Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Construction
Welcome to the latest edition of Construction Infonet.
Construction Infonet is a free e-Bulletin from the Health and Safety Executive to provide a regular update on health and safety issues for all in the construction industry.
The Falls from Vehicles campaign is now underway, aiming to raise awareness of the risk of falling that workers are exposed to when accessing and/or working at height on vehicles. Please take time to read the material available on the Falls from Vehicles campaign website and find out what action you can take to minimise these risks.
Don't miss the new case study on the Falls from Vehicles campaign website. The case study, which was prepared with the help of a plant hire company, shows a simple and practical solution to the difficult problem of accessing the load area of a flat-bed vehicle. The solution has applications across a range of industry sectors.
HSE released the Health and safety statistics 2006/07 on 1 November 2007. The annual statistics bulletin provides details of the latest top level statistics on work-related ill health, workplace fatalities and injuries, and enforcement in Great Britain.
Across all industries the statistics indicate that last year alone in Great Britain
Construction specific information is available in the supplementary tables.
HSC’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) will be holding an open meeting on Thursday 22 November 2007 at HSE’s offices in London. If you would like to attend the meeting please follow the link below to register your interest. Please note seats are limited in number.
The Health and Safety Commission and the Institute of Directors recently launched new guidance on the health and safety responsibilities of board members and directors. The message is that failure to include health and safety as a key business risk can have serious consequences to your business, workers or members of the public.
The guidance sets out an agenda for the effective leadership of health and safety. It is designed for use by all directors, governors, trustees, officers and their equivalents in the private, public and third sectors. It applies to organisations of all sizes.
The construction industry has one of the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders (bad backs, sprains and strains). HSE Construction Division’s Supply Chain Projects are aimed at reducing the toll of ill health in the industry by developing solutions with input from stakeholders.
One of these projects seeks to deal with the issue of laying heavy blocks. Previous HSE guidance states that blocks over 20kg are not suitable for single handed handling. The use of heavy blocks has reduced but we would like to consolidate the reduction in specification and use of all heavy blocks, and where it is not possible to use a block that weighs less than 20kg to establish clear and simple guidance to cover their safe handling.
To achieve this HSE will be holding a Forum for stakeholders in early 2008 for interested parties to contribute to the discussion and more importantly help to identify a range of practicable interventions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in block laying.
Contribute to the discussion at:
Read details of some recent HSE prosecutions in the construction sector and find sources of relevant advice.
HSE warns of dangers of Working at Height – Pembrokeshire man’s fatal fall
HSE warns companies of risk of working at height as prosecution follows Sheffield fatality
Designers should only consider providing a running line anchorage system on a roof where it has not been reasonably practicable to:
If running line systems are used, an installation that enables them to be used for work restraint should be provided in preference to one that will rely on fall arrest.
When considering specifying a fall arrest installation, designers should consider whether rescue of a fallen and suspended worker will be achieved within ten minutes, (it is unlikely that users would be able to rely on the Emergency Services for this).
Any installation will require continuing inspection and maintenance throughout its life (in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions).
For more information see the following links to HSE and industry guidance:
Advisory Committee on Roofwork - www.roofworkadvice.info/
Safety in Design - www.safetyindesign.org
CIRIA - www.ciria.org
CIRIA Report C611 dated 2003 - Safe Access for Maintenance and Repair
Work at Height Safety Association - www.wahsa.org.uk
BSI - BS 8437:2005 Code of Practice for Selection, Use and Maintenance of Personal Protection Systems and Equipment for Use in the Workplace
Reference paragraph 9.5 onwards.
The number of workers from abroad (migrant workers) has increased in recent years. This leaflet, prepared initially for agriculture and food processing industries, contains essential guidance for employers, employment agencies and businesses etc. on their health, safety and welfare responsibilities for temporary (including migrant) workers across all industry sectors.
Police are investigating two reports of bogus 'HSE officers' contacting construction companies in Scotland by telephone and requesting the names, job titles and telephone numbers of staff employed by these companies. The approaches seem to originate from a recruitment agency who may be 'headhunting' workers. A third, almost identical, approach has also been made recently to a construction company in Kent, details of which will be forwarded to the police.
HSE has prepared some information on what to do should you receive a similar call.
Infoline - Health and safety information and advice: Call 0845 345 0055 or visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm
Report an accident: Call 0845 300 9923 or visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
We issue E-bulletins on a regular basis and would welcome your feedback and views as well as any suggestions/contributions for future articles.
Thank you to those who provided feedback on the previous editions - we have tried to incorporate as many of the suggestions as possible. You can contact us at: construction-manager@bulletins.hse.gov.uk