Stop the Drop

Adam Friswell • July 4, 2018

Stay Safe Onsite

Stop the Drop is an AEO, ESSA, and AEV initiative aimed at tackling the continuing issue of people working unsafely at height onsite.

The bottom line, is that there is no excuse for contracting companies who are building stands, features, or any structure within an exhibition hall to be operating unsafe Working at Height practices. You know what you're building, you know what the dimensions are, and you know the appropriate equipment needed to work safely within the parameters of your build.

It's not just a risk to you, it's a risk to others around you - physically and emotionally.

According to the HSE ( http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/kinds-of-accident.pdf )

"Falls from a height accounted for an average of 40 fatal injuries per year (28% of the total): Just under a half of all fall from height deaths over the last five years were in the construction sector (annual average 19 per year)."

As our Buildup and Breakdowns are part of the construction sector, we as an industry hold a responsibility to minimise those figures by ensuring safe working practices.

We should all know what constitutes safe working practices - and if you don't, then it's up to you to ensure your employer is providing efficient training on the safe use of ladders, MEWPS, Scaffold Towers, and other Working at Height Equipment.

  • avoid work at height where it's reasonably practicable to do so
  • where work at height cannot be easily avoided, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment
  • minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, by using the right type of equipment where the risk cannot be eliminated

For relevent information about the Working at Height regulations, and initiatives aimed to reduce the number of injuries from Working at Height related accidents, follow the following links

For industry initiatives:
http://www.stop-the-drop.co.uk/

For overview of the regulations:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/height.htm

For specific equipment regulations:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/faqs.htm

The Work at Height Regulations 2005
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/735/contents/made

Thinking Green

By Teem Services • June 18, 2018
Leftover waste is a continual problem, across all exhibitions and all industries we operate in. Venues are charging ever-increasing fee's for waste clearance, meaning Organisers are left with astronomical costs to dispose of stand building refuse and product packaging waste which isn't theirs. We are still, sadly, having the same conversations with the same companies about taking responsibility for the waste they generate. To take responsibility, is to completely remove all waste from site, and dispose of it in an environmentally manner. On the surface of things, it may seem like a more cost effective manner to leave carpet tucked just out of sight, or leave your leftover chipboard in a void or just outside a VE door. There are hundreds upon hundreds of reasons to act responsibly, but to tackle the "it's cheaper, out of sight out of mind" mindset which many contracting companies adopt, these are our top 3 reasons why it's more financially viable to think green. 1) Primarily, you avoid the charges! If we can identify the waste which has been left behind onsite, we can provide that information to organisers for them to recover the waste clearance charges from the client. Due to the extra steps involved, there's a call for those charges to be increased due to the extra costs off labour. 2) There's pressure from every angle for companies to run sustainability initiatives and act greener; and this is an ethic which will extend into contractor selection. Should word get out that a contracting company is known for fly-tipping in favour of lower costs, the chances of that company having a successful bid for tender are drastically reduced. Conversely, promoting sustainability initiatives can be a great pull for new clients and boost your business. 3) It's a case of the many paying for the few. The costs to dispose of the waste you leave behind is directly left with the organiser. Higher costs fro the show, means a call for higher prices to exhibit. Frankly, it's unfair that these effects across the board are a result of the few companies who are favouring their own quick cost savings over aiding in the solution to the problem. In essence, this is a call for companies to do the decent thing and take responsibility for your own waste. There are benefits of thinking green, but moreover to deliberately choose to leave waste behind is to choose an irresponsible and shoddy solution to something which shouldn't be a problem in the first place. If you're looking to continue looking at implementing greener processes for your business, first of all thank you, and secondly have a browse of the following to get you on your way https://www.gov.uk/topic/environmental-management/waste https://www.gov.uk/browse/environment-countryside/recycling-waste-management https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2015/09/17/who-is-responsible-for-waste/ http://www.hse.gov.uk/waste/index.htm

Welcome!

By Adam Friswell • April 6, 2018
Hello and welcome to Teem Services new website! For the past 30 years we've been fortunate enough to rely upon word of mouth, recommendation, and our existing networks to help us succeed, but we thought it was about time for us to have an online presence so people who don't know us, can see what we do. If you're new to our services, then please do have a browse to see how we might be able to help you, or feel free to call us or email us (all details on the "Contact" page. In short, we provide Total Exhibition and Event Management; helping you manage your exhibition from a compliance perspective, and providing staff to ensure a sound exhibitor and visitor experience, freeing up your time to focus on organising the event. If you're an existing client and friend of ours, then thank you for taking the time to visit - we welcome any feedback on either this website, or any other part of our business for that matter! We intend to use this "News" area as a way to comment on the industry, keep people informed as to our movements, and also share some of the stories which we pick up on-site. Watch this space, From all of us at Teem, Thank you.