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An interview with Adrian Robinson, Managing Director
How did you start your career in health and safety?
I left school at 19 and went straight into the insurance sector. Two decades ago I was approached by Cooke and Mason Insurance Brokers (now part of PIB Group) to join them. After they set up a health and safety department, I moved into that specialist area. One of my first clients was a motor dealer and from then I started working with various dealers and tyre and exhaust centres across the UK. I now sit on the Motor Vehicle Repair Forum and help overview the Motor Dealer Group Health and Safety Forum, both liaise with the HSE on improving health and safety within the automotive industry. It’s not a profile exercise, we want to help, and anyone can get in touch about their health and safety issues.
PIB is at the cutting edge of health and safety. What have been the key changes since you started?
Originally, it was just health and safety advice, visiting sites and carrying out inspections. Over the years we have become a lot more in-depth. We carry out gap analysis, audit reviews, risk assessments, safe systems of work, on-site risk analysis, workforce training, business continuity planning and fleet risk management. We also have a HR consultancy function. Helping tie it all together is our online risk management software, xCenta.
What are the key functions of xCenta?
Our clients were instrumental in developing the system, they were asking for something specific to meet the needs and operations of a motor trade business rather than just a generic solution, it really has enhanced our overall proposition.
How would you describe PIB Risk Management’s approach?
We must provide a tailored service. Often a business comes to us with an issue and it’s our role to find the solution. It might be documentation, training or something that requires a site audit. With health and safety, documentation and the ability to revert to evidence is key. We will ensure policies and procedures for safe practices that are fully reasoned and documented. Working smarter and safer can also drive efficiency and cost savings. People know how we work and trust us. That’s why we get senior staff moving from one retail business or group to another and adopting our services wherever they go – or recommending others. That’s a great position
to be in.
The past 15 months must have been a busy time for the sector
We had to be at the forefront of the COVID crisis. We have been able to advise our clients on risk management throughout, right from the initial safe shutdown procedures to social distancing, cleaning procedures etc, return to work processes, and the assessment of sites before they reopened and continued audits. The PIB Motor Trade Practice Group has representation from three areas of our business (Risk Management, Cooper Solutions and Insurance Broking) and we worked together and continue to do so to develop our offering and guide our clients through the challenges of the times. COVID has played a part in refocusing businesses on health and well-being.
How much of a challenge has the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) posed?
The HSE is facilitating an EV working group as part of the Motor Vehicle Repair Forum. There are a lot of considerations that can easily be overlooked, some as straightforward as how silent vehicles can be when moving around a dealership site. We have to be on top of all the potential risks. The automotive sector is evolving so rapidly. I love it and I love that PIB Risk Management has the solutions to help businesses navigate the changes in a safe and compliant fashion. tom sharpe
FACT FILE:
HEADQUARTERS: Retford, Nottinghamshire
OTHER GROUP DIVISIONS: PIB Insurance and Cooper Solutions
WORKFORCE: 50
KEY FUNCTIONS: health and safety risk assessments, audits, training, compliance, HR consultancy
PIB Risk Management Limited, Rossington’s Business Park,
West Carr Road, Ordsall, Retford DN22 7SW
01777 861861 • info@pibrm.com • pib-riskmanagement.co.uk