FWB Weekly Roundup

07 October 2019

Welcome back to the FWB Weekly Roundup, the weekly article series where we fill you in on the big things happenig at FWB and in the industry! Today, we'll be exploring a new bid for British Steel, and talking about Forklift Safety Month!

Chinese Firm, Jingye, Express Interest in British Steel

A few weeks ago, we discussed the emergence of a bid from Turkish holding firm Ataer, for the acquisition of British Steel. Andrea Leadsom, Business Secretary, spoke to the Grimsby Telegraph to express her excitement for the offer, and what it could mean for the employees of the Scunthorpe steelworks. You can find this article here: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/business-secretary-ataer-holding-agreement-3231728

Since these talks began however, a new interested party has emerged: Chinese firm Jingye. The group, which first expressed interest in British Steel soon after it's financial collapse, has reportedly approached the UK Government in a bid to buy the Scunthorpe works, despite the fact that the government had previously offered Ataer an exclusivity deal as it finalised it's offer. Ataer is reported to have offered £70m for control of the firm.

The emergence of a second bidder for the steel firm could bring reassurance to the 4,000 members of staff at British Steel on the security of their jobs, and of the industry in the area.

Click here to read the original article on Grimsby Live: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/british-steel-update-jingye-emerges-3386496

 

Forklift Safety Month

October is Forklift Safety Month, which is designed to highlight the risks involved in operating a forklift truck, and the importance of following the correct procedures when driving, to minimise the risk of an accident happening. In a bid to raise awareness of the dangers forklift trucks can present, ZoneSafe have highlighted some key facts regarding forklift safety:

  • In the UK alone, there are approximately 1,300 forklift-related accidents that result in serious injury EACH YEAR
  • 25% of workplace transport injuries are a direct result of forklift truck accidents
  • 42% of forklift accidents involve being crushed by the vehicle toppling over
  • A staggering 70% of all forklift accidents could be prevented by simple safety measures

In order to prevent so many injuries, ZoneSafe offer the following tips:

  • Ensure that all forklift operators are qualified, and have had sufficient training
  • All operators should wear appropriate safety workwear, which may include hard hats, safety shoes and high visibility jackets
  • Routine equipment checks should be performed before use, to ensure that the forklift equipment meets the requirements for safe use
  • Forklift operators should consider their surroundings, including being aware of the presence of others and obeying any site transport regulations

To see the whole list, you can find the original article here: https://www.zonesafe.net/forklift-safety-month/

FWB Employees Celebrate Long Service

This week three of our FWB employees are celebrating long service achievements:

  • Sarah Jones is celebrating 2 years in our Stoke branch
  • Tony Smith is celebrating 2 years in our Wrexham branch
  • Daniel Eathorne is celebrating 5 years in our Truro branch

Please join us in congratulating Sarah, Tony and Daniel on their long service, and thank them for their continued hard work!

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