Health & safety bulletin
Checking deliveries
21st September 2007
Xmo Strata recently had a near miss on a petrol filling station involving an Xmo Veritas electrician and a Heras fencing panel. If it was not for the fact that he was wearing his safety glasses, as specified in the company’s site rules, he could have been blinded in one eye.
Whilst setting out the barriers that were left stacked against the container he picked up one of the fence panels. Protruding from the panel was a single piece of wire mesh which caught him on the lens of his safety glasses; compliance with our site rules ensured that he was unhurt and only the safety glasses were scratched.
The circumstances surrounding the near miss were fully investigated and as a result all site operatives have been given a TBT on checking deliveries and checking equipment that may be subject to vandal damage when left overnight.
It is very important that all Xmo Strata engineers learn from this and pay extra attention to all plant and materials delivered to a site or left overnight, never presuming that it will always be 100% perfect or in good working order. If simple rules are followed, the risk of accidents or incidents involving Xmo Strata staff, site staff or the general public can be dramatically reduced.
Guidelines for checking deliveries
Fully inspect all Heras fencing panels for loose or broken mesh or twisted and damaged frames. If it is damaged, reject it. After you have inspected all components i.e. panels, feet and clips, then sign the delivery note writing on it the quantity and the reason the items have been rejected ……do not take the risk! When you return after having left the site, do the same again.
If a MEWP is delivered to a site you must carry out all of the function and safety checks in accordance with IPAF regulations and Xmo Strata site safety rules. If you find a defect / fault then inform your supervisor immediately of what the defect / fault is; ask the driver to wait until you have done so and an instruction is given. If the MEWP is already on site when you arrive, then carry out all checks immediately and inform your supervisor of any faults/defects found. When site works are completed and MEWP is off-hired, please ensure it is left in a safe place that does not obstruct the site or any of its facilities, making sure that the work area is clear of any rubbish or debris.
Site containers should also be checked for faulty doors or damage; take photos of any damage and inform your supervisor immediately. When site work is complete and the container has been off-hired, please ensure that the inside has been fully swept, the padlock and key are left inside, and the container is closed.
The same rules apply to signware deliveries. Fully check all items and photograph any damaged items whilst they are still on the vehicle (if possible with the wrapping still intact), then take a photo of the damaged item at ground level. Inform your supervisor/project manager of all items damaged and note these items on the delivery note. We will be liable for the cost of the replacement items if we do not report at the time.
If you receive a delivery and feel something is unsafe or dangerous then reject it immediately. Xmo Strata will never ask you to use unsafe equipment or work in conditions that may affect your safety or others around you.
The incident involving the fence panel could have been avoided if the site operatives had followed those simple rules and the consequences could have been much more severe. Let’s use this to raise our awareness and make sure we never have a similar incident.