Issue 9, Vol 1

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FEDERATION NEWS

Update from the Chief Executive

The big issue of the moment is of course the Economy, and the ability of the new Coalition administration to resolve and reverse the worst financial condition that the British economy has experienced in the last twenty years. Click to read more

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The FSDF Golf Day hits the spot

Once again the rain stayed off for most of the day at the FSDF’s annual golf day, this year held at the Marriott Breadsall Priory in Derbyshire. read more click here

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FSDF Breakfast Meetings

Come along and meet the FSDF at a series of regional breakfast meetings. Meet Chief Executive Chris Sturman and President Malcolm Johnstone from ACS&T. Find out more about the services available for members and associate members, as well as listen to a presentation on a hot topic of the moment. Click to read more

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FSDF Regional Meetings - A Positive Response

Peterborough on Monday July 5th 2010 at 8.00 am saw the first of a series of regional breakfast meeting events, the objective of which is to improve the communications between the FSDF Executive and Federation members across all the regions of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Click to read more

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FSDF Members Reminder - Croner's Business Support Helpline

Don't put problems on hold ..... Click to find out further information

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Exhibit at IMHX with the FSDF

This year FSDF will be supporting the IMHX show at the NEC and have agreed to head the Food Logistics Pavilion. Click to find out further information

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COMMITTEE FOCUS

Technical and Safety

F Gas position paper

F – Gas Regulations – Five year review - A European Industry perspective. Click here

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New HFC blend offers hope for retail replacement

A new HFC blend from Honeywell is being touted as the closest thing to a multipurpose replacement gas, with the potential to be used in a range of retail applications. Click here

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F gas company certification

From 4 July 2009 it became a legal requirement for all businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and/or heat pump equipment containing or designed to contain F gas refrigerants to obtain an F gas Company Certificate. Click here to find out more

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Managing legionella risks

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a safety notice on the control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems following recent inspections which identified “significant failings” in the control of the bacteria. Click here to find out more

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Business Affairs

MEPs and business groups call for WTD rethink

A cross-party group of MEP's, alongside the Federation of Small Business and the British Chamber of Commerce, have sent an open letter to the European Commission calling for them to think again about introducing a 48-hour working week for owner drivers. Click here read more

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New Code of Practice Website -Clear and honest pork labelling

Set up by the Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force, the voluntary Code of Practice calls for the country of origin of the pork used in pork products to be clearly displayed on labelling. Click here read more

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Logistics Management

DHL fined £80,000 after driver crushed to death

DHL has been fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches following the death of one of its drivers at an Imperial Tobacco site nearly three years ago.Click here to find out more

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BUSINESS NEWS

Thermo King has just launched ThermoKare

Thermo King has just launched ThermoKare across its European dealer network, which offers the most comprehensive and tailored service solution portfolio within the industry.to read more click here

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UK food manufacturing trade deficit is increasing

The UK food manufacturing trade deficit is increasing, despite strong export growth in the sector, according to a report just published on the industry’s contribution to the nation.to read more click here

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From Vietnam to Europe – how we’re helping to make a fish’s journey smoother

A new, fast growing, sustainable alternative to tuna and swordfish now has a simpler journey from Vietnam to Europe’s high end retailers and food service outlets.to read more click here

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Norbert wins contracts at Heathrow

Norbert Dentressangle has won a number of new contracts at its handling centre at Heathrow Airport, securing business with companies including vegetable suppliers Barfoots and Sandfields, and freight forwarders Morgan Air and Jones Dooly since the end of 2009.to read more click here

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Irish food companies must take positive approach, says expert

The Irish food and drink industry needs to stop focusing on "doom & gloom" and be more positive about its future, according to one respected UK based consultant.to read more click here

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AMR Research reveals 86% of companies have plans to tackle environmental issues in transport

Stokenchurch, U.K. – A new report from AMR Research produced in collaboration with RedPrairie Corporation, a productivity solutions provider, reveals the main challenges facing supply chains are managing external factors, such as the global economic crisis, and addressing green issues.to read more click here

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Kraft renews contract with Culina

Kraft Foods have renewed its distribution and warehousing contract with Culina Logistics. to read more click here

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Tesco selects Toyota as material handling partner for new depot

Tesco has selected Toyota Material Handling to supply the material handling fleet for their new Avonmouth depot.to read more click here

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Consolidation centre increases capacity by 20 per cent

Based in Redditch, Worcestershire, Oakland International is a third party logistics (3PL) services provider that specialises in ambient, chilled and frozen food storage and distribution.to read more click here

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Property

Planning refused for Radlett rail terminal

HelioSlough’s appeal for a rail freight terminal at the former Radlett Aerodrome has been refused by the government.to read more click here

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CBI

Richard Lambert CBI Director-General steps-down in early 2011 having served in this role since summer 2006

Click here to read more

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LEGAL & TAX UPDATES

Holiday rights for part-time workers

The European Court of Justice has given its judgment in the Austrian case of Zentralbetriebsrat der Landeskrankenhauser Tirols v Land Tirol which deals with the issue of holiday entitlement under the Working Time Directive for workers who change their hours from full-time to part-time midway through the holiday year. Click here to read more

 

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What to do when a staff member has been diagnosed with stress

For many small businesses, coping with a fast pace and high pressure might be a way of life, so it can come as a complete surprise when a valuable team member is signed off work due to stress. Click here for more information

 

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From the Chief Executive

The big issue of the moment is of course the Economy, and the ability of the new Coalition administration to resolve and reverse the worst financial condition that the British economy has experienced in the last twenty years. Fortunately the food and drink industry has suffered least, and in certain sectors, retail sales have increased by 7.5 % year on year, although the balance has said to have shifted towards higher volume lower value lines, as consumer lifestyle and resulting purchasing patterns have changed direction more towards the home. At the same time, a significant reduction in eating out has resulted, which has affecting the hotel, restaurant and hospitality sectors, and suppliers particularly which cover the foodservice sector. Consumer confidence and spending power will continue more than ever to be the key area of study and concern for food retailers, manufacturers, and processers, with a strong emphasis on the ability of food and drink businesses at all levels on product type and range, sales and production planning and inventory levels with sufficient availability strategically located to respond to actual consumer demand.

The importance of effective supply chain management (SCM) is more than ever recognised as the key ingredient in corporate performance success in this environment. This success is driven by having the right management and IT structures in place, to plan production against sound forecasts by range and volume and then deliver availability providing satisfaction of customer demand, alongside minimum inventory. Sounds easy, but those involved know better !

At the same time, contemporary management focus is on environmental impact and sustainability. Significant work is underway to drive carbon emission down and develop more sustainable energy and materials sources. The Climate Change Act with the requirement to record and allocate carbon, and report as part of Corporate Governance on the successful reduction in business carbon emissions comes into effect by the end of 2010. The various industry Climate Change Agreements are currently in re-negotiation for extension to 2017, with harder targets and hopefully greater incentives to deliver the 20% carbon reductions by 2010. At an operational level, collaboration is the current watchword. Pooling distribution fleet resources, increased utilisation and decreased empty running by back hauling and load sharing, has across the food industry eliminated over 10,000,000 miles per year with resultant reduction of fuel use, and carbon emissions. And there is more to come. Carbon reduction is synonymous with energy and cost reduction, which should deliver increased bottom line profitability both now and ongoing.

Additionally, strategically located regional and urban multi temperature food related distribution and consolidation centres, able to support existing food and drink supply chains and promoting local manufacturers, growers and suppliers are in the early stages of development. These cross docking centres, as well as providing quick truck turn round and back up storage capacity and where possible rail connectivity, will facilitate the use of electric vehicles, consignment consolidation and 24/7 delivery with minimal adverse impact on the local environment. The design will also maintain defined controlled atmosphere and cold chain product quality standards within the supply chain, whether this be frozen, chilled, fresh or ambient.

Finally, the frozen sector continues to address the phase out of R22 with facilities tending to be older, some over 30 years old and currently a significant use of F-Gas as a refrigerant. This process is part of the need to reduce energy use, global warming and ozone depletion. Significant investment decisions will be required within the next twelve months as the most commonly used refrigerant will be totally banned by 2015. Cold and chilled store owners and operators will need to put in place contingency plans to avoid additional operating costs or even business disruption up to and beyond that date since it is unlikely that the refrigeration industry can cater for new and replacement installations in that timescale. FSDF provides more detailed advice on this whole issue and would be pleased to help and advise cold and chilled store owners and operators address this difficult issue.

All in all, a difficult and challenging commercial and operation environment, from which will no doubt come further consolidation. But change always brings opportunity!  The current market place is priced accordingly with some regional overcapacity for bulk palletised volumes in the sector, and handling and storage prices very competitive. Service suppliers continue to develop a wider range of added value services. These include the management and provision of the flow of raw material into manufacturing, rework, packing, order picking and small consignment delivery and services are provided on a nationwide basis.

As FSDF moves forward to its centenary year in 2011, our members look forward to meeting the challenges of the market place by addressing the needs of its wide range of customers across all segments of the food chain.

 

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The FSDF Golf Day hits the spot

Once again the rain stayed off for most of the day at the FSDF’s annual golf day, this year held at the Marriott Breadsall Priory in Derbyshire.

The course was set in beautiful rolling countryside although this did prove to be somewhat challenging for some of the players.

As usual the competitive spirit was high on the day with regular participants having their own private challenges. The day and evening was enjoyed by all and the results were extremely close.

THE ATLET Shield - open to all-

Ken Oliver – Dunelm Logistics.

THE TOM LEE Trophy – open only to FSDF Members

Chris Bates - Atlet

LONGEST DRIVE

Ken Oliver – Dunelm Logistics

NEAREST THE PIN

Dave Morris - AXA

THE AXA/FSDF TEAM TROPHY

 

The highest team score returned on the day came from the Atlet team, Chris Bates, Andrew Murray and Chris Adamson with a score of 81 points. 

A special thanks to all the event sponsors for their magnificent support.

 

 

Don’t forget that photographs of the Golf Day can be downloaded from the Photo Gallery in the “Members Area” of the FSDF website – www.fsdf.org.uk.

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FSDF Breakfast Meetings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FSDF Regional Meetings - A Positive Response

Peterborough on Monday July 5th 2010 at 8.00 am saw the first of a series of regional breakfast meeting events, the objective of which is to improve the communications between the FSDF Executive and Federation members across all the regions of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We followed this with a second on 19th July at Bristol, and five further similar meetings are planned for London and South East, North West, Yorkshire and North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland over September, October and November.

The meeting timetable is 08.00 to 10.00 am, recognising that we are looking for best use of time, and enables us to get back to the office or workplace before midday or before. The format is for a short introduction and welcome by our President, and then an half hour presentation by myself, on the busy programme and range of activities, projects and services we are providing to members, and the growing relationships FSDF has with the wider food industry, other trade bodies and local regional and national governments.

The meeting is concluded with a short presentation on a subject of current interest. At Peterborough, Maurice Young of MJY Consulting reported on two projects being developed under the auspices of the FSDF Technical Committee. The first – a new FSDF Energy Efficiency guide to be published and launched in Autumn 2010: the second a food logistics skills, educational and CPD programme in collaboration with Skills for Logistics. This will be formally announced in September 2010. At Bristol we welcomed Andrew Morgan of Supply Chain Europe, who spoke about the opportunities and benefits of Sustainability and Environmental Management.

Future meetings will see the launch of a driver training initiative specific for the food sector, Climate Change Agreement – the story so far, F-Gas Regulation – Engineer qualifications, training and phase out progress, and regional issues in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Attendance has been around 10 – 12 (we can accommodate more and the breakfast is good!). Comment has been very positive – including one senior industry figure who did not realise just how much FSDF does do to support his business, and as a result, wants greater involvement.

So give us two hours of your time, come to see what we are doing, tell us what else we should be doing, and see how you can support us in achieving a greater influence for FSDF and members across the whole food supply chain.

Chris Sturman

Chief Executive

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FSDF Members- Croner's Business Support Helpline

Don't put your business on hold ....

Whether you require a guiding hand or a second opinion, Croner's Business Support Helpline offers you immediate, unlimited access by telephone to expert tailored advice.

The helpline is available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). There is no limit to the number or length of calls you can make.

Croner’s Business Support Helpline

Areas of advice:

* Employment and personnel

* Health & Safety

* Tax and VAT

* Payroll

* Commercial and contract law

* Landlord and tenant issues

* Company law

* Consumer protection and licencing

* Copyright and patents

 

to find out more click here

 

Business Support Helpline is : 08445 618 133

Please contact our offices if you require FSDF Scheme Number :

info@fsdf.org.uk

 

 

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Exhibit at IMHX with the FSDF

 

 

 

This year FSDF will be supporting the IMHX show at the NEC and will be organising and managing the Food Logistics Pavilion.

The show runs from 16-19 November and presents a unique opportunity to showcase your solutions and services to key food and drink supply chain decision makers. Stands are available in the Food Logistics Pavilion in 3m x 2m and 4m x 2m shell scheme booths. For more information and to book your space at the show contact Rob Fisher on 01895 454 442 or email robfisher@quartzltd.com.

Spaces are limited and there is a discount for FSDF members.

 

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F – Gas Regulations – Five year review - A European Industry perspective.

FSDF are an active member of ACRIB - The Air Conditioning and Industrial Refrigeration Board -, which brings together manufacturers, installers, maintenance and users of air conditioning and refrigeration across UK industry. Currently ACRIB is working on our input into the EU Review, and focusing on the major progress UK industry has made to eliminate leakage through improved maintenance standards and engineer training and certification.

Whilst UK is significantly in advance of other European countries in the application and enforcement of the F Gas Regulations, it is clear that others are not. The attached AREA review paper provides a clear update of the current situation and at the same time calls for a review of the decision to phase out totally HFC gases once leakage and maintenance regimes have been demonstrably been put in place. This is principally because of the pre-eminent way HFC gases deliver cost effective, energy efficient refrigeration.

Please find press release from ACRIB below

PRESS RELEASE – JULY 2010 ACRIB

UK INDUSTRY CALLS FOR IMPROVED F GAS REGULATION ENFORCEMENT

An industry-wide analysis of the F Gas Regulation in the UK carried out by the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) has found that the single most significant barrier to effectiveness of the Regulation is the lack of visible enforcement, policing and mechanisms to guarantee compliance or report non-compliance.

“The consensus of industry, many elements of which have made considerable investment in compliance, is that containment works, but improved enforcement is necessary to fully achieve the emissions reductions possible under the Regulation,” stated Mike Nankivell, Chairman of the ACRIB F Gas Implementation Group.

An ACRIB position paper reviewing F Gas Regulation in the UK, based on industry’s practical experience to date has been endorsed by the various industry groups represented by ACRIB. In addition to calling for increased support from UK Government in raising awareness of leakage issues amongst equipment owners, the ACRIB position paper emphasises that sufficient time is necessary to fully assess the positive impact of industry initiatives to reduce leakage such as the IOR’s REAL Zero.

ACRIB President David Bostock, said: “We can see in the many positive steps taken by supermarket groups and retailers to comply with the Regulation that there has been a definite reduction in emissions from these sectors. We now need increased Government support in raising awareness of leakage issues and ensuring compliance across all industry sectors.”

The paper makes seven key recommendations which industry believes will increase the effectiveness of the F Gas Regulation in the UK.

• The introduction of mandatory individual registration and public databases of company certification scheme members

• That refrigerant suppliers be responsible for ensuring that only appropriately certified individuals can be supplied with F Gas refrigerants.

• An awareness campaign aimed at equipment operators covering enforcement in combination with a ‘non-compliant’ operator reporting service.

• Government to ensure that standards are maintained by the UK’s two bodies appointed to issue individual training certifications.

• Government actively monitor all three company certification bodies to ensure common standards industry-wide.

• Company certification bodies be authorised to carry out greater verification of applicants.

• More active enforcement and increased policing of operators’ legal obligations under the Regulation to take place

ACRIB is calling for an open dialogue with all relevant policy makers into its findings, and recommends that they form the basis of UK input into the EU review of the Regulation in July 2011.

The ACRIB position paper, “Assessment of the effectiveness of the EU F Gas Regulations in the UK based on experience of application by the stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry in the UK” is available at www.acrib.org.uk.

Miriam Rodway, ACRIB, 0208 647 7033

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Newsflash - Revised HCFC guide

Please see the most recent guide on HCFC phase-out.

Please don’t hesitate to contact FSDF or the helpdesk, details below, if you want more information or advice on HCFC phase-out or in relation to the EC F gas and Ozone Regulations.

Contact the helpline on:

Helpdesk: 0161 874 3663

Email: fgas-support@enviros.com

Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/air/fgas/index.htm

For a summaryof the current situation please click the following link  HCFC GUIDE

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New HFC blend offers hope for retail replacement

A new HFC blend from Honeywell is being touted as the closest thing to a multipurpose replacement gas, with the potential to be used in a range of retail applications.

 

Genetron Performax LT is a blend of R32, R125 and R134a, which claims higher capacity than R407A at low temperatures, along with a claim to the lowest GWP of all commonly used blends.

The gas, which doesn’t yet have an ASHRAE clasiffication is non toxic and non flammable, and significantly has a comparable capacity to R22, so no adjustment of the expansion valve is required. The gas is thus also being seen as a viable replacement for R22 in medium and low temperature applications, requiring just a change of lubricant.

Performax claims 50 lower GWP than R404A and around 15 per cent lower than R407A, making it a contender to be the retail refrigerant replacement of choice.

The gas is currently available in trial quantities from A-Gas, who says it will be selling bulk quantities from July. It is believed to be currently undergoing the acid test with supermarkets, by way of real-store trials.

 

 

A-Gas UK md Ken Logan said the wide capabilities of Perfomax were promising: “This brings it closer to the one replacement for more applications than anything else on the market, but with a significantly lower GWP.”

Source : Rac

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Managing legionella risks

The HSE said it had taken formal enforcement action against the duty holders concerned and that it wished to remind duty holders of the requirement to:

 identify and assess sources of risk for legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems

 take steps to prevent or control the risk by putting adequate controls in place

 maintain and monitor those controls to ensure effectiveness.

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium legionella pneumophila. The predominant route of infection is inhalation of contaminated aerosols.

On average, there are between 300 and 500 reported cases of legionnaires’ disease each year in the UK. Not everyone exposed will develop symptoms and those who do not develop the full-blown disease may experience mild flu-like symptoms.

Assessing legionella risks

Identify the hazards and persons affected

There is no health and safety legislation specifically covering legionella, but the general requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations apply to harmful micro-organisms, legionella included. This means that employers, and those responsible for building maintenance, must carry out an assessment of the risk from legionella, and take steps to prevent or minimise such risks.

As with any risk assessment, the first step is to identify the hazards. This is done by asking if any physical aspects of the water systems (such as cooling towers, evaporative condensers, water storage units and water supply pipes) may be able to support and encourage the growth of legionella bacteria.

This happens typically where standing water may contain nutrients such as algae, sludge, scale, insects or other organic matter and temperatures are between 20°C and 45°C — the optimal temperature for growth of the bacteria. At temperatures below this range, the bacteria remain dormant, while above this range the bacteria growth slows down. At 60°C, 90% of legionella will die within two minutes.

Because Legionnaires’ disease is caught when water droplets containing the bacteria are inhaled, water outlets that might release a spray should be identified. These may include taps, shower heads, spas or whirlpool baths, pools (including hydrotherapy pools), humidifiers, fountains, evaporative condensers and wet cooling towers.

The risk assessment must also identify persons who may be harmed. Persons over the age of 40 are particularly at risk from legionellosis, especially if they are smokers, alcoholics, diabetics, have chronic respiratory or kidney disease, cancer, or if they are on renal dialysis or immunosuppressant drugs.

Controlling the hazards

There are four main types of control measure used to reduce the risk of Legionellosis.

The first is making improvements to physical aspects of the system, eg water storage containers should be the right size to ensure uniform heating and to prevent stagnation, cisterns and storage tanks should have properly fitting covers, cold water tanks should not be sited in warm areas of buildings, pipe runs should be as short and direct as possible, avoid pipework deadlegs (which cause stagnation of water).

The second main control concerns water temperatures. Where possible, cold water should be stored below 20°C, with hot water stored at 60°C.

The third is instituting a suitable regime of maintenance and cleanliness, ie producing a detailed preventive maintenance schedule which should incorporate regular visual inspection, cleaning, disinfection and physical maintenance.

The last control is introduction of a suitable water testing and treatment system to ensure that the maintenance regime is working correctly. In addition to these main controls, the staff involved in the controls should be suitably trained and emergency procedures put in place in case of an outbreak.

Competence

A requirement of the Approved Code of Practiceii (ACoP) concerning legionella is to insist on the competence of the appointed person who may carry out the assessment or of those to whom they have delegated the task.

If the assessment shows that there is a reasonable foreseeable risk, and it is reasonably practicable to prevent exposure or control the risk from exposure, the person on whom the statutory duty falls should appoint a person or persons to take managerial responsibility and to provide supervision for the implementation of precautions.

The actual person who carries out the assessment and who draws up and implements prevention measures should have the ability, experience, instruction, information, training and resources to enable him or her to carry out the tasks competently and safely. In particular, he or she should know:

 potential sources and the risks they present

 measures to be adopted, including precautions to be taken for the protection of people concerned, and their significance

 measures to be taken to ensure that controls remain effective and significant. The ACoP recommends that if the appointed person is not “competent”, outside help should be sought. It then falls to the appointed person to ensure that the contractors he or she has employed are themselves competent. In particular, he or she should establish channels of communication between contractors, employees and management.

 

Management communication procedures are key factors in preventing or restricting an outbreak of Legionellosis and they should be periodically reviewed.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/legionella.htm

 

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F gas company certification

From 4 July 2009 it became a legal requirement for all businesses that install, maintain or service stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and/or heat pump equipment containing or designed to contain F gas refrigerants to obtain an F gas Company Certificate.

 

Any business that holds an Interim Company Certificate has until 4th July 2011, in which to upgrade it to a Stationary Equipment Qualification Company Certificate (Full Certificate).

If you have not already applied for a Company Certificate you should do so immediately, without further delay. It is now a criminal offence to carry out the above activities without a Company Certificate.

You can use this site to apply and pay on-line for a Company Certificate but we recommend that you read the following information first.

* What is the purpose of the F gas Regulations?

 * Is my business affected by the Regulations?

* What are the certification standards?

* Are sub-contractors covered by the Regulations?

* What are the differences between interim and full company certification?

* How do I apply for an F gas company certificate?

* How much do certificates cost?

* How long does the application process take?

* When can I apply for a certificate?

* How often do certificates need to be renewed?

* Why does a business need a company certificate?

* Will my business be audited once I hold a company certificate?

 

For more detailed information on the F gas Regulations click here to view Defra's F-Gas Support web pages.

Source :  refcom

 

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MEPs and business groups call for WTD rethink

A cross-party group of MEP's, alongside the Federation of Small Business and the British Chamber of Commerce, have sent an open letter to the European Commission calling for them to think again about introducing a 48-hour working week for owner drivers.

 

Last month the European Parliament was unsuccessful in its vote to permanently exclude the self-employed from the Working Time Directive. Owner-drivers have been temporarily exempt from the legislation, and allowed to set their own working hours, since 2005.

 

The letter, which has appeared in the Daily Telegraph, says: "Certain MEPs have now set a dangerous precedent by interfering in the manner in which the self-employed organise their working time.

"This vote is the last thing wanted by a road haulage industry that is already suffering from over-regulation, high fuel prices and the recession."

The 100 signatories of the letter include Fiona Hall MEP, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament and Timothy Kirkhope MEP, leader of the Conservative Delegation in the European Parliament. Some 35 of the 87 UK MEPs support the campaign.

The failure to win the vote last month means that self-employed drivers will now be limited to working a total of 48 hours a week, including all the loading, maintenance and administrative work. Previously, self-employed drivers could spend up to 56 hours a week actually driving, so long as they drove no more than 90 hours over a two week period.

John Walker, national chairman of the FSB, which was responsible for the formation of the letter, said: "It is recognised that the majority of today's successful road haulage businesses set up as sole traders and these rules will endanger the future formation of similar businesses."

Source : Road Transport

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New Code of Practice Website -Clear and honest pork labelling

Set up by the Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force, the voluntary Code of Practice calls for the country of origin of the pork used in pork products to be clearly displayed on labelling.

The Code of Practice has been drawn up to provide the pig meat supply chain with a set of guidelines to help them produce clear, consistent and unambiguous labelling on all pork and pork products.

Retailers and foodservice operators who sign up to the scheme will be able to provide consumers with even greater confidence in the pork products they purchase.

Click here to read the code of practice http://www.porkprovenance.co.uk/index.asp#autoload=cop

Click here to go to the website :http://www.porkprovenance.co.uk

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DHL fined £80,000 after driver crushed to death

DHL has been fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches following the death of one of its drivers at an Imperial Tobacco site nearly three years ago.

 

Nottingham Crown Court heard that in September 2007, Gary Brooks, 42, a heavy goods driver, was trying to collect a loaded trailer from the Imperial Tobacco site on the Lenton Industrial Estate in Nottingham.

Brooks intended to attach the trailer to his cab.

However, as he was doing so, the truck gradually rolled forward, trapping him between the front of the vehicle and a building.

He suffered fatal head injuries.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that drivers working for both DHL and Imperial did not routinely apply the trailer brakes to make sure the vehicles were safely parked.

Some drivers had not been properly trained or assessed and no checks had been carried out to monitor the use of trailer brakes in the yard.

DHL pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Along with its £80,000 fine, the company was also ordered to pay costs of £35,800

Imperial Tobacco also pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the 1974 Act, fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £31,000

Both companies had identified the risk to workers but had failed to implement appropriate control measures.

Their method of working ignored published safety guidance which meant that drivers, other employees, visitors and third party contractors were all at risk.

Frances Bailey, HSE inspector, says the death "could have been avoided" had the companies involved ensured that "all drivers routinely followed a safe system of work".

Source : Road Transport

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From Vietnam to Europe – how we’re helping to make a fish’s journey smoother

A new, fast growing, sustainable alternative to tuna and swordfish now has a simpler journey from Vietnam to Europe’s high end retailers and food service outlets, thanks to ACS & T partnership  with Edge Worldwide Logistics.

This is because Sea Products of Scotland has become the first customer to use our new global, fully integrated, end-to-end logistics service for frozen food products. Working closely with Sea Products, the ACS&T and EWL teams have succeeded in creating a brand new distribution platform for the business’s newest import – Cobia.

Cobia is a large, saltwater fish which can grow up to 2 metres in length, and is perfect for any recipe which requires white fish. It is also ideal for sushi, thanks to its firm white flesh, high Omega 3 oil content and excellent flavour. Sea Products now hope to bring the fish to UK and European markets for the first time, as an excellent, alternative to popular species for environmentally conscious fish-lovers. Thanks to the expertly managed farming methods of Sea Products’ sister company, Marine Farms Vietnam, Cobia is also a sustainable choice.

Here’s how the new end-to-end collection, storage and distribution service works...

EWL collect the containers of frozen cobia from Vietnam and ship them to the UK. They then bring them, by road, to the ACS&T coldstore and distribution centre in Wolverhampton. We then take over, handling storage, packing and palletisation, and onward distribution to Sea Products’ customers across the UK and Europe. And of course, from the moment the stock enters our cold store it can be monitored and traced using our industry leading real-time warehouse management system.

The tailor-made, seamless service we’ve developed for Sea Products of Scotland means that they no longer have to manage a complex and costly logistics process, involving several different logistics, storage and distribution partners. Instead they can focus on the essential task of finding new markets for their high quality fish. Other benefits include substantial cost savings, increased visibility, enhanced information flow and greatly improved operational efficiencies.

Mark Warrington, Managing Director of Sea Products of Scotland said:

“I had worked with EWL before and was impressed with the level of service they deliver, so they were the obvious choice for our new farmed product from Vietnam. There was however a need to take this to the next stage and find a similarly professional company to take care of our central storage and distribution. We really needed a reliable and dependable service as this is a new product, and we could not be let down by poor distribution and warehousing.

“ACS&T have delivered a fantastic service and been invaluable in advising us in establishing a storage and transport network to our extensive customer base. The new global logistics partnership of EWL and ACS&T has made our entire supply chain more efficient, streamlined and manageable. By significantly reducing our admin, it is allowing us to concentrate our efforts in marketing the product and developing new markets for the product overseas, in the knowledge that our distribution is in safe hands.

“ACS&T’s warehouse management system, which allows me to see our stock levels and manage orders from ACS&T’s stores in real-time, is also a huge bonus.”

Our unique, end-to-end new service is available to any company that sources its frozen food products globally. Customers can expect to unlock savings at every step of the supply chain, through reduced shipping rates, administration costs and efficiency in storage and delivery.

To find out more about how this service could save you money, reduce your administration, optimise your logistics programme and improve your business performance, contact Carl Robinson on 01472 358207 or email Carl.Robinson@acst.co.uk

Source :  acstlogistics.co.uk

 

 

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UK food manufacturing trade deficit is increasing

The UK food manufacturing trade deficit is increasing, despite strong export growth in the sector, according to a report just published on the industry’s contribution to the nation.

Value of food and drink manufacturing to the UK was commissioned by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and produced by Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing’s (IfM’s) Centre for Industry and Government.

It will be followed by another paper looking at future scenarios for the food industry to be published within two months.

The report finds that the trade’s deficit almost quadrupled from 1995-2007, from £2.6bn to £9.9bn, despite food and drink exports growing by 15% in the past decade.

“Although there’s a positive message in terms of exports, imports are rising faster,” the study’s author, Finbarr Livesey, director of the Centre for Industry and Government, told FoodManufacture.co.uk. “Of all manufacturing sectors, food and drink has the third largest deficit.”

In addition, with non UK-based firms buying large home grown manufacturers such as Cadbury, there were concerns about future UK self-sufficiency in food production, said Livesey. However, he said findings had revealed that 65% kept more than three quarters of their production capabilities within the UK.

The study also raised concerns regarding the industry’s progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The data indicated that it had slashed emissions by 11% since 1990.

However, this was less than the average achieved by other manufacturing sectors. That meant the sector would come under greater pressure from legislators to improve its performance, said Livesey.

Food and drink: UK's biggest manufacturing sector

Food and drink processing is the biggest UK manufacturing sector, representing about 16% of manufacturing turnover, employment and gross value added, according to the paper. It had also recovered from the recession faster than any manufacturing sector.

“In May 2008 - May 2009, food production fell 1.9% on 2005 levels, compared with an average fall of 13% in general manufacturing,” said Livesey. “It’s now back at 100%. Other sectors are still 2-14% below 2005 levels.”

Contrary to popular belief, the IfM report also reveals that the average wage for workers in food and drink manufacturing is marginally higher than the average in general manufacturing – £466 a week versus £445.

Other findings were that UK food and drink manufacturers spent £1.13bn on research and development in 2009 and produced 36% of EU products with claimed health benefits.

Source : Food Manufacturer

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Norbert wins contracts at Heathrow

Norbert Dentressangle has won a number of new contracts at its handling centre at Heathrow Airport, securing business with companies including vegetable suppliers Barfoots and Sandfields, and freight forwarders Morgan Air and Jones Dooly since the end of 2009.

The facility was established ten years ago as a perishables handling centre to serve Norbert’s contract with British Airways World Cargo.

Activities within the centre include on-site customs clearance, container unloading, sorting of consignments to individual customer orders, blast cooling, storage and stock control in segregated cold stores, quality control inspection and shelf life testing, labelling and order picking, store tray assembly and onward distribution to retailers’ RDCs.

The company also operates an EU and DEFRA approved border inspection Post for seafood, meat and dairy products requiring health inspection on arrival.

Source: Logistics Manager

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Irish food companies must take positive approach, says expert

The Irish food and drink industry needs to stop focusing on "doom & gloom" and be more positive about its future, according to one respected UK based consultant. He believes that there is ample opportunity for Irish companies to control their own competitiveness by embracing new but accepted best practices, allowing them to reap the benefits as an economic recovery develops.

Alan Braithwaite is chairman of LCP Consulting and a professor in supply chain management at Cranfield University. He has worked extensively with Irish food companies.

While acknowledging the serious challenge posed by exchange rate issues and higher input costs, he believes that many in the sector have an opportunity to counter higher operational costs through process improvement and waste reduction.

"There is no good throwing up your hands and saying this is the end of the world as we know it and there is nothing we can do about it," he says. "There are quite a few points in margin and very often quite a lot of cash that can be generated by some of the actions that companies can take."

Despite the serious challenges it faces, Braithwaite rejects any notion that the Irish food industry could go into terminal decline. He points out that relative to many industries, demand in the sector is very stable.

"There is quite a delicate balance between supply and demand in the industry," he says. "If some capacity exits the market because companies either take it out themselves or fail entirely, that will move the market from a buyers market with huge pressure to more of a sellers market. My prediction is that if companies can stay standing for the next few months they will begin to see opportunities as the market hardens."

Indeed, Braithwaite predicts that current food price deflation will come to an end.

"We are going to see a hardening of prices because of lack of capacity. I think that is going to be a major issue for retailers and a big help for manufacturers," he says. Hard pressed Irish food suppliers would welcome such a scenario. But in the meantime, Braithwaite insists that they must stand up to domineering customers. He says that a number of big UK food manufacturers have already started to say no to demands from retailers, leaving some retailers with supply problems.

"There is a hardball game to be played," he says. "But if you are well informed on where you can improve and what the scale of that improvement is internally then that is a much stronger position to be playing hardball from."

Braithwaite has developed five maxims (see inset) that he believes can help any food company achieve this and manage its supply chains successfully, something that he says is a critical factor for their survival and profitability in the next few years. A key issue, he says, is for companies to reduce or eliminate unprofitable complexity.

"Companies are driven through the good times to try and grow market share and revenues and they very often added customers and products which are intrinsically less profitable. They should go back and revisit those.

We have worked closely with an Irish frozen food manufacturer selling a lot into the UK and helped them examine their supply chain and commercial processes. They subsequently revisited major elements of their investment plans because this examination showed up pricing difficulties and over complexity in the supply chain."

Instead, the company rationalised recipes and went for a simplification process, which ultimately was worth 4% or 5% on margin. This meant that the business did not grow as quickly as planned but Braithwaite says that in the current climate making a profit is more important than growing the business.

Likewise the company was able to make big savings by examining its supply chain. It operated an intermediate stock location in the UK to service its UK customers. But, says Braithwaite, it is possible to service the UK from Ireland in 24 hours. So a big chunk of cost came out simply by eliminating this intermediate location.

He believes that it is also crucial that companies eliminate waste in their supply chain. While this issue, he says, is endemic across industry, he said it was particularly prevalent with the Irish food manufacturer he has worked with.

"We found really quite scary amounts of waste inside the production process - sometimes 8% or 10%," he says. "The Irish food industry is very successful, very strong and very well recognised in the European context. So we are not dealing with an industry that is in any way incompetent. But large food manufacturing outlets have still got a long way to go to take waste out of their chains. My specific experience in Ireland confirmed this for me - it was fairly extreme and there was a bigger opportunity there than we expected to find."

Something as simple as poor machine settings can allow this level of wastage to build up and the costs can be phenomenal - easily up to 6% of the cost of goods sold in the typical environment, he estimates.

"At typical gross margins that is potentially 2% or 3% of net margin which is being wasted. You may not be able to save it all but if you are able to save half of it that would be 1.5%, The average finance director would kill for that at the moment."

LCP has undertaken research in the UK involving Irish suppliers that shows where specific and simple savings could be made. "We have spotted that up to Stg 50 a pallet could be saved because of the way orders are placed and truck space is utilised," he says. "That's a lot of money. The same would apply with a company looking back into its own suppliers."

LCP worked with an Irish food manufacturer that was a major buyer of cheese. It found that it was using too many different grades of cheese in its production process, thus increasing waste and complexity. By just using one grade of cheese the manufacturer was able to go back to its supplier and get a better price because it was then buying it at a higher volume.

Fearghal O'Connor

 

Road to recovery LCP's five supply chain maxims

 

1. Reduce unprofitable complexity

2. Build in customer service excellence

3. Design, plan and execute for agility

4. Synchronise and integrate to eliminate waste

5. Collaborate to leverage performance

Source : All Business

 

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Thermo King launches ThermoKare service solutions that offer total peace of mind

Thermo King has just launched ThermoKare across its European dealer network, which offers the most comprehensive and tailored service solution portfolio within the industry. The ThermoKare programme has been designed to meet the individual needs of a business, providing service solutions that have been customised with the specific operator need in mind.

The innovative portfolio of service solutions is intended to optimise the efficiency of any fleet, minimise operating costs and maximise the re-sale value of equipment. The products have also been designed to support and enhance daily business operations including maintenance planning, scheduling, invoice interpretation and general fleet administration, offering the end-user total peace of mind.

Ivo Birsak, Manager Service Programs and TotalKare for Thermo King comments: “We are delighted to bring to market the ThermoKare portfolio of service solutions, which have been designed to provide our operators with the most efficient and effective maintenance and service products on offer, which can be specifically tailored to meet the requirements of the individual business.

“We understand the competitive nature of marketplace that our customers and end-users operate within and we work hard to deliver solutions to ensure they can improve the efficiency of their fleets by minimising downtime, reduce operating costs by improving fuel efficiency through regular servicing and provide a cost effective service programme with no additional surprises when it comes to budgeting. The ThermoKare range of service solutions offers something for everyone and every business, and has been designed to also help eliminate non-core tasks from the day to day business operation.”

The suite of service solutions on offer via the Thermo King dealer network includes:

Warranty Plus

Offers an extended warranty plan for an additional second or third year on units, with the added benefit of technical inspections and maintenance, 24/7 emergency assistance and the Warranty Plus membership label, designed to ensure the unit is easily identified as a member of the programme.

Protection Plus

This scheme offers premium coverage, with no additional cost during the warranty period for callouts or overtime for any incidents that occur outside of normal operating hours. Protection Plus offers a practical and personalised service, 24/7 emergency assistance and a membership label, ensuring that any Thermo King dealer will immediately recognise that the unit is covered by the scheme.

Inspection Plus

Allows for regular inspection of a unit at timed intervals by a local Thermo King dealer, designed to ensure the unit remains in excellent condition and offers continued exceptional performance. Additional benefits include practical and personalised service and a membership label, designed to make the Thermo King dealer aware at a glance that the unit is protected.

Assistance Plus

Designed to cater for customers who have workshops for conducting routine maintenance, this package gives the peace of mind of providing cover for all breakdowns and unscheduled repairs. Whilst also offering the operators with the additional facility of extended warranty coverage on major components. Other benefits include service reminders sent by ThermoKare to the dealers and an annual inspection by an authorised Thermo King dealer.

Maintenance Plus

This provides operators with a cost-effective maintenance schedule, reducing the risk of unscheduled services and improving efficiency. It also offers immediate credit granted by the Thermo King dealer network, standardise prices, consolidated monthly invoicing with detailed reports and agreed service schedules for all units, with email reminders sent to the operator and dealer to notify of the next maintenance check.

Comfort Plus

This solution provides cover for operators on all scheduled and unscheduled services, giving total peace of mind. It offers all the benefits of Maintenance Plus and Assistance Plus, with no additional unexpected costs, as the package covers all the costs for parts and service - scheduled or unscheduled. Comfort Plus offers total flexibility with bespoke programmes catering for the operator’s needs, based on the number of units operating hours and contract duration. Additional benefits include detailed reporting by unit on all scheduled and unscheduled services, access to the service history through iKare customer website - all for one fixed monthly charge.

FleetKare Plus

FleetKare Plus offers the most comprehensive service solution and can be combined with any of the other programmes within the ThermoKare portfolio. The package includes any one of the service contracts (Maintenance Plus, Assistance Plus or Comfort Plus) and a three year payment term on hardware. The programme also offers the additional feature of TracKing, the market-leading communication system for real-time monitoring of every unit’s movement. This provides operators with the opportunity to have the most effective service and maintenance programme, combined with the additional feature of being able to track and monitor the fleet’s operating costs and efficiency through the TracKing system.

As part of the service, contracts operators benefit from THERMO Assistance, multilingual 24-hour breakdown service, and iKare, the online database providing the opportunity for effective fleet management at the touch of a button.

All the service solutions outlined also include: centralised billing, reduced administration, immediate credit approval, access to over 300 authorised service points, expertise of more than 1,300 certified technicians, software updates and consistent use of genuine Thermo King Parts.

For more information on the ThermoKare portfolio of services visit a Thermo King dealer or email Click here to email this company.

Source: Warehouse news

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AMR Research reveals 86% of companies have plans to tackle environmental issues in transport

Stokenchurch, U.K. – A new report from AMR Research produced in collaboration with RedPrairie Corporation, a productivity solutions provider, reveals the main challenges facing supply chains are managing external factors, such as the global economic crisis, and addressing green issues.

Transportation Management: Lessons from a Difficult Two Years indicates there are three key external events that have affected transportation in the consumer products, food and beverage, and chemical manufacturing industries. These include oil price volatility, the recession and major catastrophes, such as Hurricane Katrina. More recently, the disruption caused by the much-publicised Icelandic volcanic ash cloud has had a similar impact.

Developing more sophisticated and flexible transportation systems to reduce risk is an area consumer product manufacturers and the food and drink industry need to address, whereas the chemical sector appears to have established systems more able to cope with re-routing due to its history of dealing with natural disasters.

The increased complexity of supply chains, where companies have to manage and integrate imports and exports from around the world, operate national and local deliveries, and multi channel fulfilment, highlights the need for a robust transport management system.

Additionally, there is growing pressure to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport solutions and processes. However, this can also bring benefits – route and load optimisation can help conserve fuel and drive down costs, while reducing a product’s carbon footprint.

The report reveals that 86% of companies had made some sort of plan to tackle sustainability and that the top three actions taken to improve transport strategy were consolidating orders for full truck loads, collaborative planning with vendors for inbound freight and centralising to a load control centre.

Martin Hiscox, President and Managing Director International, RedPrairie, said: “Companies are increasingly dealing with a wide range of challenges, some of which can be outside their immediate control. The report highlights the need to continually develop strategic and tactical supply chain solutions to meet a constantly changing world.”

The full report is available to download by visiting the RedPrairie website, www.redprairie.com, and selecting Industry Reports from the RedPrairie World menu.

 

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Kraft renews contract with Culina

Kraft Foods have renewed its distribution and warehousing contract with Culina Logistics. The two companies have worked together for 14 years.

Culina will process orders and manage stock movements at its depots, before distributing orders to Kraft's UK distribution centre.

Duncan Campbell, Northern distribution manager for Kraft Foods Europe, said: “With so many brands and products, it’s important these are delivered to retailers without compromising their quality and shelf life."

The food and beverage manufacturer produces brands such as Dairylea and Philadelphia.

Source : Logisticsmanager.com

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Tesco selects Toyota as material handling partner for new depot

Tesco has selected Toyota Material Handling to supply the material handling fleet for their new Avonmouth depot.

Toyota will support the operation with the supply and service of a fleet of over 130 units including low level order pickers and powered pallet trucks, helping operators to pick productively and safely.

Enhancing supply capability in the south west, the new depot will handle over two million cases of fresh and frozen food each week to fill the shelves of 235 Tesco stores in the region.

Alex Laffey, network development director for Tesco, explains: “Our supply chain is a critical part of our commitment to our customers as it allows us to provide the value for money, range and convenience they expect, all in first class condition.”

Source :Warehouse News

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Consolidation centre increases capacity by 20 per cent

Based in Redditch, Worcestershire, Oakland International is a third party logistics (3PL) services provider that specialises in ambient, chilled and frozen food storage and distribution.

To keep pace with the growing demand for its services, the company recently reconfigured the internal layout of its 135,000 sq ft chilled storage facility to increase the amount of narrow aisle storage space within the building.

"Because of the premium costs involved in providing chilled storage, it is important that we make maximum use of the space we have available so it made sense to expand our narrow aisle store," explains Ed Ross, Oakland's general manager.

Oakland's facility now features a mix of narrow and wide aisle storage. However, by putting more emphasis on its narrow aisle store, the company has been able to increase pallet capacity at the site by some 20 per cent. In all, the Redditch unit now holds over 8000 racked pallet locations, 2500 of which are within the expanded narrow aisle area.

The company's greater commitment to a VNA storage solution meant that Oakland needed to increase its narrow aisle forklift truck fleet. But, because large parts of the facility remain designed around wide aisle racking, it was important to select a product that could function efficiently and safely in both areas of the warehouse.

After an extensive evaluation of various possible solutions the company acquired a fleet of Flexi EURO articulated forklift trucks from Narrow Aisle Ltd. A compact four wheel truck, the Flexi EURO has the ability to lift 1600kg loads and offers lift heights of over 8 metres.

 

The Flexi trucks have also allowed Oakland to optimise storage density while at the same time allowing individual pallet accessibility - which becomes a problem with many other forklift based high density storage systems.

 

The Flexi trucks have enabled a lot of double handling to be eliminated at the Oakland site and have increased throughput to over 10 pallets per truck per hour - a move which has streamlined Oakland's operation and delivered significant cost reductions for the company. The electric-powered Flexi forklifts in operation at Oakland function in both chilled and freezer conditions to a maximum of 30 degrees, with all main components either stainless steel or zinc coated, any additional parts are cold store specified.

Ed Ross commented: "Our investment reflects the company's overall approach to safe productive working, reducing costs and delivering improved value that will directly benefit Oakland customers. It also takes into account our desire to support Oakland employees, by providing state of the art equipment to help them undertake a range of materials handling operations, with the end result being improved operational functionality, flexibility and efficiency.

"Once we had decided that articulated forklift truck technology represented the best materials handling solution for us we reviewed and tested the various brands of articulated truck on the market. The case for the Flexi was, in our opinion particularly strong. One of the most impressive aspects of the truck's design was the ease with which batteries are changed which minimizes truck downtime between charges."

John Maguire, sales and marketing director of Narrow Aisle Flexi, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Oakland to provide a solution for the company's materials handling needs. The Flexi truck is popular among 3PLs who need to maximise storage density and require safe and efficient throughput and Oakland were quick to realise the benefits that articulated truck technology could bring to their operation.

www.flexi.co.uk

 

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Planning refused for Radlett rail terminal

HelioSlough’s appeal for a rail freight terminal at the former Radlett Aerodrome has been refused by the government.

The developer lodged the appeal against St Albans City and District Councils last November after it was refused planning permission in July 2009.

Rail on Freight said it was disappointed by the government’s decision, which it says chooses “localism over regenerating the low carbon economy”, adding that it will be impossible to get freight shifted from road to rail without getting terminals and interchanges located in the right positions.

The organization added that Radlett conforms to government policy which states that a network of strategic rail freight interchanges with good rail and road access is needed for the Greater London area.

Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail manager, said: “This judgement, by the secretary of state for communities and local government, is the first test of the economy versus localism. If this case sets a precedent, it will be almost impossible to get planning permission which is given locally for all but the major national schemes.

“This could mean that medium sized and small rail freight terminals, wind farms, waste to energy plants and even housing, which benefit the wider community but have local disadvantages and are consequently opposed locally, do not get the green light with the resulting impact on economic recovery.”

She added that “While we support the Secretary of State’s instruction ‘to local authorities to work with each other and with businesses and communities, to consider strategic transport priorities and cross boundary issues’, we believe that some form of strategic planning will need to be introduced if sustainable economic development is to take place.”

Source : Logistics Manager

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CBI News

Richard Lambert stepps down asCBI Director-General in early 2011 having served in this role since summer 2006.

Please see letter below :

I think that it will be the right time in the political and economic cycle for me to hand over to a new Director-General. The CBI is in good shape thanks to the support of its members and we have a new government in place generating a huge range of policy issues which the CBI is getting stuck into. In addition, the economy is moving into a new phase, in which business investment and trade will be the essential engines of recovery.

I would like to reassure you that until such a time as a new Director-General comes into place early next year it will be business as usual for me and the organisation.

It has been my absolute pleasure to serve you over the last few years. I have learned so much as I toured the regions and nations meeting many of you and I hope that I have been a passionate advocate for the value and commitment and in many cases sheer brilliance of UK business.

I have no definite plans for what comes next but I will certainly be looking for interesting things to do.

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Holiday rights for part-time workers

The European Court of Justice has given its judgment in the Austrian case of Zentralbetriebsrat der Landeskrankenhauser Tirols v Land Tirol which deals with the issue of holiday entitlement under the Working Time Directive for workers who change their hours from full-time to part-time midway through the holiday year. The question was whether a worker who does not take their full annual leave entitlement before reducing their working hours should have their accrued but untaken entitlement reduced pro-rata retrospectively. This principle would apply in the UK under the Working Time Regulations.

The ECJ held that although it was right to apply a pro-rata principle for when the worker is working part-time, "a change, and in particular a reduction, of working hours when moving from full-time to part-time employment cannot reduce the right to annual leave that the worker has accumulated during the period of full-time employment". However, there does appear to be a caveat to the judgment. It suggests that the ban on a retrospective pro-rata reduction only applies if the worker "has not been able to exercise " the right to take annual leave while working full-time.

No guidance has been provided on what would constitute an employee being "unable" to take annual leave, but it seems likely that circumstances such as a worker on maternity leave who reduces her hours on her return will be entitled to take her accrued full-time entitlement on her return.

The Working Time Regulations do not seem to reflect this judgment as a week's pay for annual leave is calculated with reference to the worker's pay at the time when the leave is taken rather than at the time of accrual. In any event, given the caveat, employers will usually argue that the employee should have taken their accrued holiday entitlement before changing their working hours.

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What to do when a staff member has been diagnosed with stress

For many small businesses, coping with a fast pace and high pressure might be a way of life, so it can come as a complete surprise when a valuable team member is signed off work due to stress. Nevertheless, the National Health Service reports that 23 per cent of non-manual workers suffer from psychiatric problems caused by occupational stress resulting from demanding work requirements, problems balancing home and work life, bullying and lack of support.

How to identify an employee suffering from stress

Individuals suffering from stress often display a range of signs that may be noticed by colleagues and other managers. These signs include:

 

 * tiredness and irritability

* reduced quality of work

* indecisiveness and poor judgement

* loss of sense of humour

* physical illness such as headaches, nausea, aches and pains

* seeming jumpy or ill-at-ease, or admitting to sleeping badly

* increased sick leave

* poor timekeeping

* changes in working day patterns - perhaps by staying late or taking work home

 

 

You should also look for signs of more widespread problems among groups of employees, for example:

* arguments and disputes between staff

* general absenteeism

* an increase in grievances and complaints

 

For more advice on identifying the causes and symptoms of stress in the workplace read our guide on how to deal with stress.

 

How to act towards an employee showing signs of mental stress

It's important to understand the personalities of team members, how people interact with each other, and how these factors are relevant to potentially stressful situations.

A discussion should take place between you and your employee as soon as possible. Try to arrange a convenient, preferably neutral place to sit down and talk informally with your employee.

It can be helpful to ask your employee to write their problems and concerns down. Try to get your employee to complete an individual stress risk assessment during this meeting in order to identify the nature of the problems they are experiencing. Offer them the choice of completing the risk assessment there and then or taking it home with them.

Encourage your employee to bring someone along for support so they'll feel more confident discussing the issues with you.

 

Help for employers

There is plenty of advice around on handling stress, but how can you be confident that you are acting legally?

The Health for Work Adviceline - delivered by NHS Plus - can help small businesses through the whole process. You can speak to an occupational nurse who will provide step by step advice on all the necessary procedures that you need to undertake to fulfil your obligations as an employer, including risk assessment forms and GP referral letters.

You will be given advice on changes to make in the workplace such as "support buddies" and reviews, and help with counselling options. The adviser you speak to on the Adviceline can give you further information. Call 0800 077 88 44 or visit the NHS Health for Work website

Cut down absenteeism

 

Research has proven that work improves mental health and well-being and most people with a mental health condition would like to keep working. Intervening early can help an employee with a health condition stay at work or return to work more quickly, so minimising the impact on the business.

Once an employee has been diagnosed as suffering from a mental health issue due to stress or depression, the Fit Note dispensed by a GP can help to get the person back into work quicker. Find out how by reading our previous article are you ready for the Fit Note? Help to make a healthier workplace

For advice on implementing workplace health initiatives in your small or medium sized business, contact your local Health, Work and Well-being Co-ordinator for the South East on Tel 01483 882 483 Mobile 07836 240857 email hwwcse@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

source : businesslink

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