Beech Group

The brief

Beech Group is a Demolition and Asbestos Removal Company, experienced within hazardous petrochemical environments, and carries out large scale demolition and land remediation projects. TASC has worked with Beech for over 8 years. The asbestos division has experienced significant growth over the last few years, earning high profile contracts on the Jaguar/Land Rover plant in Liverpool.

As the asbestos division has grown from an initial six staff who carried out demolition and asbestos removal to a staff of 40 specifically employed to remove asbestos, TASC has provided advice, guidance and UKATA licenced asbestos training for new operatives, supervisors and managers and annual refresher training for the asbestos division. We deliver non-licenced asbestos removal and refresher training for the demolition division for the operatives, supervisors and plant drivers. We also provide bespoke Asbestos Awareness courses for office staff and on-site asbestos auditing. TASC now delivers circa 50 training courses to Beech Group each year.

The Managing Director of TSS/TASC plays a pivotal role within the organisation regularly addressing the classes prior to commencement of the course, meeting students at breaks or observing training. The Principal Trainer is part of the TSS Senior Management Team, and the MD requires updates on turnover, number of clients, repeat business and customer satisfaction at every monthly meeting.

Example: Jaguar Land Rover Plant

The TASC Principal Trainer and Auditor was invited to a meeting with the Managing Director of the Beech Group to discuss a request to audit their current area of operation (Jaguar/Land Rover Plant). It was agreed that this would be a no-notice audit and the standards would be measured against the Approved Code of Practice L143 (Managing and Working with Asbestos) and Health and Safety Guidance 247 (The Licenced Contractor’s Guide). They had concerns regarding some standards during their current operation. With over 6,000 personnel working on the site, the Beech employees have a duty of care, both legal and moral, not only for their staff but for anyone who could be affected by the hazard. Therefore, the control of the working site requires standards similar to working on rail infrastructure projects.

The Auditor was present at the commencement of work to view the scope of the operation. The company had 4 different areas of operation during the visit around the site, covering both licenced and non-licenced tasks. Liaising with the project management company who oversee all asbestos operations on site, the auditor viewed practical operations and documentation completion and control.

Our observations

The division had grown substantially in a relatively short amount of time with a high turnover of staff of varying experience. Standards in some areas failed to meet required standards with some personnel working beyond their capabilities.

Through an initial verbal debrief a course of action was agreed and followed up with a comprehensive report detailing the observations, justifications and recommended course of actions.

Actions and outcome

Following a change of asbestos management, additional training of key personnel and a significant review of the control of documentation, the operation has experienced a vastly improved standard of operation. This has been recognised through a visit by the HSE and an unannounced audit by the Asbestos Removers Contractors Association (ARCA). The MD contacted the auditor and expressed his complete satisfaction with audit and confirmation of action by external bodies.

Beech Group has benefited from TASC’s rigorous, engaging and interactive training provision. At a recent UKATA audit the Auditor wrote: “The tutor was highly knowledgeable and the interaction between the delegates and the trainer was excellent. This was one of the best training sessions I have witnessed not only from the interaction and question and answer sessions, but confirmed by the significant increase in scores at the end of the course…. well done!”

In addition to training and auditing, TASC also offers to all clients a Subject Matter Expert Advice service. The Beech Group has utilised this service to great effect as they sought advice when setting up a complex site when they embarked on a new 4-year contract (circa £5,000,000) to remove asbestos from a boiler room onsite.