Core 01 – Health, Safety and Welfare in Construction and

Associated Industries

Handle and Store Materials

Tutor Copy

Personal Protective Equipment

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations say that if there is a risk of injury, and the employer cannot

avoid the risk or manage it in any other way, then they must give employees the appropriate personal protective

equipment (PPE).

Employers are NOT allowed to charge employees for PPE or make them pay for it. Employees must use PPE properly

and report any defects to the employer.

HSE PPE information

Personal Protective EquipmentEmployers must provide their work force with:

1. Protective footwear.

2. Safety helmets.

3. Eye protection.

4. Dust masks / respiratory equipment.

5. Ear protectors.

6. Industrial gloves.

7. High visibility clothing.

8. All weather clothing

9. Somewhere to store PPE.

10.Sun protection and barrier creams

Employers can’t charge you for this equipment but you MUST look after it.

If you don’t, it is your responsibility to replace it.

Not using PPE could cause• Dermatitis• Skin Cancer• Infections• Eye damage

• Head injuries

• Cuts

• Leptospirosis (Weils Disease)• Burns• Hearing damage

• Respiratory failure

• Lung damage/disease

• Asbestosis• Death

Personal Protective EquipmentAnti slip Steel toe capped boots.

These help to protect your feet from falling objects. Some boots also have steel sole inserts for extra protection.

Personal Protective EquipmentHard hat or helmet.

This will help protect your head from objects falling from above.

It also protects your head when working in places with low head room.

Personal Protective EquipmentDust mask.

These disposable dust masks will help reduce the amount of dust you breathe in. They will not protect you from

dangerous or poisonous gasses and fumes.

Respiratory protective Equipment

These will protect you from dangerous fumes and gases. Manufacturers instructions must be followed.

Personal Protective EquipmentProtective gloves.

These will protect your hands from cuts and abrasions when moving materials. Gauntlet gloves would offer better

protection against chemicals.

Personal Protective EquipmentSafety Glasses.

These safety glasses will offer protection against flying particles/fragments when cutting bricks and blocks.

Personal Protective EquipmentEar defenders.

These will protect your ears from loud noise. If you did not use ear defenders when working with loud machinery you

could become permanently deaf.

Personal Protective EquipmentHigh visibility vests/clothing.

These help other people to see you on site. They have reflective panels and are brightly coloured.

Personal Protective EquipmentAll weather clothing.

You may sometimes have to work out side when the weather is poor. In these cases your employer must also

provide you with waterproof clothing.

Sun protection should be used on site. You are not allowed you to remove your shirt. This is because you need to wear Hi visibility equipment and also the risk of sun damage to your exposed skin.

Personal Protective Equipment

Barrier creams protect your hands before you start work.

Lifting Aids

Many injuries on site are caused by poor manual handling techniques.

Equipment is available to help with moving materials about site.

The Health and Safety Executive has good advice

regarding manual handling health and safety.

HSE guide to lifting

Lifting Aids• Wheel barrow - Used to move materials that

are loose, bulky or bagged.

Sack barrow - Used to move items such as bricks, blocks or bagged materials

Lifting Aids

Brick/block grabs – These are used to make moving bricks and blocks easier

Lifting Aids

Lifting Aids

• Board and panel trolley – for moving sheet materials such as timber or glass.

Lifting Aids• Larger sites may use all terrain pallet trucks or

forklift trucks

Lifting Aids• Delivery trucks usually have cranes to make

unloading easier. • These help to reduce manual handling.

Manual Handling

Employers must reduce manual handling risks.

It might be a one off lift that causes injury

Manual Handling continued

Employers must reduce manual handling risks.

It might be lifting lighter loads more frequently that causes injuries

Manual Handling continued

• Safe working loads can change according to how often the load is being lifted.

• Employers will make sure that you are working in the safest way possible.

Injuries can be minimized by using the

Kinetic lifting methodTo avoid injury the following principles

should be followed when lifting:

Crouch down in front of the object with feet apart and one foot alongside the object in front of the

other.

Manual Handling continued

Injuries can be minimized by using the

Kinetic lifting method• To avoid injury the following principles should

be followed when lifting:

• Keep the back naturally straight at all times. When you lift, let the leg muscles do all the work.

Manual Handling continued

Injuries can be minimized by using the

Kinetic lifting method• To avoid injury the following principles

should be followed when lifting:

• Push off with rear foot and move off in the direction you wish to go, in one smooth movement.

Manual Handling continued

Manual Handling continued• Team Lifting.• If you think the load is too heavy to lift alone you

could use team lifting.• Team lifting is when you ask another person to

help you lift the load.• Someone will need to be in charge of instructions

to avoid confusion.

Manual Handling continued

• When manual handling materials, it is important to have a clear route of travel.

• Make sure the route is clear before you pick up the load.

• This will help prevent Trips, Slips and Falls

Storage of MaterialsConstruction materials have to be readily available

when the builders need them.

Rather than ordering them on the day they are required, companies will plan when they will need

them.

Once ordered, materials will be delivered and stored for a short period of time.

Storing materials on site can cause problems.

• Many materials used in construction are expensive.

• Site compounds are used for storing large building materials.

• These compounds prevent theft and help contain materials in a secure place.

• These compounds can also be protected by security people and CCTV.

Theft

TheftMetal storage containers are used for storing

smaller building materials.

These containers are lockable

Deterioration

• Some materials used in construction will have dates on them.

– Plaster– Cement – Paint– Adhesive

• The oldest date will need to be used first to prevent deterioration, this is called

Stock rotation

Deterioration

• Stock rotation will help to prevent these materials

evaporating and hardening over a period of time.

• To make sure materials don’t get wasted:

• Store the materials so the oldest date has to be

used first (to the front or top of a pile)

• This way, you will not have to spend time

checking dates when you come to use them

DeteriorationDeterioration of building materials and components can also be caused by the weather.

This is known as deterioration from the elements

The elements are:– Rain– Frost– Wind– Sun

Deterioration from rain could cause the following:

•Timber could warp, swell and split.

•Bagged materials such as tile adhesive, plaster and cement could react and harden before use.

•Blocks and bricks will become wet and heavy making them harder to lay.

•Plasterboard will soften and crumble.

•Interior fittings could become water damaged.

Rain

Frost

Deterioration from frost could cause the following:

•Aggregates, bricks and blocks will freeze preventing the chemical reaction of the cement by the water.

•If moisture absorbed into materials freezes, it will expand. This can damage surfaces of materials.

•Frost will eventually thaw and create moisture affecting materials in the same way as the rain.

WindWind could cause the following:

•Light materials such as Insulation can get blown about site. This can be dangerous and expensive.

•Sheet materials such as glass and timber could get blown over and damaged.

•Materials such as drainage pipes or blocks stacked too high/incorrectly can be affected by the wind.

•Pipes will need chockes or bands around them to prevent them rolling.

•Wind is dangerous when working at height.

Sunlight

The sun could cause the following:

• Painted surfaces and specialist wall papers can be affected by the sun. It can cause them to fade.

• The sun produces heat which can be dangerous for flammable materials such as adhesives, paints and fuels.

Protection

• Storing Materials Outside• To prevent damage from

the weather Construction materials should be covered with waterproof sheeting.

• It is also wise to store them off the ground on a pallet.

• This will give the materials a secure flat base, keep them clean and prevent them from soaking up any moisture.

ProtectionMaterials should be

stored using the correct method.

Length material should be stored with plenty of

support.

These supports could be old pieces of timber

approx. 1 metre apart.

These supports are called bearers.

ProtectionPipes should be stored using the correct method.

These require plenty of support and once straps/bands around the pipes have been cut specially cut wedges of timber must be used to

prevent rolling.

These are called chockes.

Protection

• Flammable materials must be stored away from direct sunlight in lockable metal cabinets.

• Warning notices should also be used to notify people of the dangers of what is inside.

DamageThings to remember when storing building materials: •Correctly cover the materials to protect them from the elements

•Store off the ground and support long lengths using bearers

•Use methods of preventing unauthorised entry into storage areas to help prevent accidents, theft and vandalism

Damage

• Preventing people and machines from entering areas where materials are stored will reduce the

risk of damage.

• Damage to materials can cost money.

• Damage can also hold up the project, re-ordering damaged materials may take time.

• Some materials are fragile and will need extra care.

Manufacturers Instructions

If you are unsure how to store

materials, read the manufacturers

guidance/instructions on the product label.

Waste

Some construction materials will come pre-wrapped in plastic.

Smaller items may be delivered loose or wrapped in manufacturers packaging.

Once used this packaging will need to be disposed of correctly.

Most sites use separate skips to make recycling easier.• Metal

• Plastic

• Timber• And general waste

Separating waste is a good idea.

It helps you to recycle by preventing contamination.

When waste is separated, clear labels must be used.

This is called Segregation

Waste disposed of and not recycled or reused will go to landfill.

Landfill is very bad for the environment.

Waste

Waste• Some waste materials may even be used on the

site during construction.• This will reduce the amount of waste needed to

be taken away in the skips.

Waste

Some materials can not be recycled, such as:

– Paint– Bagged materials that have gone out of date and

hardened

These cant always be put into a general waste skip.

They may be hazardous to health.

These materials should be disposed of according to current legislation or manufacturers instructions.

Waste• Skips are usually placed in

the secure site compound.

• This means waste will need to be moved (manually or by machine) to this area.

• If the site is small and a skip can be placed close by waste chutes could be used to minimise dangers from manual handling.

Waste

Some construction contracts require waste recycling and environmental proposal plans before work can start.

The more environmentally friendly the company, the more chance of gaining work!