Good News!
This edition goes out just after the news that UK Construction (which a lot of readers are involved in) has contributed significantly to the better than expected economic performance figures. With overall GDP growing at +1.1%, Construction is said to have expanded by +6.6% which is said to be the quarterly biggest rise since 1963 although probably due to playing catch up after the weather delays earlier this year. I seem to remember that 1963 was a terrible winter too but it's still good news as it would indicate that there is solid business out there which has needed catching up on:
- Book your place on the next BSA Seminar - Guildford 14th September
- How seriously should we take bird droppings when cleaning?
- How cranes can actually fail
- Fire Risk Assessment - If you don't do it and get caught, it's serious!
So read on!
Live in the South East? URGENT - BEFORE YOU GO ON HOLIDAY - Make a note to attend a BSA Seminar!
The next one is in Guildford on the 14th September 2010 at The Holiday Inn, Egerton Road, Guildford GU2 7XZ - which is just off the University of Surrey and Guildford Cathedral intersection of the A3 and about 10 minutes from Junction 10 of the M25.
Meet the team at 6.00pm (for drinks and sandwiches) for a 6.30pm start. The formal program finishes at 8.00 pm but there will be an informal networking and catch up session afterwards (in the bar).
Typically (because the agenda is not yet set in stone) the team will talk about:-
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Site Waste Management Plans have been heard about but in many cases, underestimated or misunderstood. We know that this is NOT health & safety but our clients have said that it is really useful! We run through the duties of clients, designers and contractors and what you need to consider at various points of a construction project
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The practical effects of the new Asbestos Regs
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We discuss what might be in store for Health & Safety and the HSE given forthcoming reviews of the CDM Regs, possible budget cuts and the possible impact on clients, designers and contractors
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Competency of duty holders is of key importance to safety performance and there are more and more instances of Inspectors not accepting 'experience' but demanding qualifications - We look at what the HSE expects of Clients, designers and contractors
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New Regulations came into force for Tower Cranes on 6th April 2010 - certain types need to be notified to the HSE - this is just 5 minutes highlighting to whom they need to be notified and how much it costs
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Your questions!
The cost is £25 for up to 3 people from the same organisation. Click here for the booking form.
Future seminars will be held at
Brighouse 5/10
Haydock 6/10
Bristol 9/11
Booking forms will be available here but if you wish to register your interest in advance - please email dan.s@bsims.co.uk with your name, company and particular area of interest.
BSA Seminars
We will include Asbestos in the September seminar in Guildford so see http://www.bernardsimsassociates.com/page/events for details.
The page also gives dates for further seminars in Bristol and Mirfield.
Bird droppings and dealing with pests
It is common for derelict or unused buildings to become infested with a variety of wildlife, each one with distinct associated illness that can be passed onto humans. The trouble is that it can be viewed as a 'dirty job that you just have to get on with' and adequate steps not really taken.
The following case study highlights the danger of not taking adequate precautions during cleanup.
“Pigeon droppings had accumulated to a depth of one foot on the catwalk around a courthouse tower. Cleanup workers shoveled the dry droppings off the catwalk, allowing them to fall four stories to the ground. Air conditioners picked up the falling spore-laden dust and distributed it within the building. Of the 84 employees inside, 52% developed fever, cough, chest pain, myalgia, and/or laboratory evidence of histoplasmosis. Twenty-four other cases of histoplasmosis occurred among construction workers and people who visited the courthouse during the cleanup; one individual contracted the disease after visiting for only 10 minutes. Of those exposed who escaped illness, 87.5% had been previously infected. However, five people with evidence of previous infection did become ill. It is probable that their previous infection afforded only partial immunity.”
This case study highlights the requirement of clean up by qualified, competent companies.
Infections typically occur by inhaling the pathogenic spores. Therefore, bird droppings are most dangerous when they are dry and subject to becoming airborne as a fine dust, particularly when disturbed by sweeping or scraping. Safe cleanup is based on protection from spore inhalation and minimization of spore dispersal.
So what would it mean for you? The following guidelines will help protect the workers and those around them.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Wear disposable coveralls, gloves, boots, and hats to protect personal clothing from contamination with infective organisms. Seal the glove/sleeve and boot/leg interfaces with duct tape before entering the worksite.
When working with accumulated droppings, a full face respirator with high efficiency particulate air filters capable of excluding particles of 0.3 micron size or a supplied air respirator with full face piece. Dust and particle masks will not provide adequate protection and are not approved for this use.
Suppression of airborne particles
Although droppings are usually easier to clean up when they are dry and crusted, saturating them with water prior to removal is recommended to prevent the debris and any pathogens from becoming airborne. This should be done with a low-velocity mist spray. Using high pressure and/or a concentrated stream, such as from a hose nozzle, may scatter the droppings before they can be adequately wetted.
Collective Protection - remove people from the area of risk.
Program the removal when the building or sealed portion of the building is unoccupied. Protect interior air by closing all heating and cooling system air intakes during the cleanup (shut down the entire system if possible). Barriers and signage must be installed to ensure people are clear of the work site during all operations.
Disposal
This must be carried out at an appropriate site with the droppings contained in sealed double bags and clearly marked with contents.
Fire Risk prosecution appeal dismissed
An appeal by a well known high street retailer against its record £400,000 fine for fire safety breaches at its Oxford Street store was dismissed yesterday, with the Court of Appeal saying the fine was not excessive in view of the company’s “lamentable” performance of fire safety duties.
While maintaining that the principles of setting the level of fines under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were similar to those for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the court said the trial judge was right to recognize “that the nature of the risk that employees and others were to be protected was the risk from death or serious injury in a fire. Fire can be indiscriminate in its effect and, in the case of an organization which in the centre of a large city undertakes responsibility for large numbers of visitors to its premises; breach will usually be a very serious matter.”
Make sure that your business has up to date Fire Risk Assessments and has acted to eliminate, reduce or manage risk accordingly - BSA are happy to advise on what needs to be done.
CRANE MAST FAILURES
HSE Safety alert ref: FOD 4-2010 dated 24th June 2010
Crane failures are comparitively rare and won't affect many Hi Viz readers but when they happen, the consequences can be appalling.
The HSE are aware of two crane mast failures in which faulty mast section spigots were implicated. The most recent incident involved a crane in London in April 2010. Metallurgical tests undertaken on the London crane showed that the spigot failed catastrophically in brittle fracture from a small fatigue crack. The tests have shown that the failed spigot did not meet the performance characteristics specified for the component. It is believed that there was a flaw in the heat treatment process during the manufacture of the spigot. Whilst investigations continue to isolate the cause of the problem, as a precaution all spigots manufactured between 1 November 2006 and 28 Feb 2007 are suspected of being substandard and subject to the remedial action outlined in the HSE safety alert.
Specific details of affected cranes, sections and spigots:
Figure 1 gives an example of the spigot number (above the hole on the right hand end). The potentially affected spigots are in the ranges 3086* to 3496* and 0037* to 0577* - the letter on the end of the reference number is irrelevant for identification.
Figure 2: Locations of batch numbers
K600 and K800 series mast sections manufactured between 1 November 2006 and June 2007 (when spigot stocks were exhausted) are in scope. Each mast section has a unique identification number known as a PIN number. See figure 2 for details of where to find the number. The numbers for mast sections produced in this time period are in the range 80323 - 103784.
Action required:
Stored Mast Sections
Identify and record mast PIN numbers and full spigot numbers (including the letter at the end) for all K600 or K800 series mast sections. Any with spigot numbers in the range specified should be withdrawn from stock immediately and quarantined.
In use Mast Sections
All erected Potain tower cranes should be scrutinized to identify any mast sections with PIN numbers in the specified range.
Any erected cranes with the relevant mast sections should be taken out of use immediately and arrangements should be made to either dismantle the crane sufficiently to view spigot numbers on all relevant mast sections. Record all spigot serial numbers and, where they are in the potentially affected range, take the mast section out of service and quarantine, or weld additional sections in accordance with the specification provided by Manitowoc Cranes.
For full details please refer to the HSE safety alert FOD 4-2010at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/towercranes.htm?ebul=safbul/24-jun-10&cr=1
K600 and K800 series mast sections are only used on MD,MDT and MR series cranes.
