ISSUE 1 - MAY 2022
HEALTH & SAFETY BULLETIN Health and Safety Manager Monthly Update A massive hello from me. I thought it would be a brilliant opportunity to launch this bulletin to a) introduce myself and b) establish comms across the many sites that we operate. My name is Rob Ellis and I am the new Health and Safety Manager who has recently joined the business. I only joined at the end of April 2022 so at the time of writing this, I am still in my second week so very much a newbie to the role. It is brilliant to be onboard and I am looking forward to working with you all and working to make a real contribution to improving H/S across the business portfolio. Firstly a little bit about me. I have worked in Health and Safety since 1996 when I undertook my first safety qualification the IOSH course. Since then, I have worked up doing different safety courses etc and I have operated across a wider range of roles in different organisations working in education for many years to working in manufacturing sites and then construction sites for large new builds and other project related works. More recently I have managed safety both in the UK and across Europe usually operating as the Principal Contractor on sites. I have worked with clients such as Microsoft, Facebook, Coca Cola and M&S to name but a few.
What are my main focuses? well there are lots really but one of my objectives is to work with everyone across the business so communication is key to me, hence why I wanted to introduce this bulletin to reach out to you all. I intend to run with these monthly and use the content to update you all on various H/S themes taking place, both good/bad or indifferent across the business. So if anyone has anything that they want to share with me to raise as a ‘shout out’ please send it on. Once I get a bit more settled, I want to be out on sites meeting you all, helping to coach and drive change and improvements where it is needed. All I would say is, if you hear that I am coming onto your site, don’t worry. I am not that type of person to crack the whip, I believe it is more advantageous to work with people to achieve the desired results so please keep an open mind.
DRIVING
Driving on business can present many hazards and risks, whether that be driving a personal car on work business, to driving a piece of plant on a construction site. Car use (Company or private): I will shortly be issuing out an email to advise all persons who drive on Company business whether using a Company car or their own transport, to complete a form so that we can evidence that the business is meeting our duty of care for driving routines. A driving policy will also be developed/updated to give drivers a wider brief of the do’s and donts so please complete the form and return this when it arrives in your inbox. Any questions please shout up.
Construction: All plant drivers need to be ticketed for the type of plant to be driven. Make sure that the pre user check sheet is completed before every use. Use of a ‘banks person’ is critical wherever possible to be that extra pair of eyes, especially when operating in or around where members of the public may be.
LEGISLATION A good reminder to let all know that at the beginning of 2019, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) applied a change in enforcement around the controls needed for all welding type activities. New research was published confirming the carcinogenicity of welding fume. New welding extraction regulations were released to reduce occupation exposure.
Control the risk Consider controls in this order for all welding work: 1.Avoid or reduce exposure 2.Use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to take the fume away at source 3.Use suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE), for example a facemask, to protect workers from inhaling fumes
HQ COMPLIANCE ISSUES Recommendations will shortly be put forward to the Board and Management board around some improvements needed in the HQ office in Doncaster to improve compliance. The following issues will be presented for a review: - Fire alarm - Fire detection - Emergency lighting - Fixed wiring - Pat testing - Legionella and site signage
WORKING AT HEIGHT
RAGDALE
WAH continues to be the biggest construction killer year on year. So, what should we be doing to address this. Lots - permits, hierarchy of control, short term duration, 3 points of contact, tied on, level surfaces, pre use inspections, inspections, plant and person segregation, fall arrest, harnesses, inertia reels, hop ups, scaffolding, scaff tags, and many more controls that could be used to avoid that situation happening.
Excellent site set up and good control over fencing and security of site. Well done team. Have you done something or are operating something worth shouting about, let me know.
LEGAL
MANUAL HANDLING
A Landmark case law that established the principle of duty of care. ‘The tort of negligence is a wrong that occurs where a person owes another a duty of care and breaches that duty, thus, causing a loss or damage as a result.’ Good bit of information to give that edge to any tool box talk. Scan the QR Code
SHOUT OUT AWARD
All new contractors starting on site should be given an induction. Scan the QR code below to deliver some manual handling training. The video only lasts 5 minutes. Sign the induction form and include manual handling on the document to evidence the training. Remember the link wont Scan the QR Code work once printed.
Tool box talks
As we approach the warmer months, please consider hydration issues on site and the protection of operatives that may be working out in the sun and the risk of sun burn. Please ensure that all site operatives sign into the register, and that the numbers inducted on your register aligns to the numbers seen to be signed into your site. The numbers should not differ and when site files are returned for scanning, this will be one area that will be checked before scanning takes place.
Training
In reviewing the training across the business, there are some gaps in the training needed across some of the sites and in some elements of the business. If you need any urgent training for your projects, let me know. We will shortly be looking at some software that will allow us to track the training and arrange renewals before certificates expire. Watch this space!
Coming up in next months bulletin: • Common H/S themes found on projects • Emergency lowering procedures • RAM reviews • Fire uncovered • Safety Observation Reports • Accident Investigation
Robert Ellis Health & Safety Manager robert.ellis@concordebgw.com 07884 583182