May 2007 - Mojo Barriers on Course
Mojo Barriers UK partnered with event safety management and training company Risks Contained to create a bespoke package of health and safety training for staff that will improve safety on their event sites.

Mojo’s supervisors successfully completed a course, (pictured in training), in the ‘British Safety Council Level 2 certificate in Manual Handling Risk Assessment’ this May, which will see them awarded with the nationally recognised qualification.

This was one of the areas identified for potential improvement by UK managers Jim Gaffney and Kevin Thorborn, so their own supervisors are now qualified to risk assess manual handling operations for the temporary crews used on event sites who assist Mojo Barriers’ own staff during the build and removal of the barriers. They have also booked courses in fire safety and supervising staff safely over the coming months.

The very nature of the crowd management barrier sector means that health and safety is intrinsic throughout the company’s activities. They are currently developing competency based courses to cover barrier installation and configuration and continue to work with leading promoters, venues and academic bodies to look for improvements in crowd safety issues.

Jim Gaffney of Mojo Barriers explained:
“The development of the course came about so that we could offer even more to our clients by giving them peace of mind in this important area. Since the barrier system is not only vital to protect and control the audience, but it is also the only part of the production that has physical contact with the audience, it is vital for it to be properly installed, checked and maintained. This training will mean that our staff can now identify hazards relating to manual handling operations and implement suitable and sufficient control measures for our local crews in relation to safe management of crowd barrier handling, erection and breakdown.

This training program underlines our commitment to organisers that each of our supervisors on site has a depth of knowledge that will be an asset in the production of their event and assists with due diligence when selecting a competent contractor.”

Other UK news in brief:
Mojo Barriers recently sold barrier to be installed permanently into Manchester Academy, and whilst controversy raged around the racist bullying inside the Big Brother house at Elstree Studios this year, there was a lot of attention paid to the security at the ejections, with Mojo Barriers proving their worth in creating safe areas for the crowds, media and the participants.