Pictured above: Richard Cook
Northamptonshire chartered surveyors group Berrys has appointed
Richard Cook as Health and Safety/business compliance consultant,
based at Kettering.
Richard joins Berrys after more than 20 years writing and
delivering Health and Safety policy in the textile and engineering
industry and will be providing Health and Safety advice and broader
business compliance services to existing and new clients.
He will service Health and Safety work across all offices and
will essentially be responsible for risk assessments, policies,
third party contractors policies and HACCP (Hazard Analyses and
Critical control Points).
On compliance matters, Richard's remit includes inspections,
cross compliance, environmental schemes and NVZs, data protection,
agricultural waste regulations, soil protection reviews, farm
assurance and asbestos regulations.
"My aim is to increase awareness of employers responsibilities
for Health and Safety, interpreting regulations to make them easier
to understand," said Richard.
"Employers often don't see H and S as a business benefit. In
agriculture there's roughly one death a week and if we can reduce
that we can help the bottom line.
"A lot of it is common sense and many accidents could be avoided
with some forward planning and greater vigilance when operating
machinery. It's a matter of carrying out a risk assessment,
spotting the hazards and controlling them, even though you can't
always eliminate them."
He is also keen to drive forward Berrys's environmental services
to increase uptake of Environmental Stewardship while grants are
available: "Berrys offers a streamlined cost effective service to
clients enabling them to make the most of Entry Level and Higher
Level Stewardship Schemes, adopting the best options to give
maximum income and environmental benefit," he said.
Richard lives with his wife and two children at Caldecott in
Rutland. A keen country sports enthusiast, he is an active member
of a local shooting syndicate and a member of a fishing syndicate
which is operating a five year programme reintroducing brown trout
into the River Sence.
"For each of the past five years we have put 10,000 eggs into
the river, which has noticeably improved fish stocks," he said.
For all Heath and Safety and compliance matters, contact Richard
Cook at Berrys on 01536 532375 or email
richard.cook@berrys.local.
Berrys also has offices in Cheshire and Shropshire.
For more information about Berrys, please visit their website
here: www.berrybros.com