14Linc

safeSpring Safely into 2014 Latest Training Courses

We Spring into 2014 by listing the Open courses we are currently running in March at Lincsafe.

If attending an Open course at Lincsafe is not convenient for you or your operatives, we are able to present the course at a location nearer to you i.e. either at your premises or at a venue to suit you.

We are increasingly fi nding that clients/individuals have allowed their certifi cation to lapse with the consequence of unnecessary expense being encountered to attend a full course again if certifi cation is desired. Therefore, please check carefully the date which your certifi cation i.e. SMSTS, IOSH or UKATA expires and book your place before it runs out.

SSSTS Refresher 1 Day 28th March

SMSTS Refresher 2 day open course - 7th & 8th April

SMSTS Initial 5 day course - 24th,25th,26th,31st March & 1st April

UKATA Asbestos Awareness Training - March 27th

http://lincsafe.co.uk/2014/02/lincolnshire-courses-dates-in-2014/

Are you still displaying an old health and safety law poster? Don’t forget, the life of the old 1999 version comes to an end on 5 April 2014. After that date, employers must either give their staff a copy of a pocketcard or leafl et – both of which are free to download from HSE’s website. If they prefer, they can display the newer version of the poster. The poster and leafl et are available in a range of formats as part of HSE’s commitment to make health and safety information more accessible. Employers have a legal duty to display the poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the leafl et.

You can download the free pocketcard and leafl et, or buy the newer version of the poster at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/lawposter.htm or from Lincsafe (H&S) Ltd.

Latest Training CoursesLatest Training Courses

We Spring into 2014 by listing the Open courses we are currently running in March at Lincsafe.

If attending an Open course at Lincsafe is not convenient for you or your operatives, we are able to present the course at a location nearer to you i.e. either at your premises or at a venue to suit you.

We are increasingly fi nding that clients/individuals have allowed their certifi cation to lapse with the consequence of unnecessary expense being encountered to attend a full course again if certifi cation is desired. Therefore, please check carefully the date which your certifi cation i.e. SMSTS, IOSH or UKATA expires and book your place before it runs out.

SSSTS Refresher 1 Day 28th March

SMSTS Refresher 2 day open course - 7th & 8th April

SMSTS Initial 5 day course - 24th,25th,26th,31st March & 1st April

UKATA Asbestos Awareness Training - March 27th

http://lincsafe.co.uk/2014/02/lincolnshire-courses-dates-in-2014/

UPDATE

HSE PROSECUTIONSEvery month we try to highlight issues sourced from differentindustries, below are this months selection.....

2013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited

Firm fi ned for unsafe Oxfordshire scaffolds

A scaffolding fi rm has been fi ned for dangerous scaffold installations at sites in Wantage and Oxford.

Workers and passing members of the public alike were placed at risk because of faults with the structures, which included missing ties, bracing and vehicle impact protection.

West Hagbourne-based ASW Scaffolding Limited was prose-cuted today (3 February) after the defi ciencies were identi-fi ed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard that the fi rst unsafe scaffold was installed in Grove Street, Wantage, in July 2012, to support the refurbishment of a retail unit.

When HSE inspectors visited the site on 17 July they found a lack of ties and missing ledger bracing, which are de-signed to provide support and rigidity. The scaffold was also

lacking vehicle impact protec-tion, which was vital at the lo-cation in question because the scaffold was on a very narrow street and could easily have been struck by a passing car. This in turn could have caused it to fall into the street.

HSE worked with Oxfordshire County Council to highlight the faults because the scaffold did not comply with a street licence that had been granted for the structure.

Satisfactory remedial work subsequently took place, but on 28 March 2013 a passing HSE inspector witnessed un-safe activity on another ASW scaffold on Banbury Road in Oxford.

On this occasion an employee was working on a partially-completed structure with no guard rails or other safety features to prevent a fall.

A Prohibition Notice was immediately served to stop any further work until it was made safe.

ASW Scaffolding Limited, of West Hag-borne, south Oxfordshire, was fi ned a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay £5,438 in costs af-ter pleading guilty to single breaches of the Health

and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

After the hearing, HSE Inspec-tor John Caboche commented:

“The faults we identifi ed at the Wantage installation should have been immediately obvi-ous from a simple check after it was erected, which is vital to ensure that everything is in place and as it should be.

“The scaffold lacked rigidity and could have been hit by a passing vehicle, putting work-ers and passers-by in danger had it come down.

“With regard to the Oxford structure, the standards for safe working at height are well known within the scaffold-ing industry. The failings here were compounded by a sen-ior member of the company’s management seemingly turn-ing a blind eye. He was on site at the time but did nothing to prevent the scaffolder working in this way.

“Both scaffolds fell short of the required safety standards and posed a clear risk.” 1

http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/fi rm-fi ned-for-unsafe-oxfordshire-scaffolds/

A trust providing housing and care for the elderly and two fi rms hired to carry out refurbishment work at its premises in Alnwick have been fi ned after staff and residents were put at risk of expo-sure to asbestos.

West Yorkshire fi rm Express Elevators Ltd was contracted by Anchor Trust to replace the lift at St Paul’s Court sheltered housing scheme in Novem-ber 2012. PC Lifts, of London, was subcontracted to remove the existing lift ahead of the new one being installed.

The lift shaft contained asbestos boards, which PC Lifts removed without putting any measures in place to prevent the spread of asbestos fi bres.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today (6 February) told Bedlington Magistrates’ Court that Anchor Trust had a duty as the client to ensure that arrangements made for managing the lift re-placement were suitable, and ensured there was no risk to health.

They failed in this duty as they provided Express Elevators Ltd with confl icting information and, although an asbestos survey was provided, it was not suffi ciently accurate or detailed enough for the work being carried out.

The HSE investigation found that Express Eleva-tors Ltd failed in its duty to plan and manage the work as it did not make adequate inquiries about the presence of asbestos. The company relied on

verbal information from Anchor and although it received the survey, no reference was made to it before work began.

PC Lifts was also found not to have made ad-equate inquiries and to have worked in the lift shaft without adequate lighting. These factors may have contributed to the company’s failure in identifying the asbestos. Asbestos boards were broken out from the top of the lift shaft, but no measures were put in place to prevent the spread of asbestos fi bres through the building.

The combined failures of all three parties led to the unsafe removal of the asbestos and the po-tential spread of asbestos fi bres, which exposed residents and others to a potential risk to their health.

Anchor Trust, of Bedford Street, London, was fi ned £10,000 and ordered to pay £346.40 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regula-tion 9(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Man-agement) Regulations 2007.

Express Elevators Ltd, of Otley Road, Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire was fi ned £8,000 with £827.30 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 13(2) of the same legislation.

PC Lifts Ltd, of St John Street, London, was fi ned £4,000 with £346.40 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 16 of the Control of Asbes-tos Regulations 2012.1

1 http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/housing-trust-and-two-fi rms-

2013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 01673876150

http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/housing-trust-and-two-fi rms-

Housing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos riskHousing trust and two fi rms fi ned for potential asbestos risk

West Yorkshire school in court overclimbing wall fall

AA Bradford grammar school has been fi ned after a PE equipment manager suffered multiple fractures when he fell nine metres from a climbing wall.

Stephen Painter, 30, from Haworth, was just days away from becoming a father when the incident happened at Thornton Grammar School on 3 November 2011. He broke a forearm and elbow, fractured two vertebrae and bit through his tongue.

A prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors identifi ed serious safety failings at the school.

Bradford Magistrates heard today (19 Feb) that Mr Painter, who looked after resources and equipment in the PE department, had gradually got more involved in helping out with student lessons and had learned the basics of climbing a rigged wall and belaying techniques.

He was working his way up the wall to rig it for a lesson by threading the rope through anchor points. A colleague on the ground was belaying to provide added rope when needed, but minimising the amount of loose rope, which means a slip would only mean a drop of a short distance for the climber.

However, the technique failed and Mr Painter fell during the rigging, hitting the gym fl oor below. There were no mats or padding and he was not wearing a helmet.

The court was told HSE found the management of the wall and the safety system regarding it was almost none existent; the competence of the staff using it and providing instruction to others was an after-thought and not effectively put in place.

It was two months before Mr Painter was able to help his wife with their fi rst baby after she was born just eight days after his fall.

Thornton Grammar School, of Leaventhorpe Lane, Bradford, was fi ned £5,000 and ordered to pay £7,500 in costs after admitting breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. 1

1 http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/west-yorkshire-school-in-court-over-climbing-wall-fall/

Health and Safety Executive - Safety Alert

Bulletin No: FOD 1 - 2014

Issue Date: 4 February 2014

Target Audience: Agriculture, Construction, Engineering, Enter-tainment and Leisure, Manufacturing (general), Others

Key Issues: An operator was killed when a Genie Z135/70 mobile elevating work platform became unstable and overturned whilst it was working at or very close to its maximum height. In order to minimise the risks of overturn, the machine safety devices and sensors must be confi gured as per manufacturer’s settings, as prescribed by the manufacturer in their Safety Bul-letin 130005 dated 29th July 2013. HSE recommends confi rmatory checks of the calibration before platform elevation.

Introduction: The purpose of this safety alert is to advise owners and users of steps to be taken to control risks associated with the Genie Z135/70 Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) following preliminary fi ndings for a machine overturn. More information may follow in due course.

The emerging fi ndings from the HSE investigations indicate that the operational stability of a Genie Z135/70 MEWP may be compro-mised by the incorrect measurement of the boom angle sensors.

Background: In order to prevent the Z135/70 model machine operating outside its stability limits, the onboard control system monitors the elevation of the secondary boom to prevent it from telescoping outwards until its elevation is suffi cient, as required by the manufacturer (greater than or equal to 75.5°).

The MEWP’s onboard control system relies on the correct setting of the elevation of each boom to maintain the effective operational stability of the machine.

Genie, the manufacturer issued a Safety Notice on 29th July 2013, which required the immediate removal of all Z135/70 MEWP’s from service until the listed inspections therein had been performed.

Action required: The manufacturer’s safety notice should be followed. Any machines for which the required calibration checks have not been completed should be removed from service. Fol-lowing the completion of checks, the machines should continue to be inspected, serviced and maintained as per the manufacturer’s requirements.

Work regarding the manufacturer’s safety notice should only be carried out in accordance with the recommendations in the machine service manual i.e. on fi rm level ground, with suitable environmen-tal conditions etc.

Prior to any functional checks being undertaken by an operator using the platform controls, as part of the manufacturer’s listed inspections, calibration of the angle sensors should be confi rmed from ground level using an inclinometer. The use of test weights might also be appropriate.

Relevant legal provisions: Sections 2 & 3 of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Regulations 5, 6 & 20 of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

References: Genie Safety Bulletin 130005 dated 29th July 2013 PDF link to external website

Further information: Terex Genie website link to external website

General note: Please pass this information to a colleague who may have or use this equipment. 1

1 http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/mewp-genie-z135-70.htm

Preventing catastrophic failure of luffi ng jib tower cranes in high windsHealth and Safety Executive - Safety Alert

Bulletin No: FOD 2 - 2014Issue Date: 20 February 2014Target Audience:Tower crane owners and users, Construction, En-gineering, Entertainment and Leisure, HID, Manufacturing, Nuclear, OffshoreKey Issues: Placing luffi ng jib tower cranes in a safe out of service conditionIntroduction:Following the recent collapse of three luffi ng jib tower cranes in high winds, HSE is making this information available to tower crane users as supplementary guidance to that contained in BS7121 Part 5:2006, Code of practice for safe use of cranes -Tower cranes. This information is issued without prejudice to any ongoing investigations.HSE is using this alert to remind those who operate tower cranes that when left unattended in the out-of service condition, luffi ng jib cranes must be in free slew with the jib at a safe out-of- service radius.

Background:HSE has identifi ed that some tower crane users have not been releasing the slew brake and/or placing the jib at the correct out of service radius, when leaving cranes out of service and unattended.

If luffi ng jib cranes are left out of service with the slew brake engaged and/or the jib parked at too small a radius, there is a possibility the crane may not be able to weathervane freely in high winds. This could result in very high loadings being placed on the crane with the consequential collapse of the jib or the whole crane.

Action required:Users mustEnsure they have the most accurate, up to date information for the specifi c crane they are operating by discussions or correspondence with the supplier or manufacturer as some manufacturers have recently changed their guidance;Check that such information includes the correct minimum out of service radius for the specifi c crane they are operating with the supplier or manufacturer;Check both after erection and periodically in service, the function of the device that releases the slew brake and places the crane in free slew;Check both after erection and periodically in service, that the condi-tion of the slew drive motors, gearboxes and slew ring bearing has not deteriorated to the extent that the crane is prevented from slewing freely;Check both after erection and periodically in service, the setting and function of any devices that warn the operator that the crane jib has not been left parked at the correct out of service radius and/or the slew brake has not been released;Ensure that operators have been provided with instructions on how the crane should be placed in free slew and the correct radius at which the jib should be positioned when leaving the crane unat-tended. This should include measures to routinely check that the operators understand and are following the instructions provided;Undertake periodic checks that the buildings under construction, other cranes or high reach plant are not preventing the crane from free slewing. Consideration needs to be given to both front jibs and rear counter jibs.

Relevant legal provisions:Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998,Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999References:BS7121 Part 5:2006, Code of practice for safe use of cranes -Tower cranes

Construction Plant Hire Association guidance (www.cpa.uk.net link to external website)

Best Practice Guide – Maintenance, Inspection and Thorough Ex-amination.Tower Crane Operator’s Handbook; Tower Crane Out of Service Wind Speeds; Leaving Tower Cranes Out-of-Service When Other Cranes Are Working on Multiple Tower Crane Sites.

Further information: Health and Safety ExecutiveGeneral note:Please pass this information to a colleague who may have or use this equipment.2 2 http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/luffi ng-jib-tower-cranes.htm

Preventing catastrophic failure of luffi ng jib tower cranes in high winds

HSE ALERTSNeed to Knownews...

2013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502013 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 01673876150

Genie Z135/70 Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP)