General Construction Site Safety A guide to... General Construction Site Safety

Aim of this presentation This training tool should be used to help educate everyone on the dangers of working in the construction industry and how best to assess risks and minimise injuries.

Construction Legislation Important changes to CDM Regulations On 6th April 2015, CDM 2007 was revoked and replaced by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) CDM 2015 is subject to certain transitional arrangements for construction projects that began before 6th April 2015 and continue beyond that date. The CDM 2007 webpages are therefore being retained alongside pages giving guidance on CDM 2015 until the end of the transitional period (6th October 2015).

High Risk Construction Work By nature, construction work is high risk and must be controlled properly to avoid serious accidents According to HSE, in 2013-2014: 42 construction workers lost their lives 1,900 major injuries were reported 2.3 million working days were lost through work-related ill health.

Construction Safety - Case Study A bricklayer whose fingers were crushed in a workplace accident when he was a 17-year-old apprentice, leaving him with a life-long disability, received £250,000 in compensation after a 5-year long legal battle.   The 23-year-old from the Wirral suffered crush injuries to the index and middle fingers on his dominant right hand, after he tripped on discarded plastic bindings while carrying a 440mm-long brick on his shoulder. As he put out his hands to break his fall, the brick fell from his shoulder and landed on his fingers. He will never work as a bricklayer again but, despite his difficulties, he has retrained as a forklift truck driver. However, he is now limited in the type of jobs he can do. The firm admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.

CDM Case Study Two partners in a company that erected unsafe scaffolding, which crashed to the ground in strong winds, were fined £8,000 and £5,000 respectively. Both were ordered to pay costs of £2,040 in the case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Exeter Magistrate Court.   Scaffolding Systems South West Ltd based in Exeter, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 28(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 after a large section of scaffolding erected by the firm at a builders' merchants fell away from the building, seriously damaging a number of parked cars.

A Safe Working Environment To help ensure a safe working environment for everyone, it’s vital that you: Follow all health and safety rules Undertake work in line with provided method statements, risk assessments and permits to work Report any accidents/near misses to the designated health and safety contact Comply with all safety signage on site Only operate tools, equipment, machinery and vehicles that you have been trained and authorised to use Ensure you use the personal protective equipment (PPE) you have been provided with, properly

Traffic Management & Site Safety Traffic Management and Site Safety Observe traffic management systems, including: Pedestrian routes Parking areas Loading and unloading areas One-way systems Speed limits Familiarise yourself and comply with site-specific arrangements including: Emergency procedures (fire and evacuation) First aid provisions Welfare facilities (toilets, fresh water, changing facilities, lockers, canteen/rest areas etc.) Who to report health and safety issues to

Good Housekeeping Good Housekeeping Ensure good housekeeping to prevent slips, trips and falls. A high number of accidents occur on construction sites due to workers tripping over rubbish and waste Remove any material that could fuel fires Timber or other materials with projecting nails must NOT be used for any work or be stored in any place where they could cause danger

Reporting Health Problems Reporting health problems as early as possible will highlight the need for risks to be reduced with the necessary measures. Health risks can include: Asbestos exposure Carbon monoxide poisoning Musculoskeletal disorders/RSI Dermatitis Respiratory disease Hearing problems from exposure to noise Hand-arm vibration Stress

Site Welfare Be aware of extreme temperatures Dispose of all waste in the correct skips/receptacles Do not engage in horseplay/practical jokes Utilise any provided mechanical aids Ladders and Stepladders are to be used for access or as places of work ONLY when there is no reasonably practicable alternative and it is safe to do so Only use scaffolding which has been erected by a competent person and that has been safely tagged to indicate safe use During the warmer months, hats and sun cream should be used and suitable clothing worn to prevent sunburn. In colder temperatures ensure that suitable warm clothing is worn and ‘warm up’ breaks are taken as agreed

Q&A’s Questions and Answers Q1. What does the following safety sign symbol represent? Q2. What types of incidents should you report to the designated health and safety contact on site? Q3. What types of health problems should be reported? Q4. If you go to use a power tool and find that it is damaged, what should you do? Q5. When you arrive on a new site, what information do you need to know? Answers: Safety helmets must be worn Dangerous conditions, accidents, near misses, work-related health problems. Examples include musculoskeletal disorders/RSI, dermatitis, respiratory diseases, hearing problems from exposure to noise e.g. tinnitus, stress and hand-arm vibration e.g. numbness in fingers, poor circulation and blanching to fingertips Ensure it is safe e.g. unplugged or battery removed, withdraw it from use and notify your line manager/site health and safety contact to get it repaired or replaced Emergency procedures, first aid provisions, welfare facilities (toilets, fresh water, changing facilities/lockers, canteen/rest areas etc.) and site health and safety contact who you can report issues to