De Boer UK launches safety courses for customers

Temporary structure company De Boer is launching a series of specialist training courses for sub-contractors in the UK.

The company - which is based in the Netherlands and is one of the world's largest temporary structure rental companies - said the courses will be run from February onwards and will cover topics such as basic health and safety, working at height, using personal protective equipment and complying with the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The courses will be run by Phil Earl, who became De Boer's full-time health and safety manager in May 2008 and who already handles in-house training. Mr Earl, who joined De Boer 17 years ago as a tent builder, oversees health and safety matters on all the contracts handled by De Boer UK.

According to Mr Earl the key to effective health and safety is in avoiding over-complication; "People find the idea of health and safety very scary until they actually get into it and then they realise it's actually very simple. Keep it simple and you'll stop people hurting themselves. You really don't need a lot of bureaucracy to make health and safety work."

"Health and safety is becoming more and more of an issue because customers are becoming increasingly aware of its importance," he said. "People's safety is of prime importance but health and safety now enters into everything you do. Every time you tender for a contract, there are detailed requirements relating to safety issues."

De Boer, established in 1924 and headquartered in Alkmaar, The Netherlands, has offices in The Netherlands, Germany, UK, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain, Sweden and Dubai. NPM Capital has been major shareholder since August 2005.