News

Somerford Equipment teams up with Highwaysfirstaid.co.uk

Wednesday, 01 May 2013 08:28

Following its launch at Traffex this year, highwaysfirstaid.co.uk can now announce that a partnership agreement has been entered into with Somerford Equipment Limited, one of the UK's leading manufacturers of vehicles, plant and equipment for the highways sector.

The pioneering partnership will now involve the owners of  every new and refurbished Somerford vehicle having the option to have a highways- specific first aid kit installed in their vehicles.

Until now it had been the responsibility of the purchaser to provide adequate first aid provision in their vehicles under HSE regulation.

However, by fitting the kits to its vehicles, Somerford are once again demonstrating an overwhelming commitment to going above and beyond when it comes to servicing its customers’ needs.

The unique kit has been developed by highwaysfirstaid.co.uk in consultation with industry leading health and safety professionals, and the highways sector, to develop a product which provides a specialised solution for an out of the box price.

Part of highwaysfirstaid.co.uk's commitment is a unique after-sales care service ensuring the kits never contain out of date stock.

Prior to dispatch, the expiry dates of every product within the kit are logged onto a specialised database, which will then email the owner one month before those products are due to go out of date, letting them know that replacements are on their way and detailing the cost.

This service has been designed to help owners by saving them time, whilst also ensuring that contractors are never refused access to site for, say, the price of a 35p bandage, a key factor in the decision to enter into the partnership according to Michael Oakes, General Manager at Somerford Equipment Limited, who says

"Somerford’s aim is to provide a one-stop shop for all of our customers’ needs, so that any vehicle build we supply is ready to go straight to work. Our new partnership with highwaysfirstaid.co.uk means there is one less thing for contractors to worry about when sending their crews out to work, and further compliments Somerford’s commitment to quality customer service.” 

Modular SMSTS Nears Completion

Friday, 19 April 2013 13:16

Modular SMSTS Course Nears Completion.

The first modular Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) course run by the National Highways Academy is now almost complete.

Taking place in Milton Keynes, the course benefits anyone who is in a supervisory or managerial role in the sector with their needs to have health and safety training to help create a safe working environment.

SMSTS training is recognised as one of the best training schemes available and although traditionally carried out over a consecutive five day period NHA addressed customer demand for the course duration to be more flexible.

With that in mind, the latest course in Milton Keynes was taylor made to fit in with the needs of the business, taking place over a two week period; the first two days completed w/c 15th April and the final three days including assessment the following week.

This allowed candidates time both in the classroom and the business.

Following the resounding success of the format, NHA have already implemented a far more flexible approach to how the course is scheduled, meaning the client can now dictate how, when and where the training takes place.

For more information visit www.nhasolutions.co.uk or call 01427 610396.

Still Time to Save

Friday, 19 April 2013 12:58

There is still time to make considerable savings on the RSMA apprenticeship scheme.

As part of a special promotion on the June intake of the scheme RSMA sent out vouchers just a few weeks ago enabling members to claim a discount of up to £250 for registering early.

Act quickly and you can still save money, as any company who registers an apprentice by the 30th April will receive a £175 discount^.

But now there is another great reason to enrol; anyone who is registered with construction skills are able to apply for grant funding of up to £9,333 for a course which costs just £7,500*; meaning that in effect you are being paid to train your workforce.

As if that were not enough, thanks to changes in the way you, the employer can claim the funding, you may now be able to claim back up to 40% of the grant within the first few months, thus easing the burden upon your cash-flow.

Places are limited so why not take advantage of this offer by booking today

*Terms and conditions apply, to claim the full funding all levies must be up to date. ^To claim full discount from RSMA

you must be a member of linetrain. £250 discount only applies to companies who register before Friday 19th April. After

this a discount of £175 is available until 30th April and a discount of £100 for those registering before the 31 May 

Book Your Exhibition Space Now

Friday, 19 April 2013 12:55

With the venue and dates confirmed for Road Marking 2013, RSMA can now announce that it has begun taking bookings for exhibition space.

Now in it's 16th year the conference has established a firm reputation for gathering together the leading figures from across the road marking and surfacing sectors, with this year's event looking like being no exception.

Eastwood Hall, Nottingham

Much like last year the event will be held over two days, 13th and 14th November, with the venue being Eastwood Hall in Nottingham.

The afternoon of the 13th will again look more specifically at surfacing  while the 14th will be focused on the road marking sector with the afternoon given over to seminar and training activities.

That itself means there will be a much greater circulation of delegates and with the exhibition space at the centre of the conference it really does offer a not to be missed opportunity for showcasing products and services to industry wide decision makers.

This year's exhibition space will offer you the chance to even further enhance your company's profile with varied stand sizes available in addition to outdoor space for plant equipment and demonstrations.

Exhibitor space is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so book now to ensure you don't miss out.

Call 01427 610101 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Conference Details Confirmed.

Tuesday, 02 April 2013 09:36

RSMA are pleased to announce that the dates and location for this year’s annual conference have now been confirmed.

Now in it’s 16^th year, the event will be held at Eastwood Hall in Nottingham on the 13^th and 14^th of November.

The venue for this year's annual RSMA conference - Eastwood Hall, Nottingham

The conference traditionally gathers together the leading figures from across the sector and 2013 looks like being no exception.

Already confirmed are key decision makers from national and local government as well as main contractors and a host of pioneering manufacturers from across the UK and Europe.

This year the theme is Safety through Innovation, with a specific focus on how technology and developments related to road markings can alleviate some of the dangers on the road.

Traditionally groundbreaking, this year’s event will encourage road markers to think outside of the box and embrace innovation when considering safety on the road.

We are now in the process of booking our speakers and would like to know from you, the delegates, what topics, relevant to your business you would like to see covered.

Get in touch with us and let us know your thoughts on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RSMA “disappointed” over Budget

Tuesday, 02 April 2013 09:10

Road Safety Markings Association National Director George Lee has expressed his disappointment at the news that Chancellor George Osbourne’s latest budget contained little or nothing by way of a boost for the highways sector.

Despite announcing that an extra £3bn will be set aside for investment in the country’s infrastructure, the cash will not be available until 2015/16 and the Chancellor was not specific where the investment money will be spent.

The Chancellor's budget failed to deliver cash for the sector.

In response to the announcement, George Lee said that the money, which will be found as a result of cuts to the Department for Transport, will not be the shot in the arm which the sector so badly needs.

“Although I welcome the announcement of significant infrastructure investment in our road and rail networks, we will have to wait almost two years to see any of it, and indeed to learn exactly where it will be spent.

“It is already a commonly accepted fact that millions of pounds needs to be spent on our road network today.  In two years’ time that figure will have grown substantially again.

“Our members tell us that these are tough times for the markings industry as well as across the highways sector and that vast sums are needed sooner rather than later.

“However, it seems that the Chancellor may have missed the opportunity, yet again, to invest in the maintenance of our roads as a catalyst for economic growth.”

Despite the Chancellor announcing that the Government was “already supporting the largest investment in railways since Victorian times”, Lee expressed concerns that past pledges on infrastructure have failed to materialise into concrete projects.

“Safety on the roads is something which cannot be taken lightly, but is also incredibly cost effective,” Lee continued.

“In a recent study by the Road Safety Foundation, figures showed that over £3.5bn is lost to the UK economy each year on our roads as a result of crashes.

“Compare that to the figures announced by the Chancellor just days ago and still we see that further investment is needed.

“It also concerns me that,given the track record over the last three years of delivery against commitments, one has to be extremely cautious about the impact this will have.

"There has been a lot of rhetoric over spend over that period, but delivery has fallen well short of the promises."