Health & safety bulletin
Protecting your work area
19th October 2007
Analysis of Xmo Strata health and safety statistics shows that the highest proportion of near misses or incidents identified by its teams on site, and therefore the biggest risk of injury, relates to inadequate guards or barriers being used. Since 2004, incidents or near misses relating to inadequate guards or barriers equate to 26.1% of all incidents. In 2007, this is currently running at 27.6%.
On recent site audits, several teams have been observed and Xmo Strata management has tried to take the positives out of each. This has enabled senior management to share best practice with all staff.
Recommendations are as follows:-
- The safest and most visible rigid barrier that you have is your van, so where possible, try to shield yourself from oncoming traffic by using it as a barrier. By all means feel free to put cones and tape in front of the van as an added visible warning.
- Where possible, if you need to build a mobile scaffold tower, try to build it away from the line of main traffic flow (as shown below), where it is safer and causes less site disruption.
- When you position the tower to carry out the work, try to use the van to protect you from the area of most risk i.e. from the oncoming traffic, then use rigid barriers to protect you from traffic that may enter from the next highest area of risk, finally, use cones and tape as third choice in the area of least risk to totally isolate the working area from intrusion by others.
- If in any doubt whatsoever or you are unsure as to how to deal with any potential hazard, contact your supervisor; DON’T TAKE A CHANCE!
