Between September 14th and October 9th this year, the Health and Safety Executive will be carrying out random inspections of refurbishment sites across the country. This is the 10th year in a row the HSE has undertaken such an initiative, and the aim is to ensure that dangerous activities, especially those risking the health of workers, are being properly managed.

What is the HSE looking for?

Ultimately, the HSE is looking for any failure in safeguarding the health and well-being of people working in refurbishment sites. More specifically, these hazards will be high on the agenda:

  1. Any jobs that require working at height must be planned properly with adequate precautions in place. The use of mobile towers, scaffolding and powered access platforms will be looked at carefully to make sure all safety procedures are followed and no workers are put at risk of injury or falling.
  2. Where asbestos is found or must be disposed of, workers must be given the proper asbestos removal training so they can deal with it appropriately.
  3. Other dangerous and toxic substances such as silica must also be controlled, reducing the risk of silicosis.
  4. Staff must not be put in danger of ill health caused by excessive noise or vibration, and manual handling must also be carried out properly in order to avoid injury.
  5. Any equipment being used must be correctly assembled or installed, with pre-use checks and subsequent inspections and maintenance being scheduled properly.
  6. All sites must be well organised and laid out with safety in mind, with stairs and walkways being clear of any trip or fall hazards. Any areas where vehicles may be used must be designated with pedestrian zones.

This is not a comprehensive list, as the HSE will be sure to spot anything which breaches health and safety regulations of any kind. The HSE also wishes to raise awareness of various safety issues in the construction industry with this initiative, as well as demonstrating that it will fully employ its powers of prosecution if serious breaches are found.

Learning from past mistakes

During inspections in 2013, a national interiors refurbishment company by the name of Newman Scott fell foul of the site inspectors and ended up being prosecuted for the dangerous use of a mobile scaffold tower by a subcontractor. After this experience, the company fully restructured its health and safety program, resulting in better communication, training and competency.

Despite having relatively good health and safety procedures in place, not all were being followed and this was what resulted in the prosecution. The HSE and Newham Scott have subsequently worked together to show how a company can learn from its previous errors, and establish an extremely high quality safety program.

Training

When it comes to safety in the workplace, especially the construction industry, the first step to a safe environment is training. Whether the issue at hand is working at height, dealing with asbestos, using mobile scaffold towers or powered access platforms, proper training is essential through fully qualified and accredited ipaf training providers.