Richard Vann considers the work at height dangers that still exist when
erecting, operating or maintaining plant and equipment
Richard Vann considers the work at height dangers that still exist when
erecting, operating or maintaining plant and equipment
Work at Height Regulations
are widely communicated
within the construction and
demolition environment, given the
potential dangers that exist when
operating on fragile roofs or near
unfenced edges for example. Over time
the concept has become more
comprehensively understood. Industry
managers and employees are increasingly
acknowledging that working at height
covers every scenario, at or below ground
level, where they could fall and become
injured. Yet still it remains a root cause
of many major injuries and fatalities,
which shows further work is needed.
One area where work at height
considerations have taken somewhat
longer to come to the fore is the
maintenance of plant and machinery, with
cranes or 360° excavators being a clear
example. When operatives are rigging
cranes or excavators, connecting hoses or
conducting routine maintenance
operations such as refuelling for instance,
they often have to climb up onto the
equipment, which can be a significant
distance above ground, therefore putting
themselves in danger. Even cab access or
egress presents potential risks.
Generally speaking, machinery
manufacturers have worked hard to design
and implement more safety features on
their equipment, including railings, nonslip
walkways and rigging winches. The
European Union Machinery Directive
2006/42/EC was influential here, stating
that: "Parts of the machinery where
persons are liable to move about or stand
must be designed and constructed in such
a way as to prevent persons slipping,
tripping or falling on these parts."
Considering slips and trips were identified
as the most common cause of major
injuries to employees in a 2011/12 HSE
report, it is important that equipment
manufacturers are taking note of this EU
guidance. But perhaps the actions of
manufacturers should go beyond simply
legislative compliance, which ensures only
the minimum acceptable standards.
Raising safety standards Manufacturers are perfectly placed to
further heighten site safety, but health and
safety professionals within the industry
need to apply pressure on them to do this.
A zero tolerance approach to inadequately
equipped plant and machinery would
magnify the somewhat obligatory position
that manufacturers find themselves in to
further drive standards. No-one would
purchase a car without a seat belt, so
contractors should not have to even
contemplate an investment in equipment
that does not have equivalent safety
features. The cost to retrofit handrails for
example is very minimal, but it mitigates a
very large risk.
That many pieces of plant were built
before the introduction of Work at Height
Regulations (2005) also presents problems,
as does the delayed implementation of
these safety and risk management
principles amongst other manufacturers.
A significant retrofit requirement perhaps
consequently exists. Some contractors can
only afford to purchase such older plant,
but they still require protection. We
should be moving away from the opinion
that enhanced safety mechanisms can be
optional extras. Of course some projects
present extraordinary and uncharted
working conditions, and in such instances
a collaborative approach between the
equipment manufacturer, contractor and
project consultant or manager will
encourage the development of a bespoke
solution.
However, the finger should not simply
be pointed at crane and excavator
manufacturers and users; their inclusion
here is purely for illustrative purposes.
There is work to be done to improve the
mindset throughout the entire trades
industry. A scaffolding contractor may
provide a helpful, compliant and safe
product for a building firm to use but that
same contractor may neglect to recognise
his own work at height risk when
climbing up on to his trailer to actually
remove the poles before erection. The
fringes of any job must be considered in
addition to the most obvious project risks.
The salient point is that the most
effective accident prevention mechanism
is education. The greater the awareness of
varied work at height dangers, the more
our mindset is switched on to identify,
plan for and mitigate risk. We all have a
moral duty to protect ourselves and others
from accident and injury and we need to
maintain momentum in this important
field.
Richard Vann is managing director of
RVA Group
