The first AGS Safety Working Group meeting of 2019 took place on Wednesday 23^rd January 2019 and the Leader of the AGS Safety Working Group, Adam Latimer of Ian Farmer Associates, has provided an update on the top issues the Safety Working Group are currently discussing.

AGS Health & Safety Conference – 21^st November 2019

The AGS will be holding a conference on Health, Safety & Environmental topics on 21^st November 2019 at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham. The conference will include key note speakers and break-out workshops. The speaker line-up will be announced in the AGS Magazine and on the AGS website in due course. Details of the sponsorship packages can be viewed on the AGS website.

New and Updated Health and Safety Guidance

The Safety Working Group have recently published a number of guidance documents including Guidance on Slope Climbing Rigs, Manual Handling and Unexploded Ordnance. The Safety Working Group are also progressing with guidance documents on track mats and tracked plant, the H&S Risk Assessment for Ground Investigation and minimum levels of training and competence. There are plans to develop a range of topics centred around health and well-being. The creation of bespoke and clear guidance for ground engineers is a key aim of the Safety Working Group. H&S legislation can be a mine field to navigate and these concise and succinct publications offer some clarity for our members. Compliance with Health & Safety legislation is of critical importance in everything our members do and as such the AGS offers our members free and unbiased guidance on the main issues affecting our industry. AGS Guidance can be downloaded from the AGS website.

AGS Safety Articles

The AGS Safety Working Group are working to produce a number of articles on trial pitting, PAS 128 (now published), track plant, occupational health and heat stress for future issues of the AGS Magazine. Despite the guidance being free to download from the website, the AGS magazine offers an invaluable mechanism to promote the work of the AGS SWG and provide the guidance to a wider audience. The AGS is always looking at ways to raise awareness within our industry and up-to-date guidance and magazine articles are an excellent vehicle to convey our message. The AGS continues to work collaboratively with all our members and other trade association groups to improve our industry.

Possibility of a Health, Safety and Environment Awareness Workshop to Undergraduates

The AGS Safety Working Group are in the early stages of investigating the possibility of a Health, Safety and Environmental Awareness Workshop to Undergraduates. Work is ongoing to establish the current level of understanding on university geosciences courses and whether a workshop would be beneficial.

Feedback

The Safety Working Group always welcomes new members and any feedback from the membership on hot topics that they wish to raise and encourage, any near misses and incidents to be shared to the wider industry, so we can strive to making our industry safer. Please send any feedback to ags@ags.org.uk.