You will need to support your FD here, how many people how much per head. Can you present a cheaper alternative. Think about it and manage the situation and have solutions. We can't go to theses people and say it's the regs find the money?

Well. I reckon that should be a key feature of your statement of intent/health and safety policy. Without that as an overriding commitment you have little hope.

All U can do is put your case together quoting the law (management regs especially R:5) and go from there to the MD if U have to

There are essentially 2 issues. Firstly the overriding need for ANY employer to provide sufficient resources for ALL aspects of their business, not just health and safety. Neither you nor your employer should need to back this up by quoting legislation; the need is 'obvious'. However, at the risk of repeating myself, this should be a KEY part of your H&S policy statement. Secondly is to ensure that you are presenting your employer with sound, proportionate advice that is 'cost effective' and either meets the statutory requirements or at least manages the risk sufficiently to avoid the likelihood of 'legal action' etc. The 2 are related but need different approaches. If you crack the first one and get genuine support and understanding on that, the 2nd should (in theory) be a bit easier to achieve.

James: Not sure but imay help you to google the "Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations" and try reading Regulation 7 dealing with competent persons... It has many of the words you are "remembering" - and may well be the source of the bell clanging in the back of your mind.... Although it doesn't (quite) state what you seem to be hoping it will state. (sorry!)..

When dealing with an employer (MD/finance director etc.) U should chose the route that is best suited to that employers/persons culture or trait so sometimes the whip is needed and vice versa And with all due respect, in my person view, most employers are negative to their employees and not positive especially where money is concerned and things are getting worse and will not change until employees become expensive I still know of companies today who take people on in the morning and finish those people after the days shift is done (this practice includes many councils) which is not an illegal thing to do but it is immoral and unless people have experience of many types of employer and business sectors then note should be taken when posting a comment of such ways of working and taking time out for some training -even in-house training- is a very expensive and very hard thing to do I some sectors even where a good employer is involved As an experiment just to keep up to date I advise people to go to their local job centre and/or a couple of generalist agencies and they will soon learn just how employees/people looking for work are generally treated these days so H&S advisers need to know of such things and base their arguments accordingly best of luck with your finance person

I thought Man Hand training is required by the regulation as a minimum and ther4efore not to complete would be foolish. Of course it all depends on the level of training required on the tasks. DSE most people give out a self assessment and see what comes back, most things are easy to fix. I not a great lover of the DSE regs ads now most households have a computer, lap top etc. and then blame the company for back pain.

The document you might be thinking of is HSG65 where there are a number of sections referring to the allocation of resources including for training.

If your organisation is accredited to OHSAS 18001, there is a clause in the standard which states that the organisation must provide adequate resources to maintain the standard. Failure to provide these resources could result in a NCR being raised during an external audit. Think Health and Safety is expensive? try costing up an accident.....

In short, there is no explicit requirement for a company to provide sufficient and suitable resources - more the pity. However it could be argued it is implied in the MHSW Regs - Health and Safety assistance 7.(3)...'the means at their disposal are adequate having regard to the size of the undertaking, the risks...' (3) The employer shall ensure that the number of persons appointed under paragraph (1), the time available for them to fulfil their functions and the means at their disposal are adequate having regard to the size of his undertaking, the risks to which his employees are exposed and the distribution of those risks throughout the undertaking.