RESEARCH REPORT 204 - Health and Safety Executive

1 HSEH ealth & SafetyExecutiveHealth and Safety in refurbishment involving demolition and structural instability Prepared by Loughborough University and Milan Polytechnic for the Health and Safety Executive 2004 RESEARCH REPORT 204 HSEH ealth & SafetyExecutiveHealth and Safety in refurbishment involving demolition and structural instability Chimay Anumba and Dr. Barbara Marino Loughborough University Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3TU UK Arie Gottfried Milan Polytechnic Milan Italy Charles Egbu Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow G4 OBA UK The REPORT documents the findings of the RESEARCH project on Health and Safety in refurbishment projects involving partial demolition and structural instability . This final REPORT , completed in 2003, summarises the results and is substantiated by the intermediate reports covering work packages WP1 to WP5.

2 The REPORT identifies the main factors associated with Health and Safety issues on refurbishment sites and investigates the strategies adopted during refurbishment works involving demolition activities. A comparison between the practices in the UK and Italy was undertaken and a checklist for proactive management of Health and Safety on refurbishment projects was prepared. Based on the project s findings recommendations are made for further RESEARCH and for improvements in the industry practices. This REPORT and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.

3 HSE BOOKS Crown copyright 2004 First published 2004 ISBN 0 7176 2820 5 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to: Licensing Division, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ or by e-mail to ii Contents SYNOPSIS 1. INTRODUCTION .. 1 2. THE RESEARCH PROJECT .. 1 BACKGROUND .. 1 RESEARCH 2 CASE STUDIES .. 3 3. Health AND Safety FACTORS ON REFURBISHMENT SITES INVOLVING DEMOLITION ACTIVITIES AND TEMPORARY 3 DEMOLITION AND TEMPORARY WORKS IN REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS.

4 3 Health AND Safety KEY FACTORS IN THE DEMOLITION PROCESS .. 3 4. KEY ISSUES IN Health AND Safety MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR REFURBISHMENT 4 INVESTIGATION OF CURRENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR 4 PROJECTS .. 4 INVESTIGATION OF SELECTED UK AND ITALIAN REFURBISHMENT SITES .. 5 ANALYSIS OF HSE ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION REPORTS .. 6 IDENTIFICATION OF KEY ISSUES FOR Health AND Safety 6 STRATEGIES .. 6 5. KEY PROFESSIONAL ROLES IN THE Health AND Safety MANAGEMENT OF REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS .. 7 KEY FUNCTIONARIES IN REFURBISHMENT 7 CLIENT S KEY 7 THE TEMPORARY STRUCTURES 8 6. COMMUNICATION IN REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS .. 8 GENERAL FINDINGS .. 8 COMMUNICATION LEVELS IN A REFURBISHMENT 8 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .

5 9 REFERENCES:.. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. 12 iii APPENDICES Appendix 1 WP1 REPORT - Key factors associated with the high rate of Health and Safety incidence on refurbishment. Appendix 2 WP2/WP3 PRELIMANARY REPORT - Comparative studies of UK and Italian refurbishment sites involving demolition activities and structural alterations: Analysis of Health and Safety management strategies. Appendix 3 WP2/WP3 REPORT - Comparative studies of UK and Italian refurbishment sites involving demolition activities and structural alterations: Analysis of Health and Safety management strategies. Appendix 4 WP4 REPORT - Checklist of issues to consider and areas where further guidance is required. Appendix 5 WP5 REPORT - REPORT on recommendations for further RESEARCH .

6 Iv 1111 RESEARCH Project Health & Safety in Refurbishment Involving Demolition and Structural Instability 1. Introduction This REPORT documents the results of the Health and Safety Executive -funded RESEARCH project at Loughborough University on Health and Safety in Refurbishment Involving Demolition and Structural Instability . The aim of this REPORT is to summarise the findings of the RESEARCH project, drawing on the considerations and results developed in the intermediate reports covering work packages WP1 to WP5. In this context references to the related intermediate reports are provided. The first part introduces the main contents of the RESEARCH project illustrating the RESEARCH background, objectives and methodology and the case studies that have been investigated.

7 The next section discusses the key Health and Safety factors identified for refurbishment sites involving demolition activities and structural stability problems. Recommendations related to key issues to be considered for the implementation of Health and Safety management strategies in refurbishment projects is also documented. The RESEARCH work has highlighted the importance of proactive involvement of all the key functionaries for a better Health and Safety management of the whole refurbishment process. The REPORT documents the key responsibilities for all the figures identified in the refurbishment process; the competencies of new professional roles such as the Temporary Structures Co-ordinator are also illustrated.

8 Communication throughout the stages of a refurbishment project has been revealed to be one of the most important Health and Safety issues in such projects. This is discussed further in Section 6. The REPORT concludes with recommendations for further RESEARCH based on the results achieved from this project. 2. The RESEARCH Project Background The past 30 years have witnessed a significant increase in refurbishment works both in the UK and Italian construction industries1. Although neither the UK nor Italy differentiates between new construction and refurbishment accident data, statistics suggest that refurbishment, in its different interpretations, accounts for a substantial proportion of injuries and fatal accidents.

9 Recent provisional accident statistics provided by the HSE show that of construction fatalities occurred on refurbishment sites2. The increase in refurbishment activity, and the corresponding increase in accidents related to it, surprisingly was not accompanied by any relevant empirical RESEARCH especially in the management of Health and Safety . The new British Standard on Demolition, BS6187: 2000 is expected to lead to a more focused approach to demolition but the Health and Safety aspects of refurbishment works involving 1 For statistical data regarding refurbishment sector output see paragraph Refurbishment in the UK and Italian construction industry of the WP1 REPORT - Key factors associated with the high rate of Health and Safety incidence on refurbishment.

10 2 These data however do not specify if these sites included demolition activities or temporary works. 1 RESEARCH Project Health & Safety in Refurbishment Involving Demolition and Structural Instability demolition would still need to be addressed. Refurbishment works involving demolition and structural instability can be considered among the most dangerous activities to be undertaken on site and therefore in need of a rigorous Health and Safety management strategy. In this context the RESEARCH work focused on sites where demolition and structural instability are involved therefore whenever it will be referred to refurbishment sites it will imply the presence of demolition and structural instability3.