Has Health and Safety Taken a Step Too Far?
Alison Hume’s Life Could Have Been Saved. Has Health and Safety Taken a Step Too Far?
In the news last week there was the story about the tragic and preventable death of Alison Hume who dies in July 2008. The 44 year old mother fell down and old mineshaft on Galston while walking home and was found by her daughter who called for help. Ms Hume suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs and sternum. However it has been found that Ms Hume would have most likely survived these injuries had there not been a delay in bringing her up to the surface.
Health and Safety Regulations Cost a Woman Her Life
The senior officer in charge of the rescue operation would not use the equipment needed to winch out Ms Hume in time to help treat her. The fire fighters present were willing to go down and help her but due to the senior officer following the health and safety guidelines Ms Hume remained down in the mineshaft for six more hours. When they finally rescued her she died from a heart attack which was brought on by hypothermia.
The equipment needed to rescue the 44 year old mother was only to be used to help the rescuers and the regulations surrounding its use stated that it should not be used for the public. The officer would not move from these regulations and the inquiry has now discovered that the death could have been avoided of it wasn’t for the delay due to the health and safety regulations.
Lack of Training Also a Contributing Factor?
The inquiry also showed that the Strathclyde Police and Fire and Rescue workers did not have adequate knowledge of the resources that they had available to them in order to aid the rescue of Ms Holmes. They were not familiar with the potential uses of the equipment and did not understand how it could have been used. There was also a lack of training among the emergency services and the fire crews did not have an advanced knowledge of first aid.
Health and Safety Is Necessary
There has been a public outcry and now demands are being made that there should be a get out clause in some of the laws and regulations, such as those which stopped the senior officer from using certain equipment to save Ms Hume.
Health and safety consultants would like to remind people that regulations are there to protect lives, and without the regulations more people each year would die due to inadequate safety measures in the workplace, especially in industries such as agriculture and construction where in the past adults and children have lost their loves from being exposed to asbestos, mercury and having to operate extremely dangerous equipment.
Knowledge and Education
The correct training is always an important part of running any business. Health and safety services are able to provide in depth training courses to help increase knowledge and prevent terrible accidents leading to tragic losses of lives. To discuss the type of training which could benefit you or your employees contact the health and safety consultants at Veritas. Call 0800 1488 677 for further
Collapse of Scaffolding Seriously Injures Nottingham Worker
A scaffolding company which is based in Kirkby in Ashfield has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety executive. They were found to be responsible for a collapse of the scaffolding in Nottingham which injured a local roofer. The roofing contractor had to take four months off work while he recovered from his injuries.
The contractor aged 48 fell off the scaffolding landing six metres below. In the fall he suffered painful injuries as his pelvis was fractured in four different places. The scaffold which collapsed was put in place for David Knowles in 2009. The accident caused an investigation from the Health and Safety Executive to see why it occurred and if it could be avoided.
The Health and Safety Executive discovered that the scaffolding was not erected correctly. A non-competent person had failed to build the scaffold according to the standard configuration and there were places where it had been incorrectly tied. Mr Knowles therefore was prosecuted by the HSE as he had not made sure that health and safety had been maintained to protect the people who were not employed by home.
Use Services to Make Sure You are Up to Scratch
Health and Safety services are able to help avoid situations like these. It is important to know your legal position when it comes to safeguarding the health and safety on site or in the workplace. Scaffolding is extremely dangerous and it is essential that the right policies are in place and that the correct procedures are followed at all times.
Health and Safety Consultants are able to assist construction workers with training and with planning when it comes to carrying out any job on site. As a result of poor management David Knowles ended up pleading guilty to the charges brought against him. For breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, section 3(1) he was fined £5000 and also a further £3944 in charges by the Nottingham Magistrates Court.
A Preventable Accident
Mr Knowles could have prevented the accident by making sure that a competent person had erected the scaffolding. Health and Safety services which are designed to assist the construction industry can be lifesaving and also help to protect you should an accident occur. It is vital that you ensure all your workers are trained for the work that they are responsible for.
To contact the health and safety consultants all you need to do is call 0800 1488 677 for more information. There is a wide range of services for this extremely dangerous industry. You can ask for a complete health and safety audit to discover any areas of weakness and learn ways to change in order to make sure you are operating legally and safely. The experts at Veritas Consulting are able to help by offering:
- Health and Safety Training courses
- Health and Safety Audit
- Competent Person Service
- Document Writing
- CSCS Card Test
- Construction Phase Plan
- CHAS Registration
- Health and Safety File, and more.
Talk to your personal health and safety advisor to see how you can benefit from these health and safety services.
Health and Safety Demonstration Goes Wrong and Becomes a YouTube Hit
Viral videos zoon over the Internet thanks to sites like YouTube. Once a video has been caught it spreads quickly, amassing thousands of viewings. Sometimes this can create superstars, and other times it can bring serious matters to the attention of the public and corporation owners.
A Series of Mistakes Shown to over 200,000 People World Wide
The latter is what happened to a Health and Safety officer who was employed by Morrisons in Gateshead. Despite being well aware of health and safety protocol Mr Cavanagh is clearly seen up a ladder without wearing a hardhat. His aim of the video was to demonstrate the use of a safety harness designed to stop accidents from occurring while working on ladders. He was supposed to demonstrate the harness as a brand new safety measure; however it didn’t quite work out that way.
When Mr Cavanagh was asked to step off the ladder to show that the system was safe the ladder slipped and he came crashing to the ground. Thankfully he was not hurt as one of the other Morrison employees threw a hard hat to him just before he side stepped off the ladder.
Head Injuries a Major Concern in the Construction Industries
Any health and safety consultant will be able to tell you the amount of head injuries which occur within the construction industry. Hard hats are essential kit, and it was a huge error when Mr Cavanagh choose to be filmed giving a safety demonstration. Therefore since the video can be used as proof Mr Cavanagh has now been suspended from work while Morrisons carry out a full investigation.
Companies like Morrisons have to take safety extremely seriously as they could risk being investigated and potentially prosecuted by the HSE. Health and Safety consultants work with many businesses across the West Midlands and over the UK to make sure that all their employees understand the safety protocols and are properly trained in the hope that accidents will be completely avoided.
Health and Safety Services for the Construction Industry
Another of the health and safety services besides training is assisting with complying to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. A legal requirement of the CDM regulations is the production of a Health and Safety File. This is a document which is provided for the client and is where all the health and safety details are recorded during the duration of the product.
Health and safety consultants also make certain services readily available for the construction industry. The construction phase plan template can be instantly downloaded and provides a template which is fully compliant with the CDM Regulations. This can then be edited and completed by the Principal Contractor before work is started on site.
To find out more about basic health and safety training for all of your employees and for assistance complying with the legal requirements set out by the CDM Regulations 2007 contact the health and safety consultants. Call 0800 1488 677 and enquire into all of the various services which can protect your from prosecution and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries from occurring in site.
Olympic Construction Praised on Health and Safety Record
All health and safety consultants will inform you that the construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries as far as health and safety is concerned. However, the Olympic build has proven that when work is properly planned, managed and supervised health and safety risks do not have to be so high.
Lessons Could Be Learnt from Report on Olympic Build
In the news this week there has been many reports praising all the work that has gone into making sure the construction of the London Olympic buildings was carried out correctly. It is hopeful that other construction firms and freelancers will take note of the excellent health and safety record and work hard to reduce the number of accidents which occur in any sized job.
The Health and Safety Executive have released a report which states that the Olympics Delivery Authority decided to take a ‘no scapegoat’ approach. The Olympic build has taken 66 million hours to complete and during all of those hours there have only been 114 injuries and 8 dangerous incidents. The HSE have included details such as:
- Leadership and Worker Involvement
- The Construction Regulations 2007
- Occupational Health Provisions
- Safety Culture
- Preconditioning for Success
- Communication and Action for a Safer London 2012
- Supply Management for Health and Safety
- Delivering Health and Safety
- Temporary Structures
- Major Sporting Health and Safety Literature to Assist Management Risks
The HSE Director for the Olympics, Stephen Williams, suggested that the report shows that the industry does not have to be so accident prone. By taking on a no scapegoat approach to construction workers are able to highlight problems without worrying of any backlash coming from their concerns.
Health and Safety within the Construction Industry
If you work in construction it is vital that you follow the laws, regulations and guidelines which are there to protect you and your employees. Health and Safety Services are available to make sure you are fully aware of where you stand and to educate you on how to reduce the risks involved in this dangerous industry.
The health and safety services offered by Veritas Consulting include assisting you with your CHAS application. Being CHAS registered can help you to win more contracts and gain work within the public sector. It is also a great way to check over and freshen up your policies and procedures.
Health and safety consultants are able to help with the entire application process. They will also assist your business by guaranteeing CHAS Registration Accreditation, provide you with a health and safety package, and write your corporate health and safety policy. The other health and safety services which are provided with the CHAS application may include:
- Producing risk assessments
- Writing method statements
- Perform constructions site inspections
- Help with health and safety questionnaires
- Completing the CHAS application form
- Helping with the construction phase plan and more
If you want to make sure the environment that you and your employers work in is as safe as possible there is a lot that can be taken from the success of the Olympics build. If you require further assistance with your CHAS application or any other health and safety services contact the professionals. Call 0800 1488 677 for more information.
CDM Coordinators an essential piece of the Risk Management puzzle.
The construction trade have long been known for the hazardous nature of the work. In an effort to dampen down the accident rate on construction projects, the Construction Design and Management Regulations were updated to provide a more comprehensive control authority. A key part of the CDM regulations is the increased responsibilities bestowed upon CDM Coordinators.
CDM Coordinators are now placed in a more closely involved, although still advisory, role in design risk management matters than ever before. This allows them to get an overview on the implementation of all necessary measures for worker health and safety on a construction project before work commences. With the ability to direct attention to missing resources and incomplete arrangements in a timely manner long before physical labour begins, CDM Coordinators possess a sharper arrow in the quiver of workplace safety.
From a legal standpoint, the CDM Regulations are to keep health and safety concerns tied firmly to the principal contractor, so that they have a functioning interest in making certain that all subcontractors and labour are fully committed to jobsite safety during construction.
In a way, then, the decreased legal responsibility of the new CDM Coordinators as compared to their predecessors, the Planning Supervisors, has actually led to a more unified commitment to reducing injuries. Placing the construction design risk management team back on the hook again giving them a powerful incentive to pay attention to the recommendations of the CDM Coordinator. No longer is it possible to ignore the recommendations of onsite CDM Coordinators, and fob off the possible consequences on someone else.
The principal effect of the CDM regulations is therefore to put everyone back on the same team, when it comes to ensuring that large construction projects are operated with a safety first mentality. CDM Coordinators are vitally important for the client, design team and principal contractors and sub-contractors.
Fall from Scaffold Results in Serious Head Injury
As health and safety consultants we often try to point out the dangers involved in working in construction. Falls from height are one of the most common forms of injuries and deaths, and yet there are still construction firms who fail their employees by breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Accidents of this type will always result in the firm being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. They are avoidable incidents which ruin lives and could be prevented if companies follow the laws and regulations which are in place.
Scaffolder Seriously Injured
A London property development company were recently taken to court after one of their workers fell five meters from scaffolding. The 46 year old migrant employee fell when he was working in Hackney. As a result of his accident he suffered injuries to his head, spine and pelvis. His injuries were life threatening, and now he is left being able to walk only with extreme difficulty.
His employees, Nabiganj Investment Company, were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive who discovered that they had failed the worker simply because they had not implemented several measures which could have prevented the accident.
Asbestos Found at the Scene
In addition to the fall the inspectors also discovered that there was asbestos in the debris at the site. They found that there had been no asbestos survey and that at least six other workers had been working in demolishing the floors of the building and had potentially been exposed to the asbestos.
Asbestos surveys are also a vital precaution to take and are demanded by law as asbestos is a known killer. A survey can be carried out through Health and Safety Consultants such as Veritas Consultants.
Fines for Company for Multiple Breaches
The London firm were taken to the City of London Magistrates Court where they pleading guilty for breaching several sections of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. As a result of their irresponsible failings they were fined £37,500 and ordered to pay £5,459.90 in costs.
The London court was also informed that the firm had been dealt with by the HSE on a few occasions. They had enforcement actions which were related to some of their other sites. These included Improvement Notices as they failed to comply with their client duties as stated in the Construction Design and Management Regulations and a couple of Prohibition Notices concerning working at height.
The experienced property development firm continually avoided their responsibilities. The workers had little knowledge of the English language and the firm had put them at risk which left one of the workers with terrible injuries which he will have to live with.
Construction Safety
Veritas offers numerous health and safety services including multiple services aimed purely towards the high risk construction industry. Asbestos surveys help you to comply with the law as it is your legal duty to manage the risks involved with exposure to asbestos. For further information on all the health and safety services offered by Veritas Consulting call 0800 1488 677 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0800 1488 677 end_of_the_skype_highlighting today.
Improving Construction Safety Economically
Construction safety has to improve. Fast. There has been an increase in accidents and deaths globally on construction sites with about 1,200 people dying each year in the United States; an average of 4 deaths each workday. Unfortunately, in today’s economic climate many construction companies face diminishing revenues and uncertain future. As a result, budgets tighten and initiatives, including those for improving construction safety and health, are put on hold or cut. However it is important to realize that significant safety improvement does not require substantial investment.
To be effective construction safety needs to be managed just like any other company function, regardless of the economic condition. Adopt one single rule: Only do work that is in the condition to be started and completed without interruption. Following that rule will reduce exposure to hazards.
- Ready work means just one round trip on a ladder to perform a task.
- Ready work means trenches that are opened just long enough to perform a task.
- Ready work eliminates making do — using the wrong tool, wrong method, wrong person — resulting in safer work conditions.
More attention should be given to education and employee involvement. Many construction personnel, management and crafts-level employees are paid based on performance, and when employees have to choose between productivity and safety, construction safety loses. Create a safety steering committee made up of respected hourly employees. This is one of the easiest and overlooked ways to encourage employee involvement in construction safety procedures.
Basic safety measures should not be neglected. Training and hi vis workwear should still be incorporated with the above mentioned. Thorough knowledge, involvement and procedures will ensure construction safety is kept at a maximum. When safety becomes second nature, productivity won’t be affected by construction safety regulations and policies.
