Safer sites initiative 2013 - image gallery

Photographs taken by Inspectors undertaking unannounced ‘spot checks’ on repair and refurbishment works during the first few weeks of the Construction Initiative 2013/14.

Scaffolding

This precarious set up caused immediate alarm

Inspectors intervened immediately when they saw this appalling scaffold set-up.

Access to the roof inherently dangerous with missing guard-rails, toe boards and scaffold boards, nothing tied in anywhere.

Basic improvements

Simple but effective measures allows work to proceed safely

Some basic but very effective improvements were made after Inspectors visited this site…potentially fragile roof lights were removed and boarded over to allow the roof work to proceed safely

Fire safety

As this was a large building, one fire claxon and extinguisher was not sufficient. So a temporary replacement was installed with fire points on each floor.

Falls

Falls - exposed lift shaft presents an extreme high risk

Inspectors took immediate enforcement action on finding this exposed lift shaft on one site. Prohibition notice served, falls risk extremely high.

A prohibition noticed served on this extension work shown below, was inspected during a unannounced spot-check – exposed scaffolding was found , putting workers at risk from falling through on to the building works.

Site order

Power supply - Improvement notice served here as site management fell below safe standards

Excavation - Unsafe excavation work, Prohibition Notice served for poor order across the whole site

Trailing cables - Wires left trailing down the stairs present an obvious trip hazard

No segregation - refurbishment work right next to pavement, without segregation

Working at height

Edge protection - dry cutting of tiles without edge protection

Unsecured machinery - no edge protection in place

Good practice

Wood dust - example of good practice

Scaffolding - Good practice is demonstrated above by a sole trader in that scaffolding is used to gain access to the chimney stack for repointing work.

Control of dust – Wood-working machines with automatic start extraction and dust collection bag on planer.

Welfare

On site welfare is important to protect workers health – here are some examples where facilities were found to be below standard.

Basic facilities - were somewhat wanting on this site

Washing - access to water was severly limited on this site

Facilities were particularly poor at the site above – an Information Notice was served for lack of hot water, no lighting or means of drying hands and lack of general cleanliness