Health & safety bulletin
Revised site rules
27th February 2007
The following rules are designed to enforce and educate our workforce to latest statutory regulations and Company policy.
- The lead installer allocated a job site is deemed to be the person in charge of all other persons either directly or indirectly employed by the company on that site, the lead installer must give this safety bulletin (and others sent to him) as a TBT to all persons, prior to commencing work and ensure that it is signed and dated by them.
- Safety helmets, safety glasses, gloves, hi-visibility vests and ankle high steel toe cap boots must be worn at all times on all contracts.
- Hearing protection must be worn when noise levels exceed 85dB (when you have to raise your voice to be heard by somebody 2m away). Where noise levels exceed 95dB (noise at a night club bar), double protection must be used, i.e. both ear plugs and ear muffs. If you have any doubts about the sound levels on any site, or whilst using any plant / equipment, contact your supervisor.
- All plant and machinery must NOT be moved unless one of team acts as the banksmen and 360° sightlines are kept – this rule applies to the reversing of any vehicle. Do not allow ANY Xmo Strata / Xmo Veritas, Sub Contractor or Supplier’s vehicle to enter the site blindly.
- Always isolate plant, lock up containers and waste skips, and leave keys in the shop (note shop persons name who keys handed to).
- All plant or machinery is to be operated within an exclusion zone, within a fenced off area – always maintain a physical barrier between workplace and site traffic.
- Always ensure 600mm distance between moving machinery and a fixed obstruction (trapping hazard) – if unable to fence off, restrict the free passage of persons / third parties by placing a person to act as a guard. When raising a scissor lift or cherry picker under a soffit, be aware of the trapping hazard that may be present. The lead installer must nominate a person to operate the equipment; the nominated person will not operate the plant unless all other persons are clear of any pinch point.
- Some sites are declared a high fire risk due to free passage of persons across the site. In these circumstances, closed waste skips will be sent to site – always keep these doors shut and locked. Always keep paper and other flammable materials in the lockable container. If an open skip has been sent to site, store the waste paper out of sight and dispose into the skip just before it is removed from site.
- Always complete a Work at Height Checklist before working on any access equipment at a height over 2m from the ground. This includes steps, ladders, MEWPs, Towers, Scaffolds etc.
- Do not use a scaffold until the erection company has issued a handing over certificate, or has fitted a plastic label (Scaff Tag) onto the scaffold clearly stating all is in order for use. Scaffolds are required by law to be inspected by the subcontracting company every 7 days after completion. If a scaffold is to be erected onto a footpath, contact your immediate supervisor and ensure adequate signage is arranged for safe passage of pedestrians – if in doubt or you envisage danger to pedestrians, do not erect the scaffold.
- Smoking and use of mobile phones are banned from all areas within a petrol forecourt – ensure subcontractors and delivery drivers are made aware of this danger.
- Smoking is banned in all company offices, storage units, sites and vehicles.
- Only authorised persons are allowed to drive company vehicles. Whilst driving, operating a mobile phone is not permitted, however the second crew member can use the telephone without distracting the driver.
- All QA / Safety forms deemed by the company to be necessary for your duties must be completed on time, and at the required frequency.
- No persons should direct lifting operations (MID etc) of any kind whatsoever unless approved, trained and certified by the company.
- Sherpa-scopic or Sherpa-matic step ladders have been issued to all crews for gaining access. Conventional type step ladders of any height are banned from general day to day usage; these steps are to be handed in to your supervisor.
- Pole / Telescopic type ladders may only be used for access / egress purposes, or for inspection purposes, and then only when another person is holding the bottom section, or the ladder is lashed to a structure at a high level.
- Delivery drivers and subcontractors must be instructed to wear the minimum PPE. i.e.; helmets, hi-vis vests and adequate footwear. Subcontractors carrying out works i.e. scaffolders etc must be given this Safety Bulletin as a tool box talk prior to commencing work. Any subcontractor not wearing the required minimum PPE must be told to stop work and leave the site immediately. Drivers not leaving the confines of the vehicle cab are not required to wear PPE.
- Do not work within close proximity of mobile phone masts within MID Pole Signs (radiation / micro-wave danger). Contact your immediate supervisor for details on how to arrange isolation. Note some oil companies have up to 20% of MIDs fitted with these antennas.
- Do not work within 9mts of electricity cables slung off wooden telegraph poles or within 15m of cables attached onto steel power pylons – if in doubt, ask - don’t work!
- All manhole chambers (electrical or sewerage etc), vehicle inspection pits, petrol storage tanks or other type of enclosed chamber are designated as confined spaces particularly on petrol forecourts. Do not enter these areas for any reason whatsoever – contact your immediate supervisor if you are asked to do so.
- No walking on the canopy, shop roofs or climbing inside of the canopy void space is permitted.
- The operation of combustion engines and / or electrical drills / plant is to cease whilst fuel tankers are present on site.
- All lead installers must ensure vans carry a spills kit, 2kg dry powder fire extinguisher and a general standard first aid kit.
- Always report and sign into the forecourt shop, ascertaining any emergency procedures (muster points), welfare facilities and location of the forecourt fire fighting equipment prior to commencing work on any petrol station.
- All first aid accidents, no matter how small must be reported and entered into the accident book.
- Wearing of a harness is compulsory when operating a cherry picker or scissor lift type machine; this includes vehicle mounted working platforms.
- Be aware of substances that you suspect to be Asbestos, if in doubt stop work and contact your immediate supervisor. Always check the site asbestos register before working in any area that could contain asbestos.
- Please report to your immediate supervisor all near misses. These events are defined as an unplanned event that, given slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in loss, damage or injury.
- The lead installers are responsible for ensuring the company vehicle minimum daily checks are carried out in regard to: lights and brakes functional test, tyre tread within limits, spare tyre ready for use, oil & water level check, wash-wipers working. This information is to be summarised on the vehicle weekly check sheet list – Remember if none of the above are up to standard, report the condition to the Operations Manager and do not operate the vehicle.
- You may only drive vehicles over 3.5t GVW on the road if you have a valid driving license for such a vehicle (generally if you passed your standard driving test before the year 1997). However you may operate attached plant (i.e. truck mounted cherry pickers) when stationery.
- All goods received notes must be checked and signed upon receipt of the goods, and returned to the office weekly.