One of the main purposes of scaffolding is to enable construction workers or tradespeople to get to difficult to reach places so they can perform certain tasks, such as roofers carrying out repairs or window cleaners. When installed and used correctly, scaffolding is a great asset and helpful structure; however, it can also present many risks and dangers as a direct result of working at a height. There is an increased risk of serious or fatal injury from falling, there is the potential to be struck by falling tools, materials or debris and there is the danger of being close to overhead power l ..read more

As of Wednesday 13th of May, construction sites (as well as manufacturing, distribution, logistics and food production companies) were allowed to re-open as long as they are following strict social distancing guidance. The aim is to slowly phase out of lockdown so the country can start moving towards some semblance of normality whilst still controlling COVID-19 and keeping the number of new cases, and deaths, on the decline. The guidance provided by the Government is quite extensive so we have just picked out some of the key points, but it is important that you read the document for yourself h ..read more

The construction industry is a minefield of health and safety legislation and red tape which can make overseeing the safety of workers and members of the public particularly challenging. Even with your accreditation in place and your policy seemingly up to HSE standards, there are many health and safety issues that you are likely to face and won’t always have the answers to, or the time to manage alone. It’s a legal requirement for every workplace in the UK to have a competent person in place to help manage matters of health and safety from risk assessments to onsite audits. This competent pe ..read more

Chances are, you pass by at least a dozen scaffolding structures on your commute to and from work every day. We see them so often that we barely take note of them – but who are they for and why do they need them? There are a handful of jobs and activities within construction that require scaffolding for safety and accessibility reasons because, as discussed in our post ‘When Do You Need Scaffolding?‘, it has many purposes. Scaffolding for Home Improvements When a homeowner or landlord decides that they want to extend their kitchen, convert their loft or replace their rundown roof, more often ..read more

Working at height is one of the most dangerous workplace activities in the UK, resulting in 35 fatalities last year and equating to 28% of all workplace accidents. It presents a variety of different hazards for workers that would not typically be found when working at ground level and it has an increased probability of death or permanent physical injury due to its very nature. Therefore, it is so important to ensure that a thorough risk assessment is conducted before any work at height is carried out and that all workers are trained so that they can work safely. Identifying the potential haza ..read more

Contractors have a responsibility to safely manage the work that they are carrying out or overseeing for their clients. As part of this duty, there are several documents and accreditations that contractors need to ensure they have created and implemented before work begins; in some cases, contractors won’t even be considered for a job without these in place. SSIP Accreditation Safety Schemes in Procurement is an umbrella body for various assessment schemes with the aim of facilitating a mutual understanding and recognition between different health and safety schemes to ensure uniformity. The ..read more

Last month, Storm Gareth battered the UK with high winds that lasted for several days. As a result, a number of scaffolds collapsed and put many lives in danger. In light of multiple incidences, HSE issued a reminder to scaffolders of the importance of ensuring that scaffolding is safe and secure, directing them to the official HSE scaffold design checklist. The checklist is aimed to clarify when a scaffold design is required and what level of training and competence those erecting, inspecting and supervising the scaffolding operations need to have. It states that: ‘it is the scaffold users/hi ..read more

As the seasons change, so do some of the types of health and safety hazards that you will face on a construction site. In a previous blog post, Scaffolding Safety for Autumn/Winter, we looked at some of the risks that the colder weather and darker days brought with it such as slippery surfaces, weathering of scaffolding and lower visibility. But now that spring is officially up on us, what hazards should we be more wary of as the things start to heat up for the next few months. Sunburn and Heatstroke Now that the days are longer, and warmer, you will be exposed to the sun at far higher UV lev ..read more

Construction sites are highly dangerous and often busy places of work, and as well as having a duty of care for the workers on site, you are also responsible for the safety of any visitors. This can be a huge task in itself. Builders are responsible for protecting all visitors, from material suppliers to home purchasers and their families, whilst they are onsite. This means that there may be people within your care who are less informed on health and safety hazards on construction sites making them more vulnerable than your workers who are onsite every day. A thorough and regular risk assessm ..read more

Scaffolding inspections are a legal requirement for all scaffolding under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. This falls under the responsibility of the scaffold users / those hiring the scaffolding; therefore, it is important that you understand how scaffolding inspections work to ensure the safety of your workers and the compliance of your construction project. What is a scaffolding inspection? A scaffolding inspection is a careful examination of any erected scaffolding to ensure that it is safe to work on for both the safety of construction workers and passers-by.  An inspection s ..read more