Posted By Tom Loomes Dear forum users, The moderating team would like to let you know that they were consulted before the above message was posted and felt that no AUGs were breached by the content. Kind regards on behalf of the moderating team, Tom Loomes Web Administrator

Posted By Steve99Jones Dear Mods Does this therefore mean that I can post links to my own website and let IOSH members know about all of the free information that we can provide them with? Also what about the IOSH members who develop (at great cost to themselves) retail COSHH (and other) software applications. Surely the advertising of this free product can impact on the their business income? Why should IOSH provide free advertising for this product which has after all been developed in a government subsidised institution and then restrict the advertising that its members are permitted to carry out on the website of their very own institution? I think the Mods need to think very carefully about this one, it should not be a case of one rule for one group and another rule for the rest! I have objections to the product itself (and yes it is a product being advertised on the IOSH website), but I do think that IOSH need to provide a fair and level playing field for ALL of its members! Steve

Posted By Steve99Jones Sorry last para should have read "I have NO objections ..."

Posted By Peter Leese Hey guys, loosen up. This is site for H&S folk and most try to help others. I've no problem at all with this, and I really can't understand why anybody would object. The HSE do a free software package for firms to evaluate their safety performance. They also do a free COSHH site. I haven't heard of any complaints about those - and they are government backed.

Posted By Merv Newman This freeware is offered to IOSH members, some of whom may be commercialising their own versions already. But, as a consultant, I have sometimes pointed clients in the direction of other free stuff that is out there. And I would be quite happy to add this one to my list of choices. From my point of view, there is also a lot of free SMS, BBS and culture survey stuff out there. Doesn't bother me. And if someone posted an offer of yet another free culture survey then I would ask for a copy but I wouldn't gnash my tooth. I also note that this is an example of when the moderators were asked for their advice BEFORE the posting was made. That is a step forward. Merv

Posted By Dan dan no wonder some safety proffesionals have got the label the grey suit brigade living up their own jacksies only concerned with their own self importance with continuial obstructive comments at threads posted on this site. Diane was being helpful, the thread obviously non commercial and am sure was not expecting a barrage of negative comments relating to the thread. We have too many freelance moderators of this site scaring off genuine posters of questions and advice with negative and self opinionated comments. Lighten up boys - cut some slack apply to remove my comments of this thread if you wish - truth hurts

Posted By TBC Dan dan 'up their own jacksies' Naughty you'll get your wrists slapped.

Posted By Dan dan There was a chap on here before ho had his own safety free info site, it was brilliant with a good source of info, power point presentations and a lot of good contributions from safety chaps all over. something like mysafetyweb or something like that. The scottish borders safety forum started to post stuff too good source of info all the same. we all need a kick start sometimes when we are stuck for info - so who hasnt scoured the web for info for their diploma assignment and how many safety pros can honestly say that the procedures and policy documents, toolbox talks they have in place that they developed was all their own work and not plagiarised from some free site somewhere (I would hazard a guess no more than 15%.

Posted By Merv Newman Perhaps I'm getting a bit philosophical here and wandering off-thread (it's the weekend afterall) but I am in this for the money. The easiest way I've found to do that is to advise people on improving H&S in their workplaces. It's a doddle and beats working for a living. I suppose I could do it just for coffee and biscuits but the wife, kids and cats would become a bit upset if I couldn't keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed over the years. Which means I have to charge at least a per diem. I am also well aware that multi-site companies try to rip-off my ideas. Doesn't bother me that much. They seldom get it right and have to call me in later to sort out the mess. Gravy and free advertising.

Posted By Dr Gareth Bicknell At the risk of starting it all up again, as a footnote, I thought I'd better introduce myself as the person who wrote the COSHHatron (I've just joined the forum). It certainly wasn't my intention to steal people's livelihoods. Those of you who do it for money are much needed, and always will be. But making the COSHHatron evalutation freeware serves serveral purposes: 1) it gets me out of having to provide an instant full-time support service -- I run a University research lab, an HTA-accredited clinical lab, I look after all the research scientists employed by an NHS Trust R&D Directorate, I program and offer limited support for the COSHHatron -- and I'd really like to see my wife and kids, too 2) by offering the COSHHatron as evaluation freeware, it enables me to see what else people want of it when they contact me with suggestions -- that makes the COSHHatron a better program, and it makes me a better safety officer 3) I'm giving something back to the freeware programming community out there (so much of whose stuff I have used over the years) 4) as someone with 400 chemicals and limited resources, I wanted something like the COSHHatron, and now I have it, I want to share it with others in my situation Hope this makes the unhappy happier...