HELLO THERE. I’M RICK ASSESSMENT. This is presentation aims to demonstrate an example of bad practice within the construction industry; detailing an accident which occurred whilst working from a height. It will show examples of how to eradicate the hazards mentioned in the future. By the end of this presentation you will be able to show an understanding and knowledge of preventing accidents from falls from height. The accident involved 2 operatives making repairs to the roof of an agricultural building. The job was only due to take 2 days to complete, and because of this, next to no consideration was taken by the contractor to ensure the safety of their employees The main factors in this accident include: The IP was receiving on the job training and therefore inexperienced There was no safe system of work No method statement or risk assessment No roof or edge protection No fall prevention/arrest measures The contractor had previously been warned about it’s health and safety management This accident was deemed to be foreseeable because of this. THIS IS DEEMED AS BAD PRACTICE

Whilst the IP was working on the metal roof a panel gave way and he fell 14 feet to the ground below, sustaining several serious injuries including a broken pelvis. The contractor was fined £1,000. Now we’re going to go on and look at the infringements that occurred, the regulations that were broken, the practice that they should have applied and examples of good practice within the industry. Finally we will briefly look at Risk Assessment that would apply to this case as well as a Method Statement. Now we’re going to hand over to David, Michael and Jonathan to talk you through these sections.

THANKS RICK! The first Health and Safety Regulation contravention that comes to mind is the working of the employee on a fragile surface. It is the duty of the employer to ensure that no person at work passes across or near, or works on, a fragile surface where it is reasonably practicable to carry out work safely and under appropriate ergonomic conditions without his doing so. We will detail these other appropriate means of completing the works later in this presentation It is evident from the occurring incident that work should not have taken place upon the fragile surface especially with no fall arrest in place. BAD PRACTICE

The Case Study we have detailed states that “No safe system of work, no roof edge protection or prevention/arrest measures were in place” The ‘avoidance of risks from work at height’ regulation also states that it is the job of the employer to provide; Sufficient work equipment to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. Additional Training and Instruction to prevent any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. In relation to our case study these regulations weren’t put into place. BAD PRACTICE

Selection of work equipment for work at height With regard to our case study it is important to mention that the company thought it the most efficient way to complete the works by not putting any measures in place as they wanted to get it done in as short time as possible. This lack of consideration of Health and Safety Regulations in turn allowed for a serious incident to occur. A guard-rail, toe-board, barrier or similar collective means of protection were NOT put in place. A working platform was NOT put in place. Scaffolding was NOT provided. A net, airbag or other collective safeguard WEREN’T in place This is BAD PRACTICE

In order to practice good health and safety management, the parties should have taken the following regulations and guidelines on screen into consideration: Work at height regulations 2005 Management of Health and Safety at work regulations 1999 Lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998 Construction (health, safety, welfare) regulations 1996 HSE: leaflet INDG369 (rev1), revised 03/07 Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture

Even though the work was carried out by a roof contractor, the owner of the farm still had the following legal obligations:   They must insure that the hired contractors are competent enough to perform the job safely. They must agree with the contractor as to how the work will be carried out in a safe manor. The owner of the farm should have gotten this agreement in writing. They must ensure that the contractor not only takes into account the safety of its employees, but also the safety of anyone else in the vicinity. This would include the prevention of falling objects, and ensuring no one has access to the construction area (perimeter or inside of the building). They must ensure that none of their activities affects any of the worker’s well being. This would mean that things like machinery would have to be removed from the area. They should take it upon themselves to monitor the work to a reasonable standard, and intervene at anytime which they deem to be a serious risk. (Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture)

Secondly; the operative’s employers should have followed the following guidelines when planning this job:   Produce a sufficient risk assessment in order to identify and minimise the risk of injury to operatives, as well as a suitable method statement so that the work can be carried out in a safe and controlled way. Employers must ensure that operatives are suitably qualified to carry out the job at hand. This Avoid work at height where they can; which would mean looking at the possibility of making any repairs to the roof from the inside where at all practical, using a mobile working platform. If they cannot avoid working from heights, then measures should be taken to make sure that the necessity to work from the roof is minimised. This would mean the use of a MEWP if at all possible. However, due to the nature of the job this would not allow the required level of access If it is unavoidable to work directly from the roof, then collective fall protection equipment should be used, such as a working platform. The working platform should be wide enough to be able to work safely, and long enough to provide adequate support across roof members. Another solution is a purpose built roof ladder. Suitable edge protection must be included to prevent falls from the edge of the roof as well as the prevention of falling objects. Because the roof has a parapet, this would provide minimal edge protection, however this level of protection would not be sufficient and so hand rails would need to be fitting to the perimeter of the roof. Access to the roof could be provided by either a scaffold or HAKI staircase, This means that tools and materials can be carried safely up to the roof.

If the risk of a fall can not be eliminated, then personal measures must be taken to minimise the distance of the fall. This is likely due to the poor condition of the roof, hence the repairs. Suitable measures for this job would be a suitable safety harness, which could be attached to hand rails, or netting which would need to be fitted by qualified professionals. Sufficient signage must be displayed on and around the structure; informing anyone of the possible risks such as falling objects, fragile roof etc. Signage is a must at the point of access to the roof. Plan the job carefully, and have a plan in place in case of an injury to an operative. Workers should know the procedures to take in case of an accident in order to deal with the situation swiftly, which could potentially save lives or prevent further injury.

When attempting to work at a height, like for example on the roof of a building it is very important before worrying about safety on the roof, to consider the workman’s safety getting onto the roof. Here are a few safe means of access: Stairways, gangways and ladders.

Once at the height, all floor edges and stairways should be provided with suitable guardrails and toe boards. This type of protection should be considered a first line of defence against harm. Accidently falling off the side off a building whilst working can be prevented with the use of this system. For an added piece of protection a personal fall arrest system can be used. These consist of an anchorage, connectors, and a body belt or body harness and may include a deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations. This means if a worker slips or falls off the building he will be connected with the use of this system to a guardrail or a man safe system and will remain unharmed

In the majority of circumstances it would be appropriate to fix the panel within the building itself; rather than remediation taking place externally on the roof surface itself. The work internally could be completed upon a mobile maintenance platform. GOOD PRACTICE

Safety Nets are the best way to protect workers operating at a height. As shown in the diagram below, the net can be secured in any large open areas and allows the worker to operate uninhibited. Not only can these safety nets catch a falling worker but also can make any work underneath safe from falling objects. Another means of protecting a falling worker could be the use of bean bags or air mats, these can cushion a workers fall so that if the worst happens the fall will cause no injury.

This is an example of a risk assessment for working at a height. It documents what work is being undertaken, what the existing hazards are, the risk factor, existing control measures, proposed control measures, the risk factor after the control is put in place and any additional comments.

Here is an example of how a method statement for this job should look. As you can see it identifies all necessary criteria one would need to establish to plan a job such as this, as well as the required PPE and of course, the working system. The main factors here are the roof access method, as well as the various fall protection measures. The method statement on screen goes into greater details on the points covered, along with the required codes of practice.

Thank you ever so much for listening. Now you should have a sound knowledge of how to adequately manage construction work at height.

FALLS FROM HEIGHT CASE STUDY OF HEALTH & SAFETY PRACTICES David Kimmitt Michael Parr Jonathan Kindred

Rick Assessment The IP was working on a roof He was inexperienced There was no fall prevention in place

The IP fell 14 feet to the ground below He sustained a broken pelvis The contractor was fined £1000.00

FRAGILE SURFACES “It is the duty of the employer to ensure that no person at work passes across or near, or works on, a fragile surface where it is reasonably practicable to carry out work safely and under appropriate ergonomic conditions without his doing so.” IN RELATION TO OUR CASE STUDY; It may have been possible to carry the work out from within the roof space. If not possible to complete internally then the work at height regulations must be adhered to. (The work at height regulations 2005)

SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK “No safe system of work, no roof edge protection or prevention/ arrest measures were in place“ THE EMPLOYER DID NOT PROVIDE; SUFFICIENT WORK EQUIPMENT TO MINIMISE THE DISTANCE AND CONSEQUENCES OF A FALL WAS NOT PROVIDED ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION TO PREVENT ANY PERSON FALLING A DISTANCE LIABLE TO CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY WAS NOT PROVIDED (The work at height regulations 2005)

FALL ARREST MEASURES A guard-rail, toe-board, barrier or similar collective means of protection were not put in place. A working platform was not put in place. Scaffolding was not provided. A net, airbag or other collective safeguard were not in place

In order to practice good health and safety management, the parties should have taken the following regulations and guidelines into consideration; WORK AT HEIGHT REGULATIONS 2005 MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999 LIFTING OPERATIONS AND LIFTING EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS 1998 CONSTRUCTION (HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE) REGULATIONS 1996 HSE: LEAFLET INDG369 (REV1), REVISED 03/07 WHY FALL FOR IT? PREVENTING FALLS IN AGRICULTURE IN RELATION TO THE REGS

IN RELATION TO THE REGS Although the work was carried out by the contractors, the owner of the farm still has to meet certain legal requirements. With good health and safety practice in mind, the following is what should have been achieved; THE OWNER SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THE CONTRACTORS WERE COMPETENT THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE A SAFE WORKING AGREEMENT WITH THE CONTRACTOR THEY SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT THE CONTRACTOR TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY, NOT JUST THEIR EMPLOYEES. THEY SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT NONE OF THEIR OWN ACTIVITIES AFFECTED THE CONTRACTORS SAFETY THEY SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE WORK AND INTERVENED IF THEY FELT THE WORK WAS UNSAFE (Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture)

IN RELATION TO THE REGS With the HSE’s regulations and guidelines in mind, here is a demonstration of how they should have practiced good health and safety management on this job: PRODUCE A SUFFICIENT RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT ENSURE OPERATIVES ARE SUITABLY QUALIFIED TRY TO AVOID CARRYING OUR WORK AT HEIGHT IF POSSIBLE IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN LOOK AT OTHER MEANS OF ACCESS SUCH AS MEWPs IF IT IS UNAVOIDABLE TO WORK DIRECTLY FROM THE ROOF, THEN PROVIDE A COLLECTIVE METHOD OF FALL PROTECTION, SUCH AS A WORKING PLATFORM OR PURPOSE BUILT ROOF LADDER. MUST INSTALL SUITABLE EDGE PROTECTION, HAND RAILS SHOULD BE FIXED TO THE BUILDING PARAPETS ALONG THE PERIMETER SUITABLE ACCESS TO THE ROOF SUCH AS HAKI STAIRCASE SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN ORDER TO CARRY TOOLS AND MATERIALS SAFELY (The work at height regulations 2005: A quick guide)

IN RELATION TO THE REGS If the risk of a fall can not be eliminated, then personal measures must be taken to reduce the distance of the fall. In this case, a harness or netting would be sufficient. Sufficient signage must be displayed on and around the building, informing people of the potential hazards. Signage is compulsory at the access point to the roof. The contractor must have an accident plan in place in order to deal with any accidents swiftly and effectively in order to prevent further injury or death. (The work at height regulations 2005: A quick guide) CONTINUED …

Gangway Solutions (no date) Available at www.hocksengmarine.com.sg (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) Safe means of access; Stairways gangways ladders. CONSTRUCTION-SITE HAZARD MANAGEMENT. Safety Solutions (no date) Available at www.healthandsafety.co.uk/ladder.gif (Accessed on 21 Nov 2008)

Fall Protection equipment (2007) Available at www.safetymart.com (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) Fall Arrest Solutions (no date) Available at www.acrobuildingsystems.com (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) CONSTRUCTION-SITE HAZARD MANAGEMENT

CONSTRUCTION-SITE HAZARD MANAGEMENT Battery Drive Maintenance (no date) Available at http://product-image.tradeindia.com/00238394/b/Battery-Drive-Aerial-Maintenance-Platform.jpg (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008)

CONSTRUCTION-SITE HAZARD MANAGEMENT. The net can be secured in any large open area Can catch a falling worker Makes the area beneath the net safe from falling objects.

Risk Assessment Template (no date) Available at: www.safesite.co.uk (Accessed 26 November 2008)

(Preventing falls from heights in agriculture)

Thank you ever so much for listening! REFERENCES Literature Health and Safety Executive (2007) HSE leaflet INDG369 (REV1) Why fall for it? Preventing falls in agriculture. London: British Standards Institute Health and Safety Executive (2004) Preventing falls from heights in agriculture HSE agricultural information sheet 32. London: British Standards Institute Health and Safety Executive (2007) The Work at Height Regulations 2005: A quick guide. London: British Standards Institute Regulations Construction (Health, Safety, Welfare) Regulations 1996 (ISBN-0-11-035904-6) Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (ISBN-0-11-079598-9) Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (ISBN-0-11-085625-2) Work at Height Regulations 2005 (ISBN-0-11-072563-8) Codes of practice British Standards Institute (2003) BS EN 340: Protective clothing, general requirements. London: British Standards Institute British Standards Institute (1982) BS EN 5378: Safety Signs and Colours part 3. London: British Standards Institute British Standards Institute (2002) BS EN 1263-1: Safety nets, safety requirements, test methods. London: British Standards Institute British Standards Institute (2002) BS EN 1263-2: Safety nets, safety requirements for positioning limits. London: British Standards Institute British Standards Institute (2001) BS EN 12811: Temporary works equipment, scaffolds performance requirements and general design. London: British Standards Institute Websites Battery Drive Maintenance (no date) Available at http://product-image.tradeindia.com/ (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008 Character creator software (no date) Available at www.sp-studio.de/index (accessed 25/11/08) Fall Arrest Solutions (no date) Available at www.acrobuildingsystems.com (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) Fall Protection equipment (2007) Available at www.safetymart.com (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) Gangway Solutions (no date) Available at www.hocksengmarine.com.sg (Accessed on 20 Nov 2008) Safety Solutions (no date) Available at www.healthandsafety.co.uk/ladder.gif (Accessed on 21 Nov 2008) 67 67