Health and Safety in a Construction Environment

Risk assessment: An assessment of actual and potential hazards. Highlights who might be affected and the potential severity.

Method statement: Produced following the findings of a risk assessment. It gives a list of tasks to be undertaken in a logical sequence

Legal requirements: Risk assessments are a requirement under the management of Health & Safety regulations. A method statement provides a safe system of work. Employers have a legal requirement to implement both whilst employees have a responsibility to follow both.

Fatalities: eg, being struck by moving objects, falls from height, electrocution etc

Injuries: eg slips, trips, falls, being struck by a moving object, manual handling injuries.

Implications: for the individual, for the organisation and for the general public. Implications might include for example, legal costs or reputational damage.

• Accident: An unplanned event that leads to damage, harm or loss.
• Near miss: An unplanned event that could potentially lead to damage, harm or loss
• Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm
• Risk: The likelihood of harm occurring
• Competence: The ability, skills or knowledge to carry out a task.

• Resources: Materials including solvents, paints, cement dust can cause hazard from inhalation. Flammable materials can cause fire or explosion. Heavy materials including bricks, wood, blocks and girders can cause impact injuries.
• Equipment: Tools and machinery may cause impact injuries, entanglement or electrical shock.
• Obstructions: Trips or falls due to poorly positioned materials. Blocked access to emergency vehicles.
• Storage: Impact injuries due to badly stacked materials. Fire or explosion due to incorrectly stored flammable materials.
• Services: Risk of contact with electrical services – directly or with tools or equipment. Risk of explosion due to gas services.
• Wastes: Slips, trips or falls due to discarded waste. Risk of impact injury from overloaded skips. Cuts and abrasions from incorrectly disposed sharp objects.
• Work activities: Poor manual handling techniques, failure to observe basic Health & Safety protocols, failure to wear correct PPE.

Importance: It is a legal requirement. Reporting and recording also allows for the identification of factors that caused the accident or near miss therefore facilitating the implementation of future control measures.

Procedures: All accidents and injuries must be recorded. If the incident is RIDDOR reportable, the appropriate document must be completed and sent to HSE.

Responsible: Anyone can report accidents but they should ideally be completed by the casualty, the first aider (if attended) or a supervisor.

Purpose: A dynamic risk assessment is the continuous, real-time process of identifying hazards and assessing risks as they evolve during a work activity. To identify hazards, evaluate risks and implement control measures in real time as situations evolve, allowing for immediate safety decisions when conditions change rapidly or unexpectedly. It enables workers to proactively manage new risks on-site, such as changing weather, equipment failure, or environmental dangers, ensuring safety when static, pre planned assessments are no longer sufficient.

Reasons: To reduce the risk of injury to self. To reduce the risk of injury to others. To avoid damage to goods or equipment.

Injuries and ill health: Musculoskeletal injuries, crush injuries, cuts and abrasions

• Moving and storing materials: Lifting or moving aids should be used wherever possible. Materials should be stored safely and appropriately. Flammable materials must be stored away from sources of ignition.
• Manual handling: Follow safe systems of work, report any potential concerns, obtain help from other personnel if possible.
• Mechanical lifting: Users must be suitably trained to operate equipment. Equipment must be checked for suitability before use. User must report any defects in equipment.

Procedures: Only use manual lifting if there is no other alternative. Plan the route, assess load before handling, use safe lifting technique.

Importance: The use of equipment reduces the risk of injury to self and others and reduces the risk of damage to goods and equipment.

Aids: Suitable aids could include, sack barrows, pallet trucks, flatbed trollies, wheelbarrows, brick carriers, gin wheels.

Apply: Follow the method statement, use a safe lifting technique, follow manufacturers’ instructions when using aids, report any concerns.

Working at height - Working in any place - including at, above, or below ground level - where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

Responsibilities: Employees must wear correct PPE, not interfere with barriers or any other safety equipment, report any concerns.

• Dropping tools and debris: Risk of personal injury. Risk of injury to persons below.
• Stability of ladders: Risk of ladder slipping sideways, slipping outwards from foot, risk
• of individual on ladder falling from height.
• Overhead cables: Risk of electric shock from tools or equipment touching live cables.
• Fragile roofs: Risk of injury or death if falling through. Risk of injury to persons below if tools are dropped and break through roof.
• Scaffolds: Risk of scaffold collapse, risk of falling from scaffold, risk of injury to persons
• below if items are dropped from scaffold.
• Internal voids: Similar to risks associated with falls from height. Risk of falling into void.
• Equipment: Risk of injury from defective equipment, electric shock, cuts and abrasions, entanglement.
• The working area: Collision with vehicles or equipment, slips, trips and falls, being struck by falling objects.
• Other people: Other persons’ behaviour or carelessness.

Controlled: Only work at height if absolutely necessary. Use safety equipment such as harness, netting, elevated platforms

Regulation:Work at height regulations 2005, Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

Groups of substances: solvents, chemicals, dust, fumes, vapours, mists and gases.

Risks to health: eg dermatitis, asthma, cancer from exposure to chemicals or substances, musculoskeletal disorders - including repetitive strain injury - due to faulty or incorrect use of equipment, hearing damage caused by loud machinery, stress or other related mental conditions.

Hazards: due to impaired vision, lack of concentration, decreased perception of risk, drowsiness, aggressive or unpredictable behaviour.

Potential risks: Impaired judgement, reduced coordination or balance, slower reaction times, poor concentration, fatigue, and drowsiness all have a considerable impact on own and others' safety.

Importance of correct storage: reduces the risk of fire or explosion and spillage.

Importance of personal hygiene: reduces the risk of transmission of infectious agents through the skin, reduces the risk of ingestion of hazardous substances via the hands.

Potential risks to health: exposure to asbestos leads to greater risk of asbestos related diseases which might include mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural thickening, various cancers.

Types of asbestos waste: Blue asbestos, white asbestos, brown asbestos. This could come from insulating boards, pipe insulation, roof sheeting, floor tiles.

Types of PPE: eg respiratory equipment, gloves, goggles, gloves, footwear, protective clothing.

Ways: Persons could be struck by moving vehicles or equipment, injury from falling objects from moving vehicles, or entanglement in the moving parts of machinery.

• Hazards: Hazards might include noise, fumes or vibration. Injury might also occur if the equipment has insufficient or faulty safety guards.
• Risks: Injuries, falls from height, trips and falls, fires and other health risks.

Importance of safeguards: Safeguards such as signage, barriers and visible emergency stop switches will protect operators and other personnel from potential injury.

Importance of keeping a safe distance: until clear contact is made with the operator is critical to prevent fatal injuries from moving parts, crushing, or ejected materials. It ensures operators are aware of your presence, avoiding blind spots and preventing accidental contact that can cause severe injury or damage to equipment or people.

Method statements: e.g.,step-by-step guide to executing tasks, identifying hazards and outlining safety controls. They can improve worker safety around moving plant and machinery and ensure that risks such as collisions, entrapment, or equipment failure are managed and necessary precautions (e.g., exclusion zones) are followed.

Eliminate or control: Actions include clear signage, separate pedestrian routes, correct use of banksmen and signallers.

Hazard warning: e.g., warning of proximity to moving vehicles, identification of dedicated pedestrian walkways, general warning signs relating to the activity.