COVID-19 bringing unexpected bereavement, health anxiety and worries about our physical and financial wellbeing well into the future, it can seem we’re being bombarded with stress from all angles. At the same time, many of the activities, hobbies and relationships we relied on to calm us down are no longer available due to the restrictions.

In this series of blogs we’re exploring the most common mental health issues, including something many people will be struggling with in these uncertain times: stress.

What does stress feel like?

Stress can be defined as “the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable”.

COVID-19 and the lockdown have made many people’s lives considerably more stressful. Alongside the associated health anxieties, there has been a loss of physical contact with our wider networks of loved ones who can support us. Many of us are caring for children and juggling that with full-time work. It’s natural to feel stressed at this time – but how do you know when stress is becoming a mental health issue?

Signs that stress may be getting out of control include:

  • Physical problems: If you’re getting minor illnesses such as colds more often, that can be a sign of stress wearing you down. Headaches and muscle pains may also suggest you’re under stress, especially if they’re happening more often than usual.
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions: When we’re overwhelmed, it can feel impossible to function at our normal levels. If you’re anxious, struggling with motivation and finding it hard to continue your day-to-day tasks, your stress levels could be getting out of hand.
  • Coping mechanisms: Most people use coping mechanisms of one kind or another to get through the harder parts of life. These can be healthy, such as exercise or a creative hobby. They can also be destructive, like drinking to excess regularly. With many of the usual routes to de-stress taken away because of the coronavirus, many are finding it harder to handle their stress.

The NHS website has a list of the signs of stress. It can be helpful to look out for these signs in ourselves and also in our loved ones. Stress can increase gradually so it can be quite severe before we even realise there’s a problem.

What helps with stress?

Even with extreme cases of stress, there are things you can do to control it. They won’t magically make the stress disappear (and it’s important to get medical attention if you think your stress is beyond your ability to cope with it), but they might make it easier to manage.

During this pandemic, self-care can seem like a luxury with all the other demands on our time. But it is in fact a necessity: we can’t look after others if we’re burnt out ourselves. Making time for yourself should be a priority, whether that’s taking time to read, indulge in a hobby or just to relax alone.

Keeping active is always a good antidote to stress. If you’re strapped for time, even a half hour walk can be beneficial. Reaching out to loved ones virtually, while not as good as the real thing, can be a great way to de-stress and take your mind off the causes. Likewise, there has never been such a need for volunteers. If it’s physically safe to do so, there may be opportunities to drop off supplies for local people in need who are self-isolating. The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year is kindness and spreading some kindness around in the form of volunteering can help our own mental health immensely.

Remember that if you’re stressed, you’re far from alone. In a 2018 study, 74% of people said they had felt so stressed they felt unable to cope in the previous year. Opening up to someone you trust can be the first step towards feeling better – and what better time than Mental Health Awareness Week?

Getting help

Please note that the information provided is for reference only and does not constitute medical advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis please visit this page for guidance.

Samaritans

https://www.samaritans.org/

Telephone: 116 123

Shout UK (Crisis Text Line)

https://www.giveusashout.org/

Text Shout to 85258

Mind – the mental health charity

https://www.mind.org.uk/

Your Mind Plan – interactive quiz with tailored suggestions from Every Mind Matters

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/your-mind-plan-quiz/

NHS – Mental Health and Wellbeing information

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/

The Mental Health Foundation – your mental health – information

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health

Depression: You’re Not Alone

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and it has never felt so timely.

COVID-19 has had a huge effect on people’s mental health. There are people struggling with unexpected bereavement, worries over their own health and anxiety about the wellbeing of their loved ones. The usual coping mechanisms many relied on – spending time with friends, playing team sports or attending a place of worship – became unavailable just at the point when many needed them. Though of course physical health had to come first during a pandemic like this, mental health should not be forgotten.

In this series of blogs we’re exploring the most common mental health issues, beginning with the most widely reported mental health condition worldwide: depression.

What does depression feel like?

“I was so depressed when it rained on my holiday.” “I don’t like that film – it’s depressing.” We hear terms relating to depression every day but sadly, the inaccurate way they’re used contributes to misconceptions about what depression actually is.

There’s a huge difference between feeling temporarily “down” – which happens to everyone – and depression, which is a medical condition requiring treatment. People with depression can’t “snap out of it” or think themselves better. Their condition is the result of a complex mixture of circumstances and genetics, though even the most severe cases can be treated. Depression can affect anyone of any age, gender, race or nationality.

Depression can manifest in different ways for each person but some common symptoms are:

  • Loss of interest in fun things: Activities that used to bring you pleasure or give you a sense of achievement no longer seem worthwhile. This can lead to guilt, which feeds the depression further. If you’re no longer getting any joy out of hobbies you used to love, this could be a sign of depression.
  • Feeling low, sad or anxious: When most of us think of depression, the first sign we think of is of a persistent low mood. However, this is not always visible to others, as people who seem outwardly very cheerful can be masking their real feelings.
  • Withdrawal: Avoiding friends and family can be a key signal of depression, especially if it’s out of character. Likewise, sleeping or eating significantly more or less than usual can be a warning sign. Unfortunately, this can add to the vicious cycle of depression, since self-care and good nutrition are great ways to combat depression.

A comprehensive list of depression symptoms can be found on the NHS website. Though we should avoid self-diagnosing or putting a label on our loved ones due to their behaviour, these can be signs that someone’s mental health is suffering. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, the weeks of isolation may well have caused some to develop depression or for their existing depression to get worse, so we need to look out for each other’s mental health.

If you ever find yourself having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, seek medical help immediately. A list of crisis services can be found here.

About depression

If you have depression, you’re not alone. In fact, it is the predominant mental health problem worldwide. 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem in their lifetime.

Some people only suffer a single bout of depression, perhaps brought about by bereavement or another difficult event. For others, it can reoccur multiple times over their life, sometimes for no clear reason. It’s important to remember depression is a treatable condition and full recovery is possible.

With the enforced solitary lifestyle of COVID-19 and its lockdown, some people may be experiencing a worsening of their symptoms. Conversely, others may be finding the slower pace of life, homeworking or increased time with immediate family has helped their condition. We’re all individuals and depression affects people in different ways.

This year, the topic of Mental Health Awareness Week is kindness. With the impact of the virus and lockdown on mental health still to be fully understood, we can all practice kindness by reaching out (virtually) to loved ones and making sure we watch out for each other’s mental health.

Getting help

Please note that the information provided is for reference only and does not constitute medical advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis please visit this page for guidance.

Samaritans

https://www.samaritans.org/

Telephone: 116 123

Shout UK (Crisis Text Line)

https://www.giveusashout.org/

Text Shout to 85258

Mind – the mental health charity

https://www.mind.org.uk/

Your Mind Plan – interactive quiz with tailored suggestions from Every Mind Matters

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/your-mind-plan-quiz/

NHS – Mental Health and Wellbeing information

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/

The Mental Health Foundation – your mental health – information

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/your-mental-health