Kentec gains UKATA Approval

We are very pleased to have gained approval by UKATA (United Kingdom Asbestos Training Association) for Category ‘A’ Asbestos Awareness Training. All delegates who successfully complete our Asbestos Awareness Training courses will now be awarded a UKATA Certificate of Training.

 UKATA sets standards in asbestos training and ensures that its members meet those standards. It is a legal requirement that all who may come across asbestos in their day to day work have been provided with asbestos awareness training. If they will intentionally work on asbestos they must have had appropriate training specific to the tasks they will undertake. Any organisation that allows builders or maintenance personnel onto their premises should ensure that they have evidence of asbestos awareness training. UKATA provides a quality standard for that training.

When asbestos is to be worked upon deliberately, using a UKATA member to provide that training ensures that the training provider has the facilities, knowledge and experience to properly undertake that training.

Book your training course now, follow this link

PASMA issue new cards for all training courses

As most of our customers are aware, PASMA brought a new card into circulation at the beginning of 2013.  We have been asked if it is necessary to renew the cards, swapping their old card for the new PASMA card. We have contacted PASMA and have been told that every card already issued will be valid until their expiry date, with new cards replacing the old when they are retrained after the five year period. The new card has many new features which are designed to reduce the ability for dishonest companies to duplicate the cards without having attended a course. This enables customers to be assured that they are using a correctly trained operative when working at height.

Below are just some of the new security features that are found on the new PASMA Card:

GUILLOCHE
Guilloche is a decorative engraving technique where a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail. This technique is commonly used on bank notes, currency or cards etc. to protect against forged copies.

UV INK
UV ink is applied to the card and is invisible to the naked eye. It can only be seen when a UV light is applied to the card. This has been shown on this image for illustration purposes only and will not be visible on the issued cards.

HATCHED LINES
This is a technique where the design has very fine lines printed on the card which if photocopied will not duplicate.

HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGE
A hologram is embedded via hot-stamping foil, wherein an extremely thin layer of only a few microns of depth is bonded into the card using a hot-melt adhesive. This is very difficult to duplicate on a fraudulent card as the colours change as you move the card.

DRIZZLE INK
Drizzle ink is an ink that changes colour when you move the card in the light. This is used over the photograph to prevent another photograph being placed over the top.

Kent Construction Expo 2013

Kentec Training will be exhibiting for the second year at the Kent Construction Expo at the Mercure Great Dane hotel in Maidstone, Kent on Wednesday 6th November. The exhibition will be the largest concentration of construction professionals in the South East. Come and visit us there at Stand 64 in the Heart of Kent Suite, between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm

We will be offering advice on training, health and safety issues along with a price draw to win free PASMA Tower training to promote the “PASMA National Tower Safety Week“.

Last year, there were over 800 attendees with over 86 exhibitors and 23 sponsors including Medway Council as headline sponsor. This free conference and exhibition taking place on the 6th November is a fantastic opportunity to meet others in the construction industry, join in free workshops and hear from experienced speakers.

Kentec Training joins the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

Kentec Training is pleased to announce that we have joined the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber is designed to provide the opportunity for business support services, networking, exhibitions and growth within the Kent area. With over 1,000 members, the chamber offers the perfect environment for the Kent business community to network and exchange skills, best practice and enterprise which act to the benefit of all members.

With over approximately 100 events held annually, ranging from informal networking to business exhibitions, the chamber is the perfect opportunity for Kentec Training to reach new customers and improve our networking abilities. 

The next main event we will be attending is the Kent Construction Expo on Wednesday 6th November. We hope to see you there!

PASMA National Tower Safety Week

Make a date on your calendar for the first ever “National PASMA Tower Week” running at the Kentec Training Centre in Tonbridge, Kent. If you use, manage or assemble mobile access towers, then you simply can’t afford to miss it.

During the week commencing Monday 11th November we will be offering free places on two PASMA Tower for User courses that we are running on Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th November. Additionally, Senior Instructor and Managing Director, Steve Booker, who is the a PASMA Lead Instructor and Vice-Chairman of the PASMA Training Committee will be demonstrating a range of PASMA Courses including the NEW Advanced Modules Courses on Friday the 15th November:

•        PASMA Towers with Cantilevers Course
•        PASMA Towers with Bridging Course
•        PASMA Towers on Stairs Course

Kentec Training is one of only five PASMA approved training centres that will be initially able to offer these new advanced courses. There will also be posters and other gifts available over the week. PASMA Tower Week is now supported by HSE’s Working Well Together (WWT) campaign that promotes safety-based events and activities to the UK construction industry.

A full itinerary will be published closer to the date but in the meantime should you require more information please contact our admin team on 0333-666-0555 or email Steve directly at steve.booker@kentectraining.co.uk

Harnesses on Booms - Why its important!

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has released a dramatic video that shows the dangers of not wearing a full body harness on a boom type access platform.

The IPAF video features a live demonstration in which a crash dummy fitted to a specially modified Skyjack boom shows the effects of driving over a low-lying obstacle. For safety reasons, the crash dummy is suspended at the top of the basket. The dummy is not wearing a harness, in order to show the consequences of the catapult and jolting effects when the boom goes over an obstacle.

“This video is a vivid illustration of why operators should wear harnesses on boom type platforms,” said IPAF managing director Tim Whiteman. “The industry must prevent unnecessary deaths where people are catapulted from booms. Let us keep this safe method of working at height even safer.”


Below is a video from Channel 7 News in Australia, documenting an accident that occurred when the operator drove across a steel man hole that wasn't strong enough to take the weight of the machine. Unfortunately, the operator was not wearing a harness, and suffered both injuries to his face and body when his body was "thrown against the side of the basket". Video is from Channel 7News, view the original video here.

For more detail on the range of IPAF Training courses please click here