Work at Height Reaches New Low - The Need To Use A Professional Rope Access Contractor

Photograph taken by HSE inspector of the worker on the roof with no safety precautions (except his hard hat and high-vis vest!)

Responding to a complaint, Health and Safety Executive inspectors found a worker stripping slates from a fragile roof without any measures in place to prevent a fall through it, or mitigate the potential life-threatening effects of such a fall.

The inspectors visited the former aerospace plant in Hargher Street, Burnley in August last year observing the new low in work at height while the buildings in Lancashire were being demolished.

Forty-five per cent of deaths (19 of 42) on construction sites in Britain last year were as a result of falls from height and 581 workers suffered major injuries (35 per cent of the total) as a result of such a fall.

Appearing at Burnley Magistrates’ Court, KML (Properties) Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of Work at Height Regulations and was fined £10,400.

The company, of Brunswick Street, Nelson, also pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and were fined £2,000 for each. These breaches related to failing to plan the work being undertaken and also to provide adequate welfare facilities for operatives carrying out work on site.

Total fines were £14,400 and the firm must also pay full HSE prosecution costs of £1,276 and a victim surcharge of £200.

Welfare facilities provided by KML (Properties) Ltd

HSE inspector Jacqueline Western, who investigated the case, said: “These breaches of health and safety legislation were entirely preventable.

“Falls through fragile roofs are a common cause of work-related death or personal injury. Poor welfare facilities can cause significant health issues for workers – in this case the concern for operatives on site was exposure to biological hazard from bird droppings, rat infestation and contamination of the site.

“Comprehensive guidance and information is available to download free of charge from HSE’s website and it is not unreasonable to expect a company in the business of construction and demolition to be aware of what the law requires.”

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Revised Confined Space Regulations published by Health & Safety Executive

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has recently revised its Confined Space Regulations ‘Approved Code of Practice’ document, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to review the guidance in relation to gas detection.  

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has recently revised its Confined Space Regulations ‘Approved Code of Practice’ document, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to review the guidance in relation to gas detection. - See more at: http://www.crowcon.com/blog/tag/confined-space-regulations/#sthash.0yQfd1Za.dpuf

 The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) provides practical advice on how you can comply with the requirements of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

What does confined space mean?

A confined space is a place which is substantially enclosed, and where serious injury can occur from hazardous substances or conditions within the space or nearby (e.g. lack of oxygen). However, a confined space is not always substantially enclosed and can include places, such as chambers, tanks, vats, silos, pits, trenches, pipes, sewers, flues, wells or any other similar space where a reasonably foreseeable specified risk arises.

Many confined spaces are easy to identify, such as sewers and closed tanks, but understanding whether other places could be classed as a confined space can be a little trickier. A place not usually considered to present confined space hazards may become one. For example, work , such as welding, a spray booth or using chemicals for cleaning purposes, can introduce risks to an enclosed space normally considered free of contaminants and to have a safe level of oxygen.

Some spaces may meet the criteria of a confined space when they are used to store certain specific items, such as gas cylinders, material used as part of a fire suppression system or a storage facility for wooden pellets used as fuel in heating systems. Other confined spaces may be created deliberately, for example reduced oxygen environments, where the oxygen level is depleted either by reducing the oxygen concentration or increasing the concentration of another gas, such as nitrogen.

What should you assess to establish a confined space?

Determine the general condition of the confined space, to identify what might be present or not, and what could cause a problem.

• Information about any substances previously held will give an indication of what kind of hazard may be expected.
• Dangers that may arise from chemical residues or scale, rust, sludge or other residues must be considered.
• Contamination that may arise from adjacent plant, processes, gas mains or surrounding land, soil or strata. Gases and liquids may leak, or may have leaked into the confined space.
• In certain situations, water and/or gases may enter the confined space from the surrounding land, soil or strata.
• Methane can occur from a number of sources, including the decay of organic matter, and can be released from groundwater.
• There are substantial risks if the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere varies significantly.
• Particular care should be taken in environments created with a specifically reduced oxygen concentration in the atmosphere.

Ensuring personal protective equipment (PPE) is used upon entering a confined space.

HSE’s document explains the importance of personnel wearing PPE when entering a confined space, whether its an employer providing for their employee, or self-employed. PPE must also be fully maintained on a regular basis.

To properly assess confined space hazards in your workplace, or to simply learn about the updates to the document, you can download it, for free, from the Health & Safety Executive website – http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l101.htm