Health & safety

Health and Safety

Hex Packs Safety Bulletin Coming Soon

The Health and Safety Committee is in the process of producing a safety bulletin regarding ‘hex packs’ to alert members to the basic requirements. The committee is also considering adding further information within SG40:20 Scaffolding Yard Operations.

Both actions were prompted by a recent court case.

A non-NASC scaffolding contractor was fined £515,000 after one of its employees sustained a life changing injury whilst assisting a colleague to move a bundle of steel tubes by forklift truck.

The tubes, packed in a hexagonal arrangement and weighing around 1.1 tonnes, toppled over, crushing the employee’s leg. The incident occurred despite previous prohibition and improvement notices being served by an HSE inspector. The company ignored the enforcement notices and continued to work unsafely.

The level of fines imposed on companies for breaching health and safety regulations is determined by culpability, harm and turnover. In this instance, a relatively large fine was imposed due to the company disregarding enforcement notices and its comparatively high turnover.

In addition to the hex packs bulletin, the committee is considering further information to be included within SG40 Scaffolding Yard Operations.

HSE Safety Alert on Mast Climbing Working Platforms (MCWPs)

The HSE has recently issued a safety alert following a serious technical fault found with mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs). It was identified that platforms could fall from height where mechanical faults in drive units go undetected. If not rectified quickly, the fault could cause serious injury, or even death.

The HSE advise that equipment should be immediately checked to ensure that that the necessary control measures are in place. If not, MCWPs should be withdrawn from use until they have been examined and certified as fit for use by a competent person.

Ear Loop Respirators

Recent research carried out by the HSE shows that ear loop respirators, which have become popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, do not provide suitable protection for wearers as required by health and safety legislation and are therefore not advised to be used in construction activities.

For more information:

HSE Safety Alert on Mast Climbing Working Platforms (MCWPs)

visit www.hse.gov.uk and search for ‘BSCD1-2022’.

On Ear Loop Respirators

visit www.hse.gov.uk and search for ‘EPD1-2022’.