36
HEALTH+SAFETY
RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER
RAILWAY SCAFFOLDING OLDING ACCIDENTS
S
caffolding design, be it for structural repairs to existing infrastructure, access for inspection, or to support a failing structure, is a crucial element of the work carried out on the railway. I have a growing conviction that the time has come for everyone to consider using bespoke scaffolds or proprietary scaffolding systems that result in fewer, if any, scaffold components only being available for a single site use. Scaffolding is often left to specialists to design, erect and dismantle, but do the engineers who are responsible for the work always check that the design and the methods used are adequate for the job? Working at height, as we know, is an area of concern.
OFFICIAL
RIDDOR dangerous occurrence scaffold failure Issued to:
Ref:
Network Rail line managers, safety professionals and accredited contractors NRA21-13
Date of issue: 24/08/2021 Location:
Warrington
Contact:
Matt Dean, Head of HSE CD NW&C
Overview In the early hours of Sunday 8th August, a service scaffold bridge partially collapsed while being installed. It came to rest on the bridge parapet. At the time of the incident, the two scaffolders were adding the scaffold boards, they were both able to exit without injury. An exclusion zone was in place underneath the structure and the work was in a engineering possession.
The line was blocked to allow the scaffold to be safely lifted and removed. The scaffold structure is in quarantine and an investigation has started. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) was notified.
Immediate action required Scaffold design: •
Ensure a construction sequence is fully documented and communicated to those undertaking the work.
Scaffold in construction, ensure that: • •
the planned construction sequence is followed. a permit to load is in place before any load is applied.
• • •
where all scaffolds are left in a temporary state of construction, they are stable and fit for purpose. any changes to scaffold design go back through the design approval process. these checks do not supersede or replace those undertaken by a competent scaffolder holding a CISRS Advanced Scaffold Inspectors card.
Part of our group of Safety Bulletins
SCAFFOLD BRIDGE COLLAPSES Network Rail’s Safety Central website currently includes two separate safety advice postings. One posted at the end of August is titled ‘RIDDOR dangerous occurrence scaffold failure’. The incident occurred in Warrington on Sunday 8 August when a scaffold bridge partially collapsed while being installed, coming to rest on the bridge parapet. © Philip Openshaw Fortunately, an exclusion zone was in place underneath the structure and the work was taking place in an engineering possession. Subsequently, whilst the line was blocked the scaffold was lifted and removed. The Office of Rail and Road were notified, and the scaffold structure was in quarantine as their investigation began. However, the ‘immediate action required’ list on the Safety Advice is enlightening:
Scaffold Design:
Ensure a construction sequence is fully documented and communicated to those undertaking the work. Scaffold in construction, ensure that: • The planned construction sequence is followed. • A permit to load is in place before any load is applied. • Where scaffolds are left in a temporary state of construction, they are stable and fit for purpose. • Any changes to scaffolding design go back through the design approvals process. • These checks do not supersede or replace those undertaken by a competent scaffolder holding the CISRS Advanced Scaffold Inspectors card.
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