Birchtree Consultants Ltd Location Birchtree House, Jones Drove, Angle Bridge, Whittlesey, Peterborough PE7 2HW Contact Details Contact: Paul Howe Tel: 01733 841199 Email: paul.howe@birchtree.uk.com Website: www.birchtree.uk.com Birchtree Consultants are specialists in health and safety training specifically for the research environment, and are internationally-recognised experts in chemical risk and safety. Birchtree Consultants provide training in safety management for staff at all levels of an organisation and, because they specialise in health and safety training for the research environment, they are able to explore the opportunities of providing dedicated activities for both Science Park managers and staff, as well as for those working in Tenant Companies. General training in health and safety management is often unhelpful in the context of scientific research. Whilst regulations have to be observed in all workplaces, guidance is usually based on industrial situations, which may be very different from those in a research laboratory or field site. For example, an industry is likely to use a few substances in large quantity whereas laboratories might use many more substances but in very small amounts. Procedures in industry may stay largely unchanged over long periods whereas scientific research will, by definition, be opening up new procedures regularly. Birchtree Consultants have wide experience in the research environment and extensive experience in training scientific management in the requirements of health and safety. They specialise in streamlining risk assessment systems to enable scientists to work safely with focused, relevant risk management. Birchtree Consultants have developed a series of courses based on HSG 65 – Successful Health and Safety Management. Their courses aimed at the research sector are unique and include: Safety for Directors in a Research Environment, and Safety Management in a Research Environment Both of which are accredited by IOSH whilst their courses on: Safety Responsibilities for staff in a Research Environment Risk Management for staff in a Research Environment, and COSHH assessment in a research environment are not accredited, but certificated by Birchtree Consultants. In addition Birchtree Consultants have also trained facilities managers in the same sector on safety management, including COSHH assessment. Training courses are tailored to the specific attendees where possible, though a mixed attendance of both scientists and facilities managers has proved highly beneficial with each understanding the perspective of the other. Birchtree Consultants can offer safety advice in their specialised areas. Two of their consultants are registered on the new Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR), which lists their specific areas of expertise. Dr Stuart Dobson OBE CMIOSH specialises in chemical risk assessment and has more than 30 years of experience as member/chair of international and national expert groups and committees. He has experience of the management of scientific research projects and establishments. He acted as Safety Advisor to a UK Research Council with 2500 staff and designed and conducted safety training at all levels. Paul Howe BPhil Tech IOSH has 25 years' experience in the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals, specialising in environmental risk assessment and the safe use, storage and disposal of chemicals. Paul and Stuart have authored or co-authored more than 50 international chemical assessment documents and have written more than 120 reports and papers. Colin Hankinson MSc CMIOSH, following a career in the armed services, has 20 years' experience in health and safety advice, auditing and training, specialising in health and safety law and management systems. He has extensive expertise in local exhaust ventilation systems in laboratories.