HealthandSafety Advicefor Scaffolders - CITB - Home

1 Hea lt h and Sa fetyAd vi ce forSc aff ol der sWhereth ere are uns afe actsillustrated in the phot ographs- the sce na ri os werere -cre atedfor il lust rationpur pos es and no one wasput at risk at any time .1 ContentsIntroduction2 Scaffolders4 Healthand SafetyLaw5 Healthand SafetyOn Site8 Healthand SafetyTraining10 Trainingand Qualificationsfor Scaffolders12 ScaffoldingDesign14 ScaffoldingSupervision15 Workingat Heights17 Rescue18 FallingObjects19 Slips,Tripsand Falls20 AccessEquipment& WorkingPlatforms21 Scaffolding21 Ladders22 AlloyTowerScaffolds23 MobileElevatedWorkingPlatforms(Mewp)

2 25 WorkingoverWater26 ManualHandling28 Electricity30 Health,Hygieneand WelfareFacilities31 HandHygiene32 Chemicals/ Dermatitis33 WorkRelatedAsthma34 Dustand FlyingParticles36 Asbestos37 Powerand HandTools38 Hand-armVibrationSyndrome(Havs)39 Noise41 Struckor CrushedBy MovingVehicleson Site42 Sun Exposure43 Slingingand LoadHandling44 SafetyCriticalWork45 WorkRelatedStress47 Safetyin ConfinedSpaces49 Safetyin and WorkingaroundExcavations51 PersonalProtectiveEquipment53 Fire54 FirstAid55 CITB-ConstructionSkillsNI562 Thisbookletis part of a rangethat havebeenproducedby CITB-ConstructionSkillsNI to provideadviceandguidanceon Healthand Safety& trainingissuesrelatingto personsworkingin the ConstructionIndustrysuchas Bricklayers,Joiners,Roofers,Plasterers, Painters& Decorators, ConstructionOperatives.

3 PlantOperatorsand Scaffolderswiththe aim of helpingto eliminateand reducethe risk of,accidents,injuryand bookletsare in an easyto use pocket-sizeformatand will be agoodreferencepointto bothexistingand newentrantsworkingin theindustryand will alsoprovideadviceto supervisors,managersanddirectorsto helpimprovehealthand safetyperformanceon safetyrisksyou mayfaceon site include: Exposureto Fallsfromheight Proximityto flammableor combustiblematerials Climbingstepsand workingplatforms Riskof eye injuryfromflyingparticlesand dust Cancerrisk fromExposureto asbestos Slipstripsand falls due to untidyworkarea Manualhandlingactivities Usingvarioustypesof equipmentand tools Moulds.

4 Fungiand bacteria Cutsand abrasions Struckmy machinery Lossof fingers/limbs Riskof painor injuryfromperformingrepetitivetasks Exposureto noise Struckby fallingobjects Handand foot injury Sun exposureINTRODUCTION3 Workingin the constructionindustryis bothrewardingand satisfyingbut as the abovelist showsyou couldbe exposedto variousrisksif thecorrectsafemethodsof workas describedin this bookletare variousHealth& Safetyrisksthat couldbe foundonyoursite,speakto yoursupervisoror person/sin chargeaboutwaysofeliminatingor reducingthoserisksand stayhealthyand a scaffolder, you providea valuableserviceto can be workingon alltypesof constructionprojects,includinghousing,fa ctories,offices,roads,bridges, will be workingat variousheightsand couldbe workingoverwater.

5 You couldbeworkingwithtubeand fittingduringyourlifetimeordifferenttype sof systemscaffoldingor followinglist givesa flavorof the potentialdiversetasksyou couldbe involvedin. Preparesite area Workingto plansand drawings Followingmanufacturersguidance Movingequipmentand materialsmanually Erectingdifferenttypesof scaffolding Workingin closeproximityto membersof the publicand otherbuildings Transportingequipment Slingingloads Accessingworkat height Usinghandand powertools Supervisingotheractivities Workingas a team Cleaningand storingequipment Usingharnessesand lanyards Inspectingscaffoldingfor defects Followingmethodstatementsand risk assessmentsAs statedyour role providesa valuableserviceto the constructionindustrybut in orderto

6 Sustainthis valuableserviceyou will needtohavereceivedadequatetrainingspecif icto yourworkto ensurethatyou worksafelyand withoutrisk to yourselfand others,trainingalsokeepsyou up to datewithcurrentHealth& Safetyto ensureyou followproperrecognisedprocedureson FF OL DE RSYourhealth,safetyand welfareat workare protectedby law, youremployerhas a dutyto protectyouand keepyou informedabouthealthand safetyand provideadequateinformation,instruction,t rainingand supervisionto enableyou to carryoutyourworkin a alsohavelegaldutiestoo as follows. Takereasonablecarefor yourownhealthand safetyand of otherwhomaybe affectedby yourworksuchas otherworkersormembersof the public Complywithinstructionsor controlmeasuressuchas the wearingof personalprotectiveequipment.

7 Co-operatewithyouremployeron healthand safetyand trainingrequirements. Correctlyuse and reportany defectson workequipmentprovidedby youremployerthis couldbe machinery,toolsor personalprotectiveequipment Do not interferewithor misuseanythingprovidedfor yourhealth,safetyor law in relationtotheirownHealthand Safetyand ensurethat theirworkdoesnot putothersat you thinkthereis a healthand safetyproblemon yoursite youshouldfirst discussit withyoursupervisor,H & S adviseror personin AL TH AN DSA FE TY LAW56 WORKINGAT HEIGHTREGULATIONSD utiesof personsat workEverypersonshall,whereworkingunderth e controlof anotherperson.

8 Reportto that personany activityor defectrelatingto workat heightwhichis likelyto endangerthe safetyof themselvesor any workequipmentor safetydeviceprovidedfor workat heightby theiremployer,or by a personunderwhosecontroltheywork,in accordancewithany trainingin the use of theworkequipmentor deviceconcernedwhichhavebeenreceived;and the instructionsrespectingthat use whichhavebeenprovidedby thatemployeror personin compliancewiththe requirementsandprohibitionsimposeduponth at employeror personby or Construction(Designand Management)Regulations(NorthernIreland)C DMThe updatedCDMregulationsplacea responsibilityon everyoneinvolvedin the constructionprocess,everyoneneedsto knowabouttheseregulationsand that.

9 Rolesand responsibilitiesAll thosewhoworkin the constructionindustryhavetheirpart to playlookingaftertheirownhealthand safetyand in improvingthe industry shealthand commonlyknownas duty-holders .Duty-holdersunderCDMare:Clients,CDMCo-O rdinators,Designers,Principal(main)Contr actor,Contractorsand Ensureyou onlycarryout constructionworkif you are competent Reportany defectthat you thinkmayendangerthe healthand safetyof yourself,otherpersonsor membersof the public. Co-operatewithothersand co-ordinateworkso as to ensureyourownhealthand safetyand otherswhomaybe affectedby the work.

10 Followsite healthand safetyrulesand :rolesand responsibilitiesOn all projectscontractorswill needto: Plan,manageand monitortheirworkand that of workers Checkthe competenceof all theirappointeesand workers Traintheirownemployees Provideinformationto theirworkers Ensureall workershavesite inductionsand any furtherinformationand trainingneededfor the work Ensurethat thereare adequatewelfarefacilitiesfor theirworkersThe CDMregsare supportedby an ApprovedCodeof Practice(ACoP).8A numberof initiativeshavebeenlaunchedtopromoteand improvegoodpracticeand byreducingaccidentsand ill improvethe healthofconstructionworkersin NorthernIrelandby:preventingworkrelatedi ll health.