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BSI
Claims that the New Mobile Workforce is Falling Short of Company Health
and Safety Cover
John
Lennox, the transport expert for BSI,
announced in his speech on Corporate Killing at the Society of Operational
Engineers annual conference last week that more must be done in terms
of ensuring occupational health and safety (H&S) whilst driving
vehicles.
John cited the unnerving statistic that 33 per cent of all road traffic
accidents, that is to say crashes, involve people driving for work.
'Presently, the 'mobile workforce': sales staff, company reps, van drivers
etc, by the nature of the job has low visibility and as a result is
not seen as a high priority in terms of H&S by businesses and other
organisations.' says John Lennox.
It is vital that ownership of a safety system comes from the very top
of an organisation. Eventually, the buck stops there. Company policy
must be unequivocal in its support of safe working practices for the
mobile work force and effectively communicated to staff. However, everyone
has a role to play and reviewing your system should include input from
all levels of staff. They should be encouraged to feed back any issues
or near misses where they think that a system improvement could have
reduced the risk.
The way forward, according to John Lennox, is to ensure that there is
a fully effective, flexible, up-to-date monitoring and reporting system
to cover all staff, which is robust and regularly audited.
Says Lennox: 'Not only will such a system protect companies from costly
law suits and insurance claims but also means that they comply with
contemporary legislation and, most importantly, will keep employees
safe.'
The solution is a systematic approach to road safety. This should include
aspects such as a staff guide for drivers, which includes guidance on
issues such as mobile phones, how many hours worked/driving, the amount
of rest breaks, testing for drugs or alcohol, defect reporting, insurance/licence
checks and vehicle safety that being, is it Fit For Purpose?
Commercial organisations might well complain that this all costs a great
deal of money and time. However, according to BSI this approach means
that safety improves the bottom line.
John Lennox adds: 'Benchmarking repair costs, hire car costs and downtime
for each part of the organisation can help management to focus on individuals
or groups who are more prone to collisions. They can introduce re-training
and education schemes to reduce the accident rates, keeping people safe
while driving down costs at the same time.
'There are distinct advantages to taking this pragmatic, systematic
approach. For example it is a significant aim of corporate social responsibility
(CSR), achieving overall safety in operation, demonstrating to an organisation's
shareholders and stakeholders that it cares about its employees and
of course, safer staff means safer roads for all.'
Ultimately BSI aims to set new national and European Standards for H&S
in transport
HSE's
Biggest Ever Construction Blitz Stops Work on 332 Sites
Work
was stopped at almost a quarter of the construction sites visited by
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
inspectors during the national blitz on falls from height during the
first two weeks of June. Another five per cent of the sites visited
were issued with improvement notices and a number of dutyholders are
still being considered for possible prosecution. There were also many
instances of work voluntarily stopping until easily solved fall from
height risks were reduced.
Inspectors visited 1446 construction sites across Great Britain to make
sure that where work at height was taking place or planned, the risk
of falling was being properly managed. Falls from height remain the
single biggest cause of death, disability and injury in construction
in Great Britain, accounting for 37 deaths and 1344 major injuries of
workers in 2001/2. Twelve construction workers have died from fall from
height accidents since the beginning of April this year.
Kevin Myers, Chief Inspector for Construction said: 'It was good to
see during the inspection blitz that many people were aware of the campaign
and many people had also taken action to improve work at height practices.
Yet despite the industry knowing that HSE inspectors were out in force
specifically looking at falls from height the standards on 30 per cent
of the sites visited were so poor they required enforcement action.
This evidence suggests that there is still a large number of people
working in the construction industry that are either not aware or do
not fully understand their duties to manage fall from height risks.
This situation must change if we are to reduce the rate of falls from
height, which remains the biggest cause of death or injury in construction.
'On a more positive note, inspectors did find numerous examples where
excellent standards of working at height safely were displayed - both
by major contractors, smaller sub- contractors and scaffolding companies.
People were using new and innovative forms of access methods and equipment.'
Some examples of poor practice identified by HSE inspectors were:
- An entire scaffolding gang were found to be wearing worn or damaged
safety harnesses with no system for harness inspections;
- A refurbishment job where workers were walking across open steel beams
at a height of approximately 6 meters with a fall onto demolition debris
below; and
- Many examples of inadequate or absence of toe boards and intermediate
guard rails on scaffolding or work platforms;
Although sites were predominately found to be relying on traditional
scaffold, harnesses or mobile towers there was evidence of increased
use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), nets and airbags. However
some problems were identified with the installation of nets that were
not being secured to suitable anchorage points.
The other problem area identified by inspectors related to poor compliance
with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM
Regs). In some instances contractors and planning supervisors were found
to be either not fulfilling or not aware of their duties.
Preliminary results of the national construction blitz on falls from
height were:
Number
of Sites Visited in Great Britain: 1446
Prohibition notices served: 332
Improvement notices served: 75
The blitz was part of 'Don't Fall For It', a Europe-wide inspection-led
campaign to reduce falls from height in construction. For the first
time, the blitz involved the co-ordinated action of all construction
inspectors in Great Britain during the two weeks. The European Commission's
Senior Labour Inspectors' Committee (SLIC) agreed to undertake this
campaign on falls from height risks in the construction industry in
2003, supported by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
The campaign features two inspection initiatives, the second will be
taking place in September. All member states will be participating in
the campaign. Construction blitz-3
'Don't Fall For It' includes an advertisement campaign showing an injured
worker who has fallen from height leaving the site in an ambulance under
the caption 'Which white van will you be leaving in today?' The advertisement
is currently appearing on billboards and in national newspapers and
trade publications.
People working in the construction industry interested in finding out
more can call 08457 181 819 for a 'Falls From Height Action Pack' that
includes the free Height Safe video and a poster. So far over 2,000
'Falls From Height Action Packs' have been sent out to respondents.
Exit:
Stage Left, and Don't Panic!
Since
April 1st this year, it has been a legal requirement that all emergency
exit and panic hardware is CE Marked. Hardware distributor Wagner
(GB) Ltd has confirmed that its Strand-Feb range of cross
arm devices complies with this directive.
A pre-requisite to CE Marking is the fact that a product must meet the
requirements of the relevant European standard, which, for panic exit
devices, is BS EN 1125.
Most people are getting to grips with the legislation concerning the
bar itself. However, often overlooked is the fact that BS EN 1125 requires
that a sign which reads 'Push Bar to Open' or a pictogram should be
provided on the inside face of the door immediately above the bar or
on the bar itself if there is sufficient flat surface to accommodate
the lettering required.
Wagner has access to a large range of rigid or self-adhesive vinyl signs,
either in standard or photo-luminescent finish.
Photo-luminescent signs are a cost effective way of directing occupants
to safety in the event of loss of lighting due to power failure. The
signs are charged by both natural and artificial light and are instantly
visible in blackout situations, glowing continually for 2 hours or more.
Internal signage is available, along with 'Fire escape keep clear' etc
for outside the building.
Contact: Gary Gleeson
Tel: 01634 263263
Many
Designers are Unaware of their Duties Under CDM
Results
of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) designer initiative held during
March 2003 in Scotland and the North of England revealed that many designers
are unaware of their duties under Regulation 13 of the Construction
(Design & Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM).
In about one third of cases the designers demonstrated little or no
understanding of their responsibilities. A significant number had failed
to consider the practical detail of how the structure they had designed
could be safely constructed, maintained and cleaned.
The designer initiative involved HSE’s construction inspectors
in Scotland and the North of England meeting designers and planning
supervisors on site in a bid to reduce the number of accidents in the
construction industry involving falls from height. Falls from height
continue to be the most significant cause of fatal accidents on construction
sites in the UK and designers have legal duties to avoid foreseeable
risks to workers during construction, cleaning and maintenance of the
finished structure. Where risks remain, designers are required to provide
information that will allow these risks to be properly controlled by
others.
HSE inspectors looked in detail at the design input at 123 major projects,
covering a wide range of different types of work, representing a value
of nearly £1bn. The inspectors held pre-arranged site meetings
with the lead designers and planning supervisors in order to assess
how the designer had controlled risk in relation to work at height.
The aim of the initiative was for inspectors to identify good and bad
practice and raise awareness of designer duties rather than to focus
on taking enforcement action.
Nic Rigby, HSE Construction Inspector who lead the initiative, said:
'The results of this exercise indicate just how far from the required
standard many designers actually are. HSE inspectors found that where
design risk assessments had been prepared, many were of poor quality
and added little if anything to the safety of the construction process.
Inspectors reported that designers were often abdicating their responsibility
to reduce risk in relation to work at height by leaving it to the principal
contractor, without first considering how they could change the design
in a way which would make it safer to build, clean or maintain.'
Not only did designers not appreciate their duties under CDM, many also
had very little knowledge of other legislation, particularly the Construction
(Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSW) which applies
to the contractors who have to construct the buildings. Consequently
contractors were struggling to control risks which could easily have
been eliminated or considerably reduced by good design.
Mr Rigby said: 'Many designers viewed the safety harness as the panacea
for protection against all work at height risks, without giving any
consideration to the possibility of eliminating the need for work at
height, reducing the risk through the use of work platforms with good
standards of edge protection, or providing more collective forms of
fall protection such as nets or air bags.'
Only one third of the designers seen during the initiative were considered
by inspectors to have sufficient knowledge of CDM to allow them to adequately
fulfill their duties as a designer. A mere 8% of the designers seen
had received any training on CDM, and for many, this initiative was
the first occasion when they had been asked to justify their design
decisions in the context of Regulation 13 of CDM.
Speaking about the results of the initiative, Kevin Myers, Chief Inspector
of Construction said: 'It is of serious concern to HSE that many designers
are still failing to understand and act on their responsibilities to
protect those affected by their design decisions. If the construction
industry is to improve its health and safety performance further, all
duty holders, including designers, must do more to reduce risks on site,
particularly in relation to falls.
'This initiative is part of our intervention strategy targeting all
CDM duty holders, not just site contractors, and it has revealed that
many designers need to improve their understanding of how to comply
with Regulation 13 of CDM. The HSE will continue to work with industry
to bring about these improvements, but designers can also expect that
where we find them failing to meet their responsibilities, we will take
enforcement action,' said Mr Myers.
Some examples of poor practice identified by HSE’s inspectors were;
1. A designer had specified the use of roof anchors to provide a safety
harness attachment point for the cleaning of roof-mounted windows on
a 3-storey domestic property. The anchor point however could not be
safely reached from the roof access point. As a result of the meeting
the designer agreed to review the design of the roof windows to allow
them to be cleaned from within the building.
2. A designer for a steel-framed building had specified the use of a
running line and harness system for maintenance and cleaning of the
glass atrium in the centre of the building. The glass from which the
atrium was to be constructed was non-load bearing however. As a result
of the meeting the designer reviewed the design of the atrium and changed
the specification of the glass so that it could withstand an impact
fall from a worker on the roof.
3. During the construction of a theatre complex the principal contractor
had used a birdcage scaffold costing £12,000 as a means of fall
protection during the installation of an irregular roof covering. The
scaffold prevented access into the auditorium by other construction
trades for 3 weeks, and together with the scaffold erection/dismantling
time added 4 weeks to the build programme. Safety nets could have been
specified by the designer and attachment points incorporated into the
design of the steel beams. The nets would have cost £4,000 and
not delayed the project.
Harnesses
and Ladders Under Scrutiny in City of London
Inspectors
from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited construction sites
across the City of London at the end of April to check on the use of
ladders and safety harnesses.
HSE chief inspector of construction Kevin Myers commented: 'Falls from
height remain the single biggest cause of death, disability and injury
in construction, accounting for almost half of all deaths and nearly
a third of major injuries in 2001/2. I want to see dramatic improvements
in the control and management of work at height. Not least because most
of the incidents are easily avoidable and each represents suffering
and misery for the individual concerned and their family.'
During 2003/04 HSE will be promoting improved ladder and step-ladder
safety, and aiming to eliminate the use of ladders wherever possible
as a means of access or place of work, in favour of safer methods.
There will remain many places where the use of ladders is necessary
and here HSE advises that suitable precautions should be taken to ensure
the safety of the user. This can include:
- measures to prevent the ladder from slipping,
- a rigorous system for maintenance,
- and checking ladders for damage before use
HSE will also use the visits in the City of London to remind contractors
about the correct use of safety harnesses, including:
- advice on safer alternatives,
- training,
- maintenance systems,
- an inspection regime,
- and a method for swift rescue
Sites in the City were selected because they employ a large number of
subcontractors who often use ladders and harnesses. It is hoped this
will spread the message as widely as possible.
Inspectors will be reminding contractors of the HSE leaflet 'Inspecting
fall arrest equipment made from webbing or rope' which contains practical
advice, and can be obtained free of charge from HSE Books or downloaded
free from the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg367.pdf
Health
and Safety Agreement in Vacuum Forming Industry
After
discussions held between Chris Flint, HM Principal Inspector and his
team at the Health & Safety Executive, with technical and trade
groups representing the thermoforming industry an agreement, has been
reached which is intended to prevent injuries caused by machinery used
in the sector.
The agreement covers the safeguards required to prevent gravity fall
of clamp frames and other raised machine parts in both thermo and vacuum
forming machines produced prior to 1999. Machines manufactured after
that date are already covered under BS EN 12409.
The industry came together under the auspices of Faraday Plastics late
in 2002 to address the concerns expressed not only by the press but
by moulders throughout the industry.
Martin Woodley of Faraday & Rapra who has headed up the working
group says. 'This is a first for the thermoforming sector with all the
major machine manufactures and re-sellers working closely together to
address an issue of mutual concern, the fact that we have had the support
of the HSE and the trade associations in drawing up the agreement has
been a tremendous bonus'.
Woodley also confirmed 'The next step is to disseminate the document
to the moulders who are using this older equipment. All of the machine
guys and the trade bodies are committed to putting the document on their
web sites and carrying out a mailing to their clients or members and
we hope that the extruders will come on board by carrying out a mailing
on our behalf.
'Such is the interest in the issue that we also understand that the
German authorities will be taking a serious look at the agreement with
a view to introducing it in their market.'
Contact: Martin Woodley
Email: mailto:mwoodley@rapra.net
Health
and Safety matters - FMB Partners Industry on Nationwide Awareness Raising
Seminar Programme
The
FMB is working in partnership with the HSE/Working Well Together Campaign,
along with a rapidly growing number of national and regional contractors
and suppliers, including Kier, McAlpine, Bovis Lend Lease, Balfour Beatty,
Nuttall and Sir Robert McAlpine, to organise a series of Construction
Health and Safety Days offering practical guidance on how to recognise
and deal with some of the health & safety problems on building sites.
Called 'The Construction Health & Safety Initiative - Help for the
Industry from the Industry', the events are being held throughout the
UK in 2003 and bring together employers, contractors, safety professionals,
suppliers, professional bodies, the Health & Safety Executive and
small firms to raise awareness of the key practical issues facing those
working on building sites.
The Construction Health and Safety Days have been generating high levels
of interest throughout the country. A recent event at Carlisle Racecourse
attracted over 200 builders, sub-contractors and specialist tradespeople.
There were presentations and discussions about turning concern into
action, safety awareness, asbestos, protective equipment, working at
heights, HAVS (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome) and transport. Outside there
were practical demonstrations of proprietary scaffolding systems and
personal safety harnesses. The emphasis throughout the day was on the
measures that everyone working on site should consider, not only for
their own safety, but also for the safety of their colleagues.
The Carlisle event follows on from the three extremely successful events
held in the past two years at Haydock Park Racecourse, each of which
attracted around 400 delegates. At the time of writing, advance bookings
for the events had reached 360 for Edinburgh on 6th February, 180 for
Aberdeen on 11th February and 200 for Bristol on 11th February. At least
one workshop is planned within each of the FMB regions during the next
twelve months.
The presenters, specialist manufacturers and suppliers will be on hand
all day to demonstrate equipment and answer questions on any health
and safety issues. There will also be display stands with equipment
and plenty of literature on the wide range of products and services
that are available.
Anyone requiring free advice to help them get to grips with current
health & safety issues should attend one of these events - they
are completely free!
The FMB also publicises health and safety issues through FMB Factsheets,
the FMBulletin (a newsletter distributed by FAX and email to FMB members)
and regionally-produced newsletters. Factsheets offering advice on how
to deal with needles on site and asbestos, for example, were included
in recent issues of Master Builder. Information and guidance is available
on-line through the FMB's web site http://www.fmb.org.uk,
which includes a links to the HSE and WWT web sites.
FMB members have free access to advice from construction health and
safety specialists, through the FMB's dedicated Health and Safety Helpline
and consultancy service (Tel: 01908 223770), providing guidance for
example on risk assessments, policy statements and CDM.
The Working Well Together Campaign (WWT) is an industry-wide construction
health and safety campaign developed by the Health and Safety Commission's
Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC). The FMB is committed
to the WWT Campaign, which is designed to raise health and safety standards
within the construction industry by continuous improvement, and to the
Good Neighbour Scheme, where small businesses can derive benefits from
the experience of large contractors. In Scotland, the FMB is represented
on the Site Safe Scotland Committee, which is charged with reducing
the number of construction-related deaths and injuries.
The excellent HSE 'Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit' provides
sound practical advice in a 'site friendly' format. The FMB sent all
members a free copy and additional copies are available direct from
HSE (Tel: 08457 181819).
The current workshop programme appears below. Further dates are planned
throughout 2003.
Construction Health & Safety Initiative Workshop Programme
Eastern & London Region
Newmarket Racecourse, 8th May 2003
Tel: 01223 462636 & 020 7242 2200
London & Southern Region
Epsom Downs Racecourse, 26th March 2003
Tel: 020 7242 2200 & 01732 771553
Midland Region
Aston Villa Football Ground, TBA
Tel: 0121 421 2241
North West Region
Haydock Park Racecourse, October 2003
Tel: 01704 530201
Scotland:
Edinburgh - Royal Highland Show Ground, Ingliston, 6th February 2003
Tel: 0131 667 5888
Aberdeen - 11th February 2003
Venue to be advised
South West Region
Bristol - BAWA Sports and Leisure complex, Filton, 11th February 2003
Tel: 0117 973 6891
(A series of these events are being planned throughout South West Region
- details available soon)
Wales - Chepstow TBA
Tel: 029 2057 7711
Yorkshire & Trent Region:
Beverley Race Course, Hull, 4th March 2003
Tel: 0113 2485122
Askham Bryan Agricultural College, York, 11th March 2003
Newark Showground, Nottingham, TBA
Also - Breakfast Events:
Doncaster Dome, 4th February 2003
Sheffield United Football Ground, 6th February 2003
Please contact your FMB Regional Office for details of these workshops
and to book places or to register your interest in attending a Construction
Health & Safety Initiative workshop when they come round to your
area. See http://www.fmb.org.uk
for details.
Free
Health and Safety Workshop Programme for GGF Members - Join us on the
Road to Safety Excellence
The
GLASS Charter was successfully launched within the UK glazing industry
over a year ago and has brought tremendous benefits to those companies
who have already signed up to it. The Glass and Glazing Federation is
now bringing the GLASS Charter direct to its Members with a series of
four FREE workshops which will provide an in depth overview of how this
health and safety initiative can be applied to your company.
Delegates are offered the opportunity to update their skills and knowledge
with regards to health and safety in the workplace including information
on Director/Owner responsibilities, and how to keep your employees safe
while on the road. Key people from the HSE will also be in attendance
to disseminate their expectations from our industry sector and to answer
any questions.
Workshop Programme:
11th February 2003, Newcastle
18th February 2003, Birmingham
25th February 2003, Peterborough
6th March 2003, Bristol
For further information contact Alison Bettac-Rodgers on 0114 2686201
GGF Annual Convention 2003
22-23 May 2003, The Queen Hotel, Chester. Further details to follow.
Tel: 020 7403 7177
Web: http://www.ggf.org.uk
Guardian
Float Glass Plant Achieves Three Million Hours Without a Lost Time Accident
Guardian
Industries Corp.’s Carleton, Michigan, float glass manufacturing
plant recently achieved a safety milestone: Three million hours without
a lost time accident (LTA), an accomplishment that took nearly five
years of concentrated effort to reach.
'We worked very closely with our safety experts in Auburn Hills, Mich.,
and with employees and the management team at Carleton,' says Don Tullman,
the plant’s manager. 'Going three million hours without a lost
time accident is the result of tremendous dedication from every individual
at the plant.'
The company recognises the benefits of a safe workplace and emphasises
the role each employee has in creating a hazard-free environment. Tullman
says that a safe workplace helps foster employee loyalty while significantly
improving plant productivity and efficiency.
Safety is a priority at each of Guardian Industries’ facilities
around the world. In fact, its float glass plants in Al Jubail, Saudi
Arabia, and Nong Khae, Thailand, recently achieved three million and
five million hours, respectively, without an LTA.
'We’ve empowered our plant personnel to create safety programmes
that work for them,' says Russell Ebeid, president of Guardian’s
Glass Group. 'The company’s mandate is to focus on safety and achieve
the kinds of results that Carleton, Al Jubail and Nong Khae have. We
are very proud of our safety record.'
First
Progress Report on National Health and Safety Improvement Targets Shows
Need for Major Improvement
On
10th December 2002 the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) issued its
first ever progress report on the Government's 10-year health and safety
targets (1999/00-2009/10) for reducing work-related fatalities, injuries,
days off work and ill-health in Britain.
The report Health and Safety Targets: how are we doing? is available
at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/reports.
It covers three main targets and shows the following:
* a total of 40.2 million working days lost in 2001/02 due to work-related
illness and injury, giving an illustrative target of 28 million working
days for 2009/10. The target is for a 30 per cent reduction in the number
of working days lost per 100,000 workers due to work-related injury
and ill-health;
* an incidence of 2,200 cases of work-related ill-health per 100,000
workers in 2001/02, giving an illustrative target of 1,800 cases per
100,000 workers for 2009/10. The target is for a 20 per cent reduction
in the incidence rate of work-related ill-health;
* a 0.6 per cent increase in fatal and major injuries from 263.2 per
100,000 workers (baseline year 1999/00) to 268.9 per 100,000 workers
in 2001/02. The target is for a 10 per cent reduction in the rate of
work-related fatal and major injuries, giving an indicative target rate
of 236.9 per 100,000 workers for 2009/10.
In addition, the report covers a wide range of more specific health
and safety activity, including HSC's eight priority areas – major
health and safety hazards, plus worst-performing industries – where
improvement is most needed to meet the national improvement targets.
These are: work - related stress; musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs);
construction; agriculture; health services; falls from heights; workplace
transport; and slips and trips.
Commenting on the report, HSC Chair Bill Callaghan said: 'This is early
days in terms of establishing benchmarks and measuring progress against
our 10-year targets. However, it is clear from recent figures that the
biggest challenges facing us in meeting these targets lie in the field
of occupational health. We have seen a big increase in the estimate
of working days lost through ill-health – 32.9 million days in
2001/02, of which stress and MSDs each account for around one third
of the total. We have prioritised both of these issues and have a range
of initiatives under way to get to the root causes and identify methods
for improvement.'
He continued: 'The key to cracking work-related ill-health is partnership
between employers, workers, their trade union representatives and Government.
Employers must identify effective measures to prevent ill-health, and
second, when it does occur, by establishing supportive, managed rehabilitation
schemes to get absent employees back to work as quickly as is reasonably
possible.'
Turning to work-related injuries and ill-health, Mr Callaghan said:
'Nobody should feel complacent about the fact that the number of fatalities
fell in 2001/02, nor should the reduction in major injuries in some
priority programme areas give cause for celebration. The fact remains
that the overall fatal and major injury rate has been static for a number
of years. We need to secure lasting improvements across the board to
break through this plateau and achieve a real step change'.
Mr Callaghan concluded: 'I am particularly concerned by the increase
in slips and trips – much of which is within the remit of our local
authority partners. Sadly, many local authorities are not meeting their
health and safety responsibilities and I consider their declining efforts
to be unacceptable. Contrast this with the progress being made by some
stakeholders in the construction industry, where tentative signs of
improvement are beginning to show.
'With continued hard work and commitment, I hope these will develop
into long-term positive trends. Again, progress depends upon partnership
– and partnership only works when all those involved are pulling
their weight.'