HEALTH & SAFETY FOR THE SMALLER CONSTRUCTION SITE – PART 1

Managing

• Ensure you have enough time to plan, organise and control your work.
• Make sure you check what people are doing on your site, and stop any dangerous practices you see.
• Always have a source of competent advice that you can turn too.
• Take as much pride of the health and safety on your site as you do in the work you produce.
• Think about the health as well as the safety of site operatives

Reporting accidents

• Report any work related accident that results in an absence of 3 days or more.
• Report a case of occupational ill health when you receive a report of a diagnosed work related illness.
• If a member of the public is injured or killed because of the actions from your site, it must be reported to the Incident Contact Ctr. Telephone: 0845 300 9923.
• Immediately notify the Incident Contract Ctr if the accident is fatal or involves a major injury.

Employing

When employing or controlling people, make sure that:

• They are competent and trained to do the job you need.
• They are supervised and receive clear instructions.
• They have access to washing and toilet facilities.
• They have the right equipment for the job
• You talk about health and safety issues with them.
• Health surveillances is ndertaken,when required.

Subcontracting

When you subcontract work, make sure you:

• Check the health and safety performance of the people you use.
• Give them all the health and safety information they need.
• Talk about the work with them before they start.
• Provide everything that you have agreed.
• Check their performance on site and resolve any problems.

Access on site

• Can everyone get to their area of work safely, and work there safely.
• Ensure access routes are kept in good condition and are clearly signposted.
• All edges where people could fall require edge protection.
• All holes need to be protected and clearly marked
• Good housekeeping must be maintained at all times and materials must be safely stored.
• Lighting must be appropriate for the activities.

Welfare

• Toilets should be available, clean and well lit.
• Washbasins should be provided with hot and cold running water, with soap and towels.
• Washbasins should be large enough to wash up to the elbows.
• Somewhere should be provided where people can change, dry or store clothing.
• Drinking water and cups should be provided.
• A place for workers to sit, make hot drinks and prepare food should be provided.
• Welfare facilities should be kept clean, warm and well ventilated.

Working at Height

• Work must be properly planned and precautions undertaken so work can be done safely.
• If possible can the work be avoided altogether?
• Can you work from a platform that will prevent a fall.
• Will the weather threaten those undertaking the work?
• Always ensure you are gaining access to height by the safest means possible.

Scaffolds

• Make sure they are assembled, altered and dismantled by competent persons.
• Are all uprights provided with base plates (and timber sole plates where necessary)?
• Are all uprights, ledgers, braces and struts in position?
• Is the scaffold secured to a building or structure enough to prevent collapse?
• Do all edges have suitable protection to prevent falling?
• Are brick guards in place to prevent items falling?
• Are working platforms fully boarded and free from trip hazards?
• Are barriers and warning notices in place to stop people using incomplete scaffolds?
• Are results of inspections recorded?
• Are they inspected by a competent person every 7 days?

Ladders

• Only use a ladder if no other safer method can be used.
• Ensure ladders are only used for low duration/low risk works.
• Make sure they are in good condition.
• Make sure they rest against solid materials and not ensure or fragile materials.
• Ensure they are secured at the top and bottom to prevent them slipping sideways and outwards.
• They must extend at last 1 metre above their landing place. If not, are other handrails available?
• They must not be positioned so users have to overstretch.
• Do not use the top 3 rungs, if you have to the ladder is too short.
• Make sure users are competent.

Roofwork

• Is edge protection in place to stop people or materials falling?
• During industrial roofing are nets installed to stop people falling from the leading edge?
• If nets are used are they hung safely?
• Have precautions been taken to stop people falling through fragile roofs?
• Is the area directly below where people are working kept clear?
• Are roof workers competent to do the job?

Excavations

• Is there enough support for the excavation? Has it been sloped or battered back to a safe angle?
• Is there a safe method for putting in the support without people entering the unsupported trench?
• Is there safe access?
• Have barriers been erected around the trench to stop people or plant falling in?
• Are stop blocks in place to stop tipping vehicles from falling in?
• Are materials, spoil etc stored away from the area to prevent the chance of collapse?
• Is the excavation regularly inspected by a competent person?

Manual Handling

• Do you have any materials they will cause problems if moved by hand?
• Can you choose lighter materials?
• Use mechanical aids to move them?
• Purchase items in small/lighter quantities?
• Ensure people are trained in safe manual handling techniques
• Make sure people know how to use lifting equipment safely.

Loading and unloading goods

• Check that the load has not become destabilised during transit.
• Has an exclusion zone been set up on site to keep people away from the loading and unloading area?
• Has the unloading work been planned?
• If you are using lifting equipment, has it be checked and maintained?

Traffic, vehicles and plant

• Is good vehicle pedestrian segregation in place?
• Can reversing be avoided? If not, are trained banksman used?
• Are people separated from slewing vehicles? If not, can a zero tail-swing be used?
• All vehicles must be correctly maintained.
• Drivers must be competent.
• Loads must be secure.
• Passengers must only be carried in vehicles designed to do so.
• Make sure plant/vehicles are not used on dangerous slopes.
• If you need to drive across sloping ground check that it is safe to do so.

Tools and machinery

• Are the right tools etc being used for the job?
• Are all dangerous parts guarded?
• All guards should be secure and in good repair.
• All tools and machinery must be maintained and in good repair, with any safety devices operating correctly.
• Operators must be trained and competent.