The use of contractors across the construction industry is commonplace as they are hired to complete specialist tasks or seasonal work. However as part of hiring contractors it is important to consider the safety measures and responsibilities across the workplace. By involving someone who is a temporary part of your
The work involved in a construction site is extremely challenging and risky as the work demands exposure to various hazardous chemicals, acids, flames, heat, bricks, beams and what not. Hence, protection from these dangers is necessary in order to prevent accidents. Like how the other professions such as Doctor, Nurses,
A new flooring finish was required for a school atrium which hundreds of children use or pass through each day. Because the atrium floods this area of the school with so much light through a Perspex roof, it meant that whatever was chosen had to be UV stable, hard wearing
According to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction worker fatalities dropped by more than a third in 2016/17, reaching an all-time annual low. Here, Tony Young, director at supply, installation and repair specialist, CP Automation, explains why these findings may be partly down to the industry embracing
National building and engineering company, Britcon has announced that it is taking part in the Stop. Make a Change campaign across its 400-strong workforce in the UK. The initiative, driven by the Civil Engineering & Contractors Association (CECA), is a national stand down which aims to raise better awareness about
Construction is one of the UK’s most dangerous industries. 43 workers were fatally injured in the UK Construction sector in 2015-16. Accidents often occur on building sites when large industrial vehicles operate in the same area as pedestrian workers. However, advancements in safety technology are helping to reduce the risk
Working at height has been a popular topic of discussion for some time, and while there are clear best practice techniques outlined by the HSE, there are also a multitude of key myths abound which may yet confuse the issues and challenges faced when working at height. As such, a
Following on from the unfortunately incident last Tuesday, it has been confirmed that emergency services are presently working hard on the recovery operations at the Didcot A Power Station, with the differing subsections of the emergency services each working together to maintain the safety of workers while trying to complete
The use of contractors across the construction industry is commonplace as they are hired to complete specialist tasks or seasonal work. However as part of hiring contractors it is important to consider the safety measures and responsibilities across the workplace. By involving someone who is a temporary part of your team, without the correct training and safety awareness there is greater risk of accidents. What is a Contractor A contractor is someone who has been hired for a specific job and does not work regularly for an employer. They may be brought in to undertake tasks which are highly specific or simply when more staff are required. Contractors are commonly used across the construction industry to complete bigger tasks where a variety of skills are needed. The Law Under health and safety law both the contractor and the business have obligations and duties. To ensure the safety of any personnel carrying out work, full risk assessments must be undertaken, and adequate training provided. All parties should be in full cooperation and be aware of any health and safety information for the site such as correctly identifying safety signs or understanding set procedures such as lock out tag out or one man one lock. There are a number of health and safety and construction regulations which must be adhered to, ensure you fully understand the law before bringing a contractor on site. Safety Procedures and Managing Contractors As part of hiring contractors, you should have pre-defined steps in place to ensure their safety when working on site. Here are some of the steps which should be undertaken: Plan Ahead Prior to employing a contractor, you should plan ahead for any training or health and safety measures that need to be in place. You should create a checklist to assess your health and safety management and if it is suitable to employ contractors under your current guidelines. As part of this planning process you should also clearly define the job at hand and assess any risks associated with it. Hiring When hiring a contractor, you should ensure this is the correct person for the job. Make sure to check credentials and ask for evidence of work. When you have successfully chosen your contractor ensure you show them around the site and make them aware of any health and safety procedures. Working When working on site it is important that the contractor adheres to safety measures such as signing in and out and wearing the correct safety equipment. Review Both during and after the work, reviews should be undertaken to ensure the work is of high standard and the contractor is correctly adhering to safety guidelines. Working with contractors is inevitable in some industries and it is important that considerations have been made for their safety in the workplace. Ensure you know the law and have health and safety procedures in place prior to hiring a contractor and any relevant training is provided before work is undertaken.
The work involved in a construction site is extremely challenging and risky as the work demands exposure to various hazardous chemicals, acids, flames, heat, bricks, beams and what not. Hence, protection from these dangers is necessary in order to prevent accidents. Like how the other professions such as Doctor, Nurses, Teachers have a prescribed dress code similarly, the workers working in a construction site should also follow their dress code in order to safeguard themselves from the dangerous chemicals and equipment. How Clothing Plays a Crucial Role in Construction Sites? The construction workers working in the construction sites wear overalls to protect themselves from the various perilous elements as mentioned above. Overalls safeguard the players from hazards such as fire or flames. The overalls are made up of flame resistant fabrics which protect the players from hot liquid spills. Safety is indeed the highest priority in the construction sites because the workers engage in risky and unsafe activities and use tools like pliers, screwdrivers, spanners for their operation. Overalls also have pockets where the workers can place their tools in it. The use of eyeglasses and masks are some of the requisites for protection and safety. Other Factors that Contribute to Working in a Construction Site Comfort is also one of the factors to be taken into consideration for the workers working in the construction sites. Keeping comfort the priority, the overalls provide the workers with many safety pockets and belts which allows the workers to work peacefully and calmly. Also, the overalls made up of Karam which keeps the workers cool and comfortable when they work in heated environments. To be Seen As the construction site workers work in challenging and risky locations, it is of utmost importance that they are seen by others in the site in case of an emergency. Hence, the overalls are designed with 500 CD/Lux reflective tape which reflects any light that shines on them making them visible at all angles even when there is poor lighting around. Different Roles Involve Different Clothing It is the work environment which determines the outfit of the workers. The most extreme environments include the nuclear power plants and research laboratories. The workers working in a nuclear power plant have to be watchful in order to protect themselves from the various dangers around as it involves high risk. The employers must make sure that the workers have the right kind of overalls suiting to their role and also ensure that they wear it every day while they are at work to prevent accidents. The construction sites should also offer counselling sessions and provide the workers with the dos and don’ts to be followed while working in a construction site. Counselling despite being industry differences works really. To quote as an example how good it works, one of the recent reports reveal as to how one of the leading online casinos in Australia named Extra Vegas proved that counselling sessions can help in preventing compulsive gambling. The casino offers its players free instant advice and tips on controlled gambling. Hence, counselling plays a key role in determining the safety of the workers in an organisation. Spreading awareness about safety and security is highly essential for the well being of both the company as well as the workers. Happy working!
A new flooring finish was required for a school atrium which hundreds of children use or pass through each day. Because the atrium floods this area of the school with so much light through a Perspex roof, it meant that whatever was chosen had to be UV stable, hard wearing and safe. With hundreds of children crossing the floor each day in the Radclyffe School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, priorities were for an improved decorative finish which was safe, suitable for steps and compatible with existing large expansion joints as there had been a lot of movement in this building. The system also had to be economic, hard-wearing, easily cleaned, have low odour during application and chemical resistance, slip resistance and non-dusting. Sherwin-Williams’ technical flooring experts looked at their diverse range of options for this specific application covering 800 sq metres. The floor finish chosen was a multi-coat resin system incorporating decorative multi-coloured Resuflake, with clear seal coats ensuring strong UV stability because of the amount of natural light coming into the area. This complements adjacent flagstone areas in the school atrium, and provides a continuous flooring system which is safe, easily cleaned and hard-wearing for the long-term. Because the system was applied to a concrete substrate, it also became a part of the building rather than an add-on and meets all original requirements. Contact Sherwin-Williams, tel +44 (0)1204 556420, email sales.uk@sherwin.com or see https://protectiveemea.sherwin-williams.com/
According to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction worker fatalities dropped by more than a third in 2016/17, reaching an all-time annual low. Here, Tony Young, director at supply, installation and repair specialist, CP Automation, explains why these findings may be partly down to the industry embracing new ways of working — including equipment like radio controlled cranes. Cab controlled cranes have long dominated the industrial landscape, with the operator sitting in the crane, being guided by hand signals from a floor walker. This advanced slightly to machines controlled by pushbutton pendants, involving a transmitter unit hanging from the crane by a cable being controlled by someone on the floor. However, this still tethers the operator to the crane and restricts movement. This is where radio crane control comes in. A handheld, cordless unit allows operators to remain on the facility floor, out of range of load swings and potentially dropped loads. It means that if lifting is taking place in hazardous areas, such as hot, noisy or radioactive environments, operators are kept safe, well away from the area. This keeps the operator clear of the area and overhead load, providing significant health and safety benefits. Freedom of movement The cordless flexibility means the operator is able to move to a much better location for visibility, rather than remaining limited to the field of view of the cab, or the length of the pendant cable. With this increased visibility, on foot and away from the load, the operator can clearly see a load shift and determine whether the load is properly rigged before continuing. They can also adapt quickly to any obstructions or changes in the path as the move is completed. Equally, with the operator on foot, communication is greatly enhanced. The need for hand and voice signals between the operator and spotter is eliminated. Operators are closer to spotters, and can easily hear and act on what they are saying more quickly. From an efficiency standpoint, floor operation may even eliminate the need for additional assistance on the floor completely. A single operator could also manage some of the operations with below-the-hook attachments such as magnets, grabs, or C-hooks. This reduces labour costs. New partnership To help with this shift from cab controlled cranes to safer, radio controlled systems, CP Automation, is now supplying its customers with stock from Magnetek, the market leader of crane and hoist systems. Cranes can be fitted with both CP Automation and Magnetek products as an integrated package, including power delivery systems, collision avoidance systems, radio remote control transmitters, motor gearboxes, failsafe brakes and variable frequency drives (VFDs). Together, these products allow cranes to move heavy structures with sufficient power, control and intelligence, as well as increasing safety with remote control. “The partnership brings together the right set of products to support the rapid growth of the crane industry at present,” explained Andy Swann, business development manager EMEA at Magnetek. “Together we can provide a customisable, engineered system to match the most demanding of specifications, ensuring reduced load sway and load drops. “We are seeing more and more crane original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) moving away from in-cab operators and opting for radio remote control, whereby the operator is at a safe distance away from heavy loads. This means much more aggressive materials can be handled during a project, and the operator is kept at a safe distance, controlling the crane from afar.” CP Automation’s stock of collision avoidance systems, AC & DC drives and radio remote control systems has already gone down well with our customers in the crane industry. This coalition brings additional functionality that the crane industry has been waiting for, bringing together a collection of drives, resistors and crane-specific products that we can also fit, using our trained engineers, if required. Ultimately this arrangement is driven by a focus on safety for crane operators. With more companies choosing radio remote control systems over cab controlled systems, it makes sense to join Magnetek’s market leading technology along with our own range of products to drive this mentality in the industry. While data into the safety of the construction industry is moving in the right direction, as collected by HSE, there is still room for improvement. As this shift towards radio control cranes progresses, the industry will continue to advance its safety procedures and protect its workforce.
National building and engineering company, Britcon has announced that it is taking part in the Stop. Make a Change campaign across its 400-strong workforce in the UK. The initiative, driven by the Civil Engineering & Contractors Association (CECA), is a national stand down which aims to raise better awareness about construction industry health and safety and mental health. In April 2017 the campaign was launched for organisations from across the UK infrastructure sector to take part. Sites, offices and production facilities stopped current works to focus on working together to build a healthier and safer industry. In 2018, the campaign expanded to the wider industry. The campaign focuses primarily on two key priorities, Mental Health and Plant Safety. Currently, one in four people will suffer from mental health issues each year, with more than 400,000 days being lost to work-related stress, anxiety and depression in construction. Construction relies heavily on the use of mobile plant to support delivery on site and with 217 people killed in the industry over the last five years and around 10 per cent hit by moving vehicles, awareness and training needs to happen continually. Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Britcon said, “By taking part in Stop. Make a Change, we have committed heavily by signing up to cross-industry initiatives and leading our own change programmes within the company. “Through planning and organisation our Health & Safety team has developed a bespoke training programme and visited all of our current and live sites to conduct a training programme on both mental wellbeing and plant safety. Staff welfare is paramount at Britcon. CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner commented “We are delighted by the impact that Stop. Make a Change has had in 2018. Across the country more than 80,000 people at companies like Britcon have joined forces to commit themselves to make a better, safer industry for everyone that works in it.” Britcon is committed to continue this training year-round and has also been awarded funds from the CITB to support further training which will starting in May 2018. Established for more than 26 years, Britcon is £50 million turnover business headquartered in Scunthorpe and directly employs over 100 people and more than 300 through subcontractors on its project sites across the UK. Key contracts includes a £13.5 million contract to deliver a new anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Dagenham for food waste recycler ReFood (UK) Ltd, a series of new developments, extensions and refurbishment projects valued over £10 million for Lidl, and contracts worth over £4 million for global chemicals business Kemira for which it won ‘Contract of the Year 2017 from CECA. Britcon is listed by the London Stock Exchange in its report of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’. @Britcon_Limited
Construction is one of the UK’s most dangerous industries. 43 workers were fatally injured in the UK Construction sector in 2015-16. Accidents often occur on building sites when large industrial vehicles operate in the same area as pedestrian workers. However, advancements in safety technology are helping to reduce the risk of vehicle and worker collisions. ZoneSafe Proximity Warning Systems are now launching their next generation of work site safety solutions. The new proximity warning products have been developed and improved using the latest innovative technology and feedback from within the construction industry. The in-cab control unit has been redesigned to be smarter and simpler. The outer universal mounting system is now easier to install for both short-term and permanent fixing. Additionally, the control unit now has a wide range of new alarm tones. This variety helps users select a tone that is unique to the construction site to avoid confusion from other alarms. ZoneSafe are also launching their new generation of wearable tech. The new Vibra proximity tag alerts two-ways between workers and industrial vehicle operators. The tag vibrates in short bursts to alert workers when they are entering a detection zone around the vehicle. The tag can be simply attached to work wear such as belts and hard hats using a multipurpose clip. ZoneSafe are also focusing on building site safety data and reporting. With ZoneSafe InSight™ event and near-miss data (such as tag detections and hardware status) can now be easily delivered directly to your desktop or device in a simple report. This helps users identify areas of risk and make informed safety improvements. The launch of these new safety products expand ZoneSafe’s popular portfolio of proximity warning and alert systems. ZoneSafe reduces the risk of accidental collisions and near miss occurrences where pedestrians and industrial vehicles work together. Their proximity warning and alert systems are used in a wide range of construction and building industries, worldwide. If you would like to learn more, please call 01202 868000 or visit www.zonesafe.net for more information.
Working at height has been a popular topic of discussion for some time, and while there are clear best practice techniques outlined by the HSE, there are also a multitude of key myths abound which may yet confuse the issues and challenges faced when working at height. As such, a little clarity can go a long way in helping to understand the safety implications of working at height. Of course, with the HSE regarding working at heights to be one of the most common causes of industrial injuries and accidental death, both employers and their operatives are required to take all manner of precautionary care to ensure that they are protected above and beyond traditional safety standards in ground-based roles. Of course, the key way in which legal requirements can be met is quite simple, by not working at heights at all, yet, if this proves impossible, methodologies must be pursued to best ensure the safety of those working in such environments. Yet, while there are some clear ways through which employers and employees can ensure a level of safety which is compliant, there are a number of less-founded ways of doing so, with some even making the situation worse; the myths that detract from the key issues and challenges of working at heights Of these myths, one of the most predominant is that of CE markings – the belief that CE marking and safety are synonymous. Yet, while CE marked products can indeed be a positive step forward, the very notion that CE marking alone makes products safe for use is a myth which can lead employers and employees into believing that they are using safe products, when this may not always be the case. Key considerations which must be taken into account include the very nature of the task at hand, of course, and while certain products may be suitable for one task, the reliability and safety of the same product in an entirely alternate scenario is one which employers should, and to a degree, must look into individually.
Following on from the unfortunately incident last Tuesday, it has been confirmed that emergency services are presently working hard on the recovery operations at the Didcot A Power Station, with the differing subsections of the emergency services each working together to maintain the safety of workers while trying to complete the operation now described as the “recovery of the bodies”. Recognising the difficulty and stress which is placed upon the families with loved ones still missing, Scott Chilton, Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police stated: “Our priority remains to return them to their families and we continue to support the families as needed.” And although hope may still yet be maintained as the rescue of those still missing, rescue teams commented it to be “highly unlikely” that those still missing will be found alive, in contrast to the positive outlook previously maintained. The first demolition worker to be named as deceased in the unfortunate situation was Michael Collings, age 52. The remaining three missing persons yet to be retrieved from the site have yet to be named. Partnering with the emergency services, the HSE is working alongside to establish the potential cause of the unfortunate accident. Although news is still being awaited on the recovery of those still missing, emergency services have thus far been praised for their reactive response to the incident and the hard work undertaken by the combined emergency services in the recovery of those affected. While the cause of the incident still remains unknown, the support offered in the aftermath, both from emergency services and from RWE, the client of demolition contractor, Coleman & Co has been notable, with a clear community forming around the incident to support the loved ones of those still tragically missing. For further updates on the progress being made at the site and the associated rescue operations, check back for the latest developments as and when they are reported.
