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Executive Report: European outlook The HAE believes it has an opportunity to promote its services to hire companies throughout other European countries. Readers will remember that in our April issue, Crosshire discussed several questions regarding the HAE, and in particular the matter of whether the foundation of the European Rental Association (ERA) would cut across its role and activities. However, HAE’s Managing Director, Kevin Minton, believes that the two organisations will complement, rather than compete against, each other. “When the ERA invited us to join as a founder member at the end of last year, we carefully considered all appropriate issues. First and foremost, HAE is focused on serving hirers in the UK and Ireland, and nothing can be allowed to divert attention from that. We compared ERA’s stated intentions with HAE’s and identified areas of common interest. For example, HAE agrees with its aims to promote the concept of hire, to gather statistics regarding the market, and to lobby the European parliament to further the industry’s interests. A role in Europe “It would be over-ambitious for HAE to try to become a pan-European association. However, we believe we have a role to play within Europe, and we decided to become a member of the ERA. We are among several hire industry associations from other countries that have also joined. We believe that membership will give us an opportunity to deliver throughout other parts of Europe some of the services and initiatives that we already offer to HAE members. For example, it might be possible for us to promote some of our successful Health & Safety materials and advice in other countries, provided they meet appropriate needs. It is not simply a case, say, of translating a leaflet into another language, we have to ensure the information is relevant to the way individual nations interpret legislation according to the culture of their particular industries. “To specifically answer a point raised by Crosshire, HAE does not see ERA as a threat to its own role or status. The organisation is not offering services to individual members, but is a representative body promoting the industry as a whole. Moreover, being pan-European, it has no specific geographical location or national interest and will not impinge on the associations in other countries serving individual hire companies.” As was also mentioned by Crosshire, the HAE recently amended its Articles of Association to make it easier for ordinary members to volunteer for posts on the board. Effectively, the tier of divisional advisory groups (DAG) has been removed. Previously, elected members would initially be part of the advisory group reflecting their particular hire interest (tool hire, audio-visual, portable sanitation and so on). Board members were then elected from each DAG, but now a hirer can be elected directly. This change also means that the composition board should more easily reflect the diversity of the hire industry as a whole. “We saw this at the recent AGM held during the International Conference in Amsterdam,” states Kevin Minton, “when an independent hirer successfully stood for election to the board. It also brings a commitment and responsibility to deliver on certain areas of interest that are important to hirers.” Involvement in HAV issues HAE is maintaining its involvement in HAV issues and the subject of tool measurement. It is a member of the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) Hand Arm Vibration Working Group as one of the representatives of the hire industry. “We need to ensure that reliable data is available to members and end-users in a format that is readily understood,” contends Kevin Minton. “There is an on-going dialogue between the HSE, manufacturers, contractors and academics. One challenge is to devise a standard test code to reflect real-life conditions, that is sufficiently rigorous and inspires confidence in users and managers. It also has to be in accordance with appropriate European and international legislation and standards. We have been in contact with OPERC, at Loughborough University, to understand what it is doing. We also believe that the ‘traffic light’ system still has value, but are aware that it must evolve to meet user’s needs in terms of verifiable real-life data.” The Association is also helping hirers benefit from training grants from CITB-ConstructionSkills, and it has recently achieved ‘consensus federation’ status. “We will be actively consulted on all major areas impacting on the hire industry, including annual levy proposals, levy rates and small firm exclusion rates. We can help shape the long-term development of the levy and grant scheme to ensure that the hire industry’s needs are adequately addressed. HAE is appointing two additional Field Officers for its Training and Consultancy Services team, to inform members about training for their particular business activity, grants that are available, and to advise them about our Safe-Hire assessment scheme. “Members must realise that training is available for many disciplines, and for personnel ranging from hire controllers to service engineers. There are many courses available that are eligible for grant aid, not all of which are formal training schemes: in some cases a 30-minute toolbox talk will qualify. As long as hirers devise and implement a training and development plan for their staff, and seek relevant training, they can benefit considerably.” • Executive Hire News › Archives › July 2006 › Executive Report › European outlook
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