children safe

December 2007 Issue 50

NHBC Health & Safety News

Health and Safety Forum

Small Talk - Keep local

Simon says...

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Manager NHBC Health i

Thank you for your question ws@nhbc.co.uk

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Simon Mantle,

& Safety Serv ces

The end of another year and many of you will be going flat out to meet production deadlines before the Christmas break. It is no coincidence though that we are also entering the period when the number of accidents rises. This could be because of the darker mornings and evenings, or it could be because it may well be wetter and more slippery on site. The trouble is you can see the same pattern of increasing accidents in June as well, which rather points towards the increase in activity at the end of year as being the main factor. The industry has become infinitely more health and safety aware in the last few years than has ever been the case previously, however, we can still fall in to the trap when it comes to the end of year

crunch and the need to hand over those final units. As the work rate goes up it is vital that we do not lose sight of health and safety in the rush for end of year figures. I recently attended the Strategic Forum, a follow up group formed after the Construction Summit convened by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Haine MP. The aim of the group is to try and map out the way forward for the industry, defining the strategies that will be used to move house building and domestic refurbishment off the bottom slot for construction deaths. More about this can be read in this issue. All it leaves me to say is to wish you all a healthy and safe Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Ask the experts Am I responsible for security on site over the holidays?

To submit your question e-mail hsne

Legislation says that the principal

contractor for a project should

take reasonable steps to prevent

unauthorised persons on site.

This is particularly important over

the holiday period when the site is

unoccupied for a long period of time.

House building presents particular

problems because invariably the

site will be adjacent to existing

residential areas, or the new

estate will become occupied in

parts while construction continues.

What should you do?

Review security arrangements regularly.

Where practical, sites should be enclosed by a fence at least 2 metres

Access points should be fitted with gates that are locked when the site is unoccupied.

Surveillance of the gates should be maintained and warning notices should be displayed.

On some sites it maybe impractical to completely fence all perimeter

boundaries. In all cases additional precautions should be implemented to minimise risk to children and others who may still enter the site.

These should include:

Filling, covering or guarding the excavations and openings

Immobilising vehicles and plant

Safely storing material to prevent easy displacement. (Example: lock pipes to stop them rolling)

Isolate electrical and gas supplies

Remove access to elevated areas

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School visits What are the benefits of educating local children?

We are all aware of the duty

placed on the principal

contractor to protect

members of the public from

the work carried out on site.

This becomes of particular

importance if a project is

next to a school or play area.

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Most adults are aware of risk perception and parents at ease with what will be perceived asunderstand that if an area is secured by fencing or increased danger and disruption.hoarding then it is usually for good reason and willstay away. Children however have not fully developed NHBC recently assisted Churchill Retirement Living in

their risk perception skills and consider building sites this exact way by presenting a short talk on the

as a new and exciting playground. dangers of construction sites to New Haw School inAddlestone where we were invited to present the

HSE statistics showed that in the five years leading winning prizes of a poster competition. The three up to 2003, 530 children were killed or injured on prize winners were then rewarded with an escorted construction sites in Great Britain. After one tragic case the HSE were quoted as saying:

“This tragedy is a sobering reminder that

tour around Churchill Retirement’s local site. This authorised visit helps take away the ‘mystique’ of construction sites and lets them see the dangers first hand within a controlled environment.

construction sites are dangerous places Bovis Homes are another builder who have discovered the benefits of engaging with local schools. After a for children, extra care needs to be taken

to ensure that sites are secure and that visit to The Vine Primary School in Cambourne, where they ran a poster competition, Paul Haxell, Group

materials and plant are stored safely… Health and Safety Director, commented:

Everyone involved in construction projects “The children have obviously worked extremely hard including property developers must take creating their posters which delivered a very strong

and effective message warning about the dangers of proper precautions to protect the public, building sites,” Paul said “Bovis Homes takes safety particularly children, when carrying out on its sites very seriously and we have arrangements

their work and storing materials”. in place to ensure the children’s safety at all times including organising deliveries around school times.”

We are all aware of these dangers and issue safety Paul added, “The pupils are likely be children of our

reminders to sites before school holidays, but are we purchasers or potential clients and it is important to

as an industry doing enough? us that they do not come to harm because of our actions.”

One method of making children aware of the dangers of construction sites is to arrange for a talk at the These activities do not take away the need for local school. This can be developed further by suitable and sufficient security measures on site, but involving children in a project or poster competition are intended as part of the education process. Who with its theme around the dangers of construction knows a simple visit to site may save a child’s life or sites. Approaching the schools at an early stage will sow the career seed to produce a Pride in the Job help to put the minds of the teaching staff and Award Winner in 2037.

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eep

for preventing falls from vehicles

Minimise the amount of time workers

have to spend in the loading area by

carefully planning how to undertake

the task safely.

Provide adequate lighting where work

is carried out.

Provide slip-resistant footwear to

staff who may have access to

the vehicle.

Check the condition of equipment

such as steps and repair as necessary.

Keep vehicles clean, as it could be

easy to slip on diesel, grease

or mud.

Provide a system for reporting faults

to access equipment.

To prevent trips or slips, keep all

vehicle beds tidy.

For work at height, provide steps,

gantries and platforms.

Give a ‘Toolbox talk’ to drivers on

how to avoid falls with regular

refresher sessions.

Regularly check that all precautions

to prevent falls are taken.

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www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicle s/

NHBC’s top-ten tips

If you require more information HSE have a web page to assist with keeping track of campaign developments :

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Government has called for action

on construction deaths

NHBC’s Chief Executive, Imtiaz Farookhi

attended a health and safety forum

held by the Work and Pensions secretary

Peter Hain on the 17th September. The

forum was called to address the health

and safety challenges within the housing

industry, after it was announced

fatalities in the industry increased by

28% in 2006/07. During the forum a

series of measures were agreed and a

Strategic Health and Safety task group

was formed.

One of the main issues was the number of accidents during repair, refurbishment and maintenance work, and on small sites with 51 out of the 77 construction deaths last year on sites with less than 15 workers. It was felt that larger contractors should extend their training and expertise to smaller contractors. It was also proposed that all site workers in the house-building sector should carry a construction skills certification scheme card (CSCS). This will demonstrate that they have at least a minimum level of health and safety competence. The major house builders have committed to 100% of workers on their sites having a CSCS card (or equivalent) by 1 January 2008, the rest of the industry should follow as soon as possible.

Another key concern was the large ‘grey informal economy’ within the industry, which has been estimated to involve tens of thousands of people. It is believed that this informal workforce is making the sector harder to monitor and health and safety requirements are not protecting these people. During the forum it was agreed this needs to be eradicated in order to protect these workers.

The lack of communication of relevant health and safety messages to workers was also highlighted as a concern. It was felt that there is a need for formal

induction training for all staff before they start work on a new site and that health and safety messages should be posted on site for continued communication.

However, one issue that Imtiaz felt needed addressing was the way in which the statistical data was recorded, he stated “Firstly, it is important to separate fatalities in new build from those in Repair, Refurbishment and Maintenance (RRM). Grouping them together hides important differences between the two sectors. The vast majority of new build, for example, is carried out by large national companies with no directly employed labour, whilst the majority of RRM is carried out by small local contractors often with many more directly employed trades.

Secondly, in our view, further work needs to be done with statistical data relating to non-fatal injuries in the house-building industry. This would potentially give a far better statistical basis from which to judge the performance of the industry rather than to focus purely on the 12 fatal incidents last year.”

NHBC will work closely with the HSE to facilitate the effective promotion of best practice guidance, and continues to be committed to raising the standard of health and safety in the industry.

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Christmas on siteTis the season to be jolly fa la lah lah...

However when jolliness gets out of hand the season of goodwill can turn decidedly sour, follow these tips from NHBC Health and Safety to stay safe:

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Do try to avoid embarrassing accidents, make sure Santa sees your tower crane by putting a 20 foot Christmas tree covered with fairy lights at the top.

Do ensure that a clear method statement is followed when affixing aforementioned tree.

Do ensure you use two people or a handling aid when rolling out the barrels.

Do beware of contractors bearing gifts and claiming they are wise; make sure a suitable risk assessment is in place for their work on site.

Don’t forget that the holly and the ivy may be subject to Tree Protection Orders.

Don’t forget if you hark the herald angels singing then suitable ear protection must be worn.

Don’t forget if you are going to fix the site fairy to the top of the Christmas tree then a cherry picker or other working platform should be used. A ladder is not suitable for this task.

Don’t forget being drunk on site is dangerous. Watch out for the obvious signs such as red shiny noses.

Don’t forget that on sites where planning has required fake chimneys to be fitted, then clear signs should be placed on roofs before Christmas Eve.

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To order any of the products below or to receive information on other NHBC products call 0844 880 1000 or visit our shop at

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Health & Safety Products

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Health and Safety Box File

Handy professional storage file to be given to new homeowners, which holds all essential paperwork.

Designed to store the Information Pack for Owner-Occupiers and other documents such as guarantees and instruction booklets. The box file is supplied as a four-ring binder with a storage box fixed inside the file. For an additional cost we can also include your logo. Please call the product enquiry line for more details.

£12.50 each Exempt from VAT

(or £9.95 when bought with Information Pack for Owner-Occupiers)

Site Checklists

Unique checklist ideal for monitoring day to day health and safety on site.

This compact folder provides site managers with step-by-step checklists to identify and assess health and safety risks on site. These checklists provide detailed information to ensure compliance with current legislation and are provided in a pocket-sized, durable folder for easy reference. The checklists are easily wiped clean and can therefore be used for more than one site. Ideally suited to smaller builders.

1-5 copies £68.00 each

6-20 copies £61.20 each

21+ copies £57.80 each

Exempt from VAT

Contractor’s Unsafe Act/Notice

Functional pad for recording unsafe acts.

This three part carbonless pad, provides a facility for the Principal Contractor’s site manager to record unsafe acts or conditions associated with the Contractor’s work. This facility enables the site manager to be proactive in managing health and safety and also ensure that the contractor is aware of their failure to comply with statutory requirements.

£8 each Exempt from VAT

NHBC Health & Safety Services NHBC House, Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK5 8FP Tel: 0844 880 1000 Fax: 0844 225 3123 www.nhbcbuilder.co.uk

HB2390 12/07