Xmo Strata: Spreading the Word on Health and Safety

UKsign company Xmo Strata, is making an offer to anyone involved in health and safety education: use our videos for free.

The offer is even open to competitors as the firm’s bosses say health and safety shouldn’t be a competitive issue.

“It’s about preventing death and injury,” said Operations Director, Kate Parmentier.

“We spend a lot on high quality video to help get the health and safety message across.

“A lot of firms do that. For reasons which I understand in a recession, some insist on recouping the investment of high-end video by charging thousands of pounds to those who wish to use their films.

“It is tempting when some companies are prepared to meet the cost – for them, it will be a lot cheaper than commissioning a new video.

“But our view is that it shouldn’t be a commercial issue. If a third party wishes to use our videos in a professional health and safety environment, they can, free of copyright for that specified use, for the cost of producing a DVD – about £15.”

The videos offered relate to UK health and safety law and range from short, inexpensive films to support toolbox talks (there is one on knife safety / correct use and ion of gloves) through to 15 minute documentary-style films on more complex topics.

The company, which specialises in sign installation and maintenance, doesn’t even mind if people use the videos on the website video vault (http://www.xmostrata.com/videos/index.php) – though it warns that they are produced specifically for the web and a DVD would produce a higher quality for presentation use.

Xmo Strata has won a very large number of health and safety awards – but stresses that no one, and no company, is perfect.

“We’re all human,” said Mrs Parmentier. “And we all make mistakes. If you claim you never make a mistake, then frankly, you’re not being very truthful. We have no problem telling anyone about the mistakes that we make – and helping them to draw the lessons from them.”

The firm publishes all its health and safety bulletins – hundreds of them – online and they are publicly available by visiting http://www.xmostrata.com/health/bulletins.php

For further information on Xmo Strata go to www.xmostrata.com.