Conforming to general health, safety and welfare in the workplace

1. 1 When first attending a construction site, new work operatives will be given an induction so that all they have a clear understanding of their responsibilities along with that of the company. This site induction is specific to the site and provides you with information on the current hazards of the site and tells you about the site rules and regulations you must comply to. Information may include:

emergency evacuation & fire procedure
safety signage
• risk assessments
• safe systems of work
• organisational procedures
• use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
• COSHH (Hazardous Substances)
• storage requirements
• control measures
• waste disposal procedures
• reporting procedures
site facilities.

1. 2 The company shall issue you with the appropriate PPE, the basic provision would consist of safety footwear and safety helmet to protect your feet and head respectively from falling objects, Hi visibility clothing to been clearly seen. These are the basic PPE normally worn when on site in accordance with legislation and organisational requirements. The work task may require addition protection as ear defenders / plugs, gloves, safety glasses, masks, respirators , handling equipment.

1. 3Health, Safety, Warning and Information signs found throughout worksite and identified as below:

Fire equipment

Location of fire fighting equipment
Mandatory
Must do

A course of action which must be taken
Prohibition
must not

Behaviours that are prohibited
Hazard
Danger

Danger, warning and caution
Safe condition
Information

Escape routes and safety equipment

1. 4
Collective protection is equipment which can protect more than one person and, once properly installed or erected, does not require any action by them to make sure it will work. Examples which prevent a fall include, scaffolds, tower scaffolds and cherry pickers which have guard rails and equipment which minimises the consequences of a fall, include nets and airbags. Collective measures have several advantages. They are easier to use, protect everyone at risk in the work area and need less effort in terms of maintenance and Industrial safety helmets, bump caps, hairnets and fire fighters’ helmets user training. Personal measures have disadvantages – they require a high level of training and maintenance and they only protect the user.

Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)
The needs for PPE are assessed by a person who is competent to judge whether
other methods of risk control can offer better protection of safety and health than the Eye protection: Safety spectacles, goggles, face screens, face shields, visors. Hazards

Chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation
Head and neck: Industrial safety helmets, bump caps, hairnets and fire fighters’ helmets. Hazards
Impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical drips or splash, climate or temperature

Ears: Earplugs, earmuffs, semi-insert/canal caps
Hazards
Noise – a combination of sound level and duration of exposure, very high-level sounds are a hazard even with short duration Choose protectors that reduce noise to an acceptable level, while allowing for safety andcommunication

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)
Used when you might still breathe in contaminated air, despite other controls you have in place e. g. extraction systems When there is short-term or infrequent exposure and using other controls is impractical Whilst you are putting other controls in place

When you need to provide RPE for safe exit in an emergency
When you need to provide RPE for emergency work or when there is a temporaryfailureof controls

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) in your workplace should carry away any harmful dust, mist, fumes or gas in the air to protect your health: It needs to be the right type for the job.
It needs installing properly in the first place.
It needs regular checking and maintenance throughout the year. It needs testing thoroughly at least once every year.
It needs an indicator to show it’s working properly.

1. 5 When carrying out your daily work you must adhere to health and safety measures in accordance with the given instructions which could include safety data sheets, collective protective equipment, signs, notices, barriers, dust and fume ventilation.

1. 6 Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, Reach. Codes of Practise. Health & Safety signs / notices placed throughout the worksite.

1. 7 Having your working area risk assessed, method statements produced, safety & warning signs displayed, all relevant to the occupational area will help the worker carry out their job activities safely and correctly to reduce health & safety risks to himself and those operating within the area.

1. 8To comply with control measures that have been identified by risk assessments and safe systems of work. You would be required to wear the appropriate PPE, to read and follow safe systems procedures, comply to any health, safety, information and warning signs placed throughout the working site.

2. 1Following organisational procedures in the workplace, any hazards created by change in circumstances should be reported, these may include a change in weather if working outside such as if rain or frost may make working site areas hazardous with possible slipping on the changing surface area. Staff absence placing undue workload . Work equipment not operating as expected such as dust extraction not clearing air as normal.

2. 2Typical hazards associated with your workingenvironmentcould include moving and placing tools and materials in the work area safely, so that they are not causing a trip hazard, obstructing or blocking fire exit doorways. Tools and equipment have been checked for any damage prior their use in conjunction with the correct PPE being worn to avoid the dangers they are prescribed to protect you from. The use of hazardous substances hold its own
risks to the user and the environment. users should not leave such substances unattended which could cause harm to other if inadvertently exposed to them. Correct use while wearing the PPE in accordancewith manufactures instructions and following H&S regulations for storage and disposal.

2. 3 /2. 4
http://www. hse. gov. uk/construction/lwit/risk-behaviours-tool. htm

Fall from a ladder
Fall through a fragile roof
Lifting operations
Struck by plant
Overturning plant
Fall from scaffolding
Fall through a roof void
Asphyxiation poisoning
Crushed by falling excavation
MWEP crushing entrapment

http://www. hse. gov. uk/construction/lwit/safety-risks. htm

Exposure to Asbestos
Manual Handling
Exposure to excessive vibration
Exposure to Sillica
Exposure to excessive noise

3. 2 To ensure safe working on site, you will be issued with various information documents in the form of method statements, risk assessments, training notes, manufacturer’s instructions, control measures, reporting procedures etc. once you have read them you will be required to sign as a record for the employer that you have been provided with the documents, have read and understood the information. Therefore if there is any part of the information which you are not unable to interpret properly or understand you
must ask for an explanation before signing. Once you have signed you must always comply with the information and instructions provided to ensure safe working practise.

3. 2 If during the working day there are issues which could compromise health & safety or you could provide information which can help improve the safe working environment or practises then you should feedback this to your supervisor, manager or safety officer.

3. 3Welfare facilities are provided on site for the benefit of all, so that you may wash and eat in clean and healthy surroundings. It is each and every person’sresponsibilityto keep these areas clean and tidy for hygiene purpose. Also if you find that the washroom hygiene items needs replenishing then this should be reported at your earliest opportunity.

3. 4It is important that PPE is safely stored so that it don’t get damaged when not in use. This applies for any safety control equipment that is not in use is checked and then put in away in safe storage area in accordance with manufactures instructions.

3. 5There are company policies for the management of all waste materials on site prior to them being taken for recycling. The waste materials are separated and placed into their allocated waste bins. eg timber, metals, chemicals, plastics, cardboard and general waste. The bins are emptied frequently to ensure they don’t over fill and become a safety risk.

3. 6If a minor accident (minor cuts, abrasions, splinters) occur while carrying out your work duties then this would be dealt with by the company’s first aider and the incident recorded in the accident book.

In the case of a accident being a near miss then this must be reported to your supervisor. The incident will be recorded and a new risk assessment conducted to help to reduce the risk of this accident re-occuring.

If there is a accident that is much more serious then the emergency services
my need to be called upon. In this case work within the area of the accident would have to cease and the Health and Safety Executive informed. They may then have to conduct an investigation and take statements and could even halt work on the site.

Should there be a fire within the vicinity of your work, then you will need to raise the alarm immediately and evacuate the site in an orderly fashion to their fire assembly point, where a resister of all personnel whom have checked in onsite will need to be accounted for.

3. 7 / 3. 8 The chart below shows the types of fire extinguishers, their colour code identification and their uses on different type of fires.

British Standards
*BS EN: 2 1992 Classification of fires (ISBN 0 580 21356 0):
Class A fires involving solid materials, usually of an organic nature, in which combustion normally takes places with the formation of glowing embers Class B fires involving liquids or liquefiable solids

Class C fires involving gases
Class D fires involving metals