Andrew Basham is a freelance health and safety consultant who is often called in by an organisation to provide interim support or to manage a project. He is used to picking up other people’s responsibilities and hitting the ground running.

Sometimes this can be a challenge, depending on the preparedness of the organisation, the health and safety climate at that organisation and the calibre of the staff he is supporting. On the other hand, many contracts go well.

When Andrew recently joined an inner city Healthcare NHS Trust to provide maternity leave cover things went very well indeed. The trust had already identified a need to improve its position in terms of display screen equipment (DSE) assessments and training and had chosen Cardinus Risk Management’s managed services team to help them improve.

To start things off, a meeting was set up between Andrew and Hollie Smith, head of managed services at Cardinus Risk Management and the outgoing safety advisor. The safety advisor was keen to see the project progress and not be impacted by her maternity leave.

She chose well in Hollie and Andrew. Even though she went on leave earlier than planned, the project went on to be a great success. Andrew and Hollie were even able to implement the assessments and training early.With modesty typical of a true professional, Andrew credits Hollie with much of the success.

“Hollie and Cardinus have taken this trust from a poor position in terms of DSE training and assessments to one I don’t recognise,” he says. “We are now in a much healthier position and moving closer to our goal of 90 per cent compliant by December 2014. I expect that percentage to be exceeded before the date the trust has set. This achievement is in the most part due to the quality of work and support given by Hollie and the back room team at Cardinus.”

Andrew’s contract at the trust has now come to an end but he is obviously going to carry his experience of working with Cardinus forward to his next post. He says, “Having worked with Cardinus, I will, if the opportunity arises in future roles, take the time to extol the benefits of the package and services we have received.”

Cardinus has been developing effective DSE and ergonomics programmes since 1995. Its customers include many of the world’s leading organisations, central government departments and unions.

Cardinus provides on-site and telephonic DSE assessments and, when needed, will supply DSE triage and case management solutions.

For more information about DSE management services and other Cardinus products  complete the online contact form or email [email protected]