Stephen Taylor RIBAPrincipal Specialist

Inspector

Key National Objectives 2000/01

Revitalising construction

health and safety 2001/10

Key National Objectives 2000/01• Transport

• Manual handling• Hand arm vibration and noise

• CDM design audit• Fragile materials – roofing

• Research

Transport

• About 15 deaths every year• 100 major injuries and 200 O3D’s

• Compact site dumpers, excavators and goods vehicles

• Poor assessment of transport needs and bad management

• 55 PNs and Ins under CHSW and PUWER

• Contractors are making little progress in eliminating vehicle reversing

• Only 50% use signallers during reversing

• Little segregation of pedestrians and vehicles

• Lack of dedicated traffic routes• Few, if any, reversing aids

Manual Handling

• 25% of all accidents in construction

• 30000 musculo-skeletal injuries

Blockwork

• 443 contacts where 227 involved the use of blocks over 20kg

• 36 contacts with designers, 13 with clients, 30 with planning

supervisors• Low enforcement – 12 notices

Informal enforcement techniques resulted in changes in block weight

• The use of heavy blocks is widespread but there are lighter

alternatives to be found

• Proactive enforcement pays dividends

• Targeted response to projects involving hand tunnelling, concrete

scabbling and pile head removal using hand tools.

Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome ( HAVS)

• 16 incidents involving hand tunnelling

• 53 incidents involving hand scabbling

• 136 incidents involving pile head removal by hand

• 5 notices issued and no legal proceedings

Design Audit

• Construction Design Management Regulations design audit protocol for

Regulation 13 compliance by designers.

• 3 successful CDM audits of :Large structural engineering consultancy

Electricity generating companyLarge Supermarket chain

Rooflight Specification: Research

• Evidence from inspectors and manufacturers suggests a

significant move forward towards the substitution of fragile rooflights

with non fragile varieties.• Research will report in 2001 on the

influence that CDM Regs has had on this change.

Research

• Assessment of health and safety training in Universities

• Risk assessment tool kit for training undergraduates and CPD for those in practice. This is aimed primarily at the architectural profession but will be roled out to ICE, RICS and

other building professionals

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Seldom less than 80 deaths per

year

• 30% of construction workers have

injuries caused by manual handling

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Construction has the second highest rate of new cases of hand – arm vibration syndrome• 10% of bricklayers leave because of allergic dermatitis caused by chromates in mortar.

• The highest rate of deaths from mesothelioma from past exposure to asbestos

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Likely action over the next 1-3 years

•CDM Regulations may combine with CHSW Regulations

•CDM Regulations may change the role of the Planning Supervisor

•CDM may deal specifically with health hazards including hazardous materials

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Working at Height

Test for Fragility of Roofing Assemblies

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Priority action to secure the use of nets during industrial roofing

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Priority action to implement the Manual Handling Regulations with

specific targeting of over 20kg blocks and concrete products by proactive

visits to manufacturers and designers

• Priority action to manage noise on construction sites by reduction at

source not just PPE

• Priority action to manage Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome on

construction sites by eliminating hand scabbling

• Segregate people from transport and plant on sites by proper

management systems

• Research to enable mapping of health hazards and risks in

construction

• 20/30 CDM audits taken across all professions including clients and

designers.

• Compilation of CDM case studies

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• Road shows• Sector specific guidance

• Case studies• Proactive visits• Expert system

Slips and Trips

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• CDM Reg 9 Provision of adequate resource in the tender documents

• How do you check for compliance with this regulation ?

Revitalising Construction Health and Safety

• HSE requires examples of good and bad case studies for a new

CDM handbook particularly emphasising working at height

and transport issues• Preferably from small and

medium sized projects

Questions please