You know that old saying… “no pain, no gain’”. Well this is not true! Just because you work in the construction industry doesn’t mean that you need to be affected by short or long term pain.
Aches and pains are some obvious symptoms of musculoskeletal disease (MSD), but have you thought about what impacts MSD are having on you outside of work in your personal life?
What if constantly performing the same repetitive movement all day is causing you acute pain that means you aren’t able to kick the football around with your kids after work, or play golf on the weekend with your mates? Do you really want your work to impact your personal life, or your workers lives when there are some simple steps that could prevent it from happening?
As a business owner have you thought about the hidden costs?
Data shows that strains and sprains often become more problematic later in a construction worker’s career, with the largest claims in the housing construction sector. Between 2015 and 2019, 57% of ACC claims were MSD injuries, with the average cost being $3700, and a total of 1.9 million compensation days paid out, costing a total of $325m!
There is a large range of costs that surface when someone has an injury on the job, especially when they can’t return to work the next day or sometimes weeks or months. This has a huge impact on deadlines, bottom line, skills on-site and team dynamics.
Risky work that can cause MSD’s can be as simple as overhead or floor level work, manual and hand intensive work.
Have you thought about other ways you could be working to alleviate the stress on your body? It could be as simple as:
It’s common practice when you work out, that you warm-up and cool down, so why is working any different?
Accepting the reality of MSDs helps us formulate an effective approach to combat MSDs in our
Industry. There are a lot of myths out there about MSD, such as its caused by poor manual handling techniques. The trouble with myths is they create unnecessary fear and hinder progress so they need to be challenged. Over time, new evidence emerges to help us understand the reality of the situation and
our understanding of MSDs has changed significantly over the years. For example Len Rings saying “Don’t use your back as a crane” is no longer repeated as we now know you need to move your spine through its whole range of motion regularly to keep it healthy and strong.
Check out CHASNZ top five MSD myths in construction.
Let’s do our bit and raise awareness on-site around MSD. Next week we will give you some exercises that you can do to avoid being affected by MSD and if you are hurt how physiotherapy can help you.
If you have any questions reach out the the HazardCo team
Mistakes or incidents can occur if machinery is not used correctly or by trained operators.
Training and supervision
Make sure your team has the right information, training, and instructions required for the task. Having the right people involved means workers will have the skills and experience needed to complete the job safely and the task hazards will be easily identified.
Workers should be adequately trained to operate machinery. To test this knowledge, workers should be monitored and assessed regularly against operating procedures.
Pre-start checks
Always check your equipment is fit for use at the beginning of each day.
A trained and competent machinery operator should be conducting a pre-start check before use. This gives you the certainty that your equipment is good to go for the day and won’t cause you any unexpected problems or delays. Things to check are:
Visual checks before turning the equipment on:
Stationary function test while equipment is on:
Moving function test:
We recommend using your manufacturer’s pre-operational check sheet and keeping these records with your equipment. Use of the HazardCo Heavy Machinery Prestart checklist will help you cover these specific checks.
Quick hitches, safety locks and exclusion zones
Quick hitches allow you to quickly and easily change buckets or attachments on your machinery. When using quick hitches and attachments you should always check the following:
Failing to check these could mean your bucket becomes detached or someone could get hit.
All quick hitches should clearly display the following information:
Safety locking pins need to meet the quick hitch manufacturer’s specifications and should be kept with the machinery or quick hitch device when not in use. Ensure that attachments are fitted with the correct pin centres and diameters.
Exclusion zones should be clearly marked out and all those working nearby should be informed. The hazards, risks and controls for machinery on-site should be covered in your job safety plan and shared with all on-site.
If you have any questions get in touch with the HazardCo Team today
Dust is a common hazard found in the construction industry, especially around demolition or refurbishment work. Demolition involves all different types of materials that could create hazardous dust (airborne contaminants), so understanding the risk your workers are exposed to will help you to identify how best to manage the risks.
Hazardous dust can cause a number of health conditions, including skin and eye infections, silicosis, lung cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). The effects of dust inhalation are not always immediately obvious, particularly when breathing it in, and can cause life long health issues or death.
Health and exposure monitoring
It is the businesses responsibility to have a process in place to monitor the health of their workers when exposed to health risks.
If you are finding that your workers health is deteriorating because of the work they are carrying out then it’s important to monitor their health. It can help identify whether the controls to manage hazardous dust are effective and are actually preventing harm. Health monitoring should include:
It is important that you get your worker’s consent to monitor their health and engage them in this process.
Health monitoring should be carried out by a trained and competent person. For more information or if you’d like to organise health monitoring for your business contact our partner Habit Health.
Controlling
Controls to minimise the exposure to dust in the workplace could include:
Making sure your workers have the right tools and information to complete the job safely includes training and understanding the risks involved, what to do if anything should go wrong, as well as the correct use, storage, and maintenance of PPE.
Other controls to consider are:
Use of the HazardCo Demolition task analysis template, available from the HazardCo HUB, will provide you with additional controls that may be suitable for your work.
Our team of health and safety experts are just a call away if you have any questions or would like to discuss further
Do you know what you need to do before you demolish or refurbish a property, building or structure? Find out what the asbestos regulations mean for you before doing any work.
Identifying Asbestos
Planning is key to identifying all potential hazards and the risks involved when doing any sort of demolition or refurbishment work. Asbestos can be found in buildings constructed or renovated before the year 2000 and as such it is more than likely to be present at your next job. You can find out more about where asbestos can be found in this WorkSafe resource.
Asbestos or asbestos containing material (ACM) must be identified and removed by a competent person before the demolition or refurbishment is started (unless demolition is required to gain access to the asbestos). Things to consider when planning your work:
If the competent person is unsure whether asbestos is present it must be assumed that it is and all steps taken to mitigate the asbestos risks. If asbestos is identified you must notify all parties involved such as the homeowner, landlord, occupant and/or the contractor in control of the site.
Asbestos Management Plan
Any works where asbestos has been identified will require an asbestos management plan. This outlines where any asbestos or ACM has been identified. Your plan must contain the following:
Other information may be included in the asbestos management plan, such as:
Emergency Planning
An emergency plan is required for demolition work where plant and structures contain asbestos. When developing the emergency procedure, you should consider:
The procedure should include:
The emergency procedure must be carried out if there is an emergency.
If the plant or structure is not structurally sound or is going to collapse, WorkSafe NZ should be notified as soon as possible.
Disposal of Asbestos
Before demolition starts, think of how you are going to dispose of the waste. Having a good waste containment and disposal process is just as important as having safe processes for working with asbestos.
Asbestos is considered special waste and special waste needs to be handled, buried, pre-treated or tested before it can be disposed of at the landfill. You need to make an application if you want to dispose of special waste.
Applications are often called special waste disposal declarations. Contact your local landfill to enquire about what they require before taking any material to them.
Not all landfills or transfer stations are authorised disposal sites, check with your local council to find out where your local authorised site is.
Double-bag all waste, all waste including single use masks and coveralls, cloths and plastic sheets should be double-bagged in heavy duty plastic bags. Twist the top of bags tightly, fold the necks over and seal with adhesive tape. Clearly mark the outer bag as asbestos waste.
Check with your receiving landfill for further details especially around handling details. There are often restrictions around how the material is offloaded.
If using skip bins or wheelie bins on site, be aware that many providers of these bins do not allow asbestos to be disposed of in them. Check your provider first for approval.
Document your disposal process in your Asbestos management plan and Asbestos Task Analysis (TA) considering the above.
As a HazardCo member you have access to a library of TA forms located in your Hub, which include demolition and the removal of non-friable asbestos for anything less than 10m2. Use of these resources will help you to identify the hazards and risks in your workplace and the recommended controls.
Our team of Health and Safety Advisors are here to help you with anything you are unsure of, give us a call on 0800 555 339, option 4.
Demolition is not just the knocking down of buildings or structures, it also includes smaller maintenance and renovation work such as the dismantling of parts of structures (e.g. one part of a steel-framed building) or the removal of walls.
When planning your works you need to first identify the hazards and manage the risks:
When demolition is involved there is always the potential for the collapse of the structures. Ensure structural / supporting elements are identified before demolition (you may need to seek structural engineers’ help identifying these, and in what order to take them down).
Make sure you have the following documents completed and available for your demolition work:
You can find these in your Templates Library in your Hub. You can login to your Hub here.
These should be tailored to the task at hand and regularly updated as changes occur.
If you have any questions reach out to the HazardCo team
With HazardCo, you don’t need to be on-site to know what’s happening. At the click of a button, the HazardCo Hub will show you who’s on-site, and it’s all available to you at any time, from anywhere.
It all works using a QR code:
Likewise, any H&S reports created on-site via the App are updated to the Hub straight away. This includes:
The QR code is the link between all on-site H&S activity and your project in the Hub. When you get everyone on-site using HazardCo’s digital system, you’ll always have a real-time view of the activity happening on your site, even when you can’t be there yourself.
With the HazardCo App, it’s as easy as picking up a smartphone to stay on top of on-site health and safety activity.
There are two key parts to the HazardCo system, the Hub and the App:
As the business owner, a lot of responsibility for H&S sits with you. However, with HazardCo’s digital system,you can add key team members to your Hub as App users, meaning any one of you can use the App to complete on-site H&S activity and those day-to-day tasks can be delegated or shared with others. All completed activity lands back in the Hub under your Project Overview, which you can review from anywhere and at any time.
The App features all of the key H&S activities you should be doing on-site, including Risk Assessment, Site Review, Toolbox Meeting, Vehicle Checklist, or Report an Incident. What’s more, if your subbies are also HazardCo members, they can use the App to scan onto your site and share any of their completed H&S activity directly to your Hub using the QuickShare feature on the App.
Learn more about all of the features on the HazardCo App and see just how straight forward it makes H&S for you and the team… this video overviews the HazardCo App, showing you all you need to know. Nothing beats the feeling of confidence you’ll get from being a HazardCo member.
Are you aware of when you need to notify WorkSafe NZ of your particular hazardous excavation works?
Conducting any of the following excavation works will mean you’ll need to complete this WorkSafe NZ online notification form:
It is expected that at least 24 hours notice is given prior to commencing such excavation works.
Notifying WorkSafe of your intended works allows them to gather statistics on the number of high-risk works going on around the country, and plan their use of resources to promote the prevention of harm.
Make sure you complete a Task Analysis for your high-risk works, you can access Task Analysis Templates from the Templates tab in your Hub. This will help you to identify the hazards, and the controls needed to minimise the risk to not only those involved in the works but all those working on the site.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your particular hazardous works please feel free to call our Advisory team on 0800 555 339, extension 4.
Excavation work generally involves heavy machinery hazards and the need to manage vehicle and foot traffic on-site. Making sure you understand these hazards and how best to minimise these risks is key to ensuring the safety of those working in and around excavations.
Pre-start checks
Always check your equipment is fit for use at the beginning of each day.
A trained and competent machinery operator should be conducting a pre-start check before use. This gives you the certainty that your equipment is good to go for the day and won’t cause you any unexpected problems or delays. Things to check are:
Visual checks before turning the equipment on:
Stationary function test while equipment is on:
Moving function test:
We recommend using your manufacturer’s pre-operational check sheet and keeping these records with your equipment. Use of the HazardCo Heavy Machinery Prestart checklist will help you cover these specific checks.
Traffic Management
Managing excavations risks also means managing the risks of other contributing factors such as traffic. Keeping vehicles and pedestrians clear of heavy machinery and excavation works could mean you’re going to need a traffic management plan. When putting your traffic management plan in place you’ll need to consider the following:
Having a traffic management plan in place and discussing this at the time of site inductions means everyone entering the site is aware of the site rules, safe practices, and expectations before commencing work.
Zone of Influence – Know your limits.
Heavy machinery, as its name suggests, is heavy and carries a lot of weight. If being operated too close to excavations it can affect the stability of your excavations causing them to collapse. All heavy vehicles, material, and spoil should remain out of the zone of influence plus a metre unless specific designs are in place showing it can support such weight-bearing.
Tip-over
Uneven and unstable grounds can often lead to machinery tip-over. Tip-overs can cause serious injuries or worse, fatalities. Know the ground conditions you are working with and make sure you are following the outlined safety rules for your site. Ensure the following points are considered:
If you would like more information or to chat with one of our friendly Advisory team please give us a call on 0800 555 339, extension 4.
Sources:
Plant & Machinery Pre-start Checklist – Your Complete Guide
Managing work site traffic
Traffic Management Forms
Excavator tip-overs
What is excavation work?
Moving or removing earth or other materials with tools or equipment is generally classed as excavation work. Excavations are used in a number of different situations, such as during the construction of buildings, building retaining walls, and installing underground utilities. It is important that when carrying out excavations that underground utilities are always identified first.
Some common types of excavations used in residential construction are cut and fill excavating, pile holes, potholing, and trench excavation:
Cut & Fill
Cut and fill excavation, also known as stripping excavation is the method used to clear and prepare large areas. This method involves removing all of the material such as rock, sand, and topsoil that would be unstable to work on.
Pile Holes
Pile holes are usually excavated using methods including backhoe digger, drilling or hydro excavation. Pile holes should be covered and barricaded as soon as possible and only those involved in the works allowed nearby. Water buildup should be monitored and pumped out.
Potholing
Potholing is simply a small excavation or hole to inspect and find underground services. It’s important that potholes are covered or barricaded when they are not being used to prevent anyone from being hurt.
Trenching
Trenching is an excavation method used to prepare or replace underground utilities, build retaining walls, or investigate what is beneath the surface.
Trenches are long narrow excavations, and are deeper than they are wide. Conducting trench excavation is subject to many different factors including its size, the likelihood of underground utilities, and materials. This means that the most effective method of excavation changes from project to project, and should always be treated with caution.
Due to the scale of some of these operations, it is common that they usually require large excavation vehicles and good controls around traffic management should be in place.
Managing the risk
No matter how deep the excavation is, if there is a risk of collapse, you need to carry out a Risk Assessment and put controls in place to prevent this, you can find our Task Analysis on excavation work in your Hub. Excavations work is classed as high risk, so it is important that if you are completing excavations, that you are familiar with the guidance in the WorkSafe Good Practice Guidelines for Excavations Safety.
Covering or bridging.
When covering holes or bridging shallow trenches on building sites, ensure that the material used to cover or bridge is made from a suitable material. Heavy-duty plywood designed for weight-bearing, steel plates, or other products specifically designed for that purpose.
For holes, ensure they are fully covered and the covering cannot easily move. Avoid slip and trip hazards by ensuring walkways around these hazards are managed.
Water hazards after rain can create a drowning risk, especially for children. It can also increase the risk of sidewall collapse.
Types of barriers
A secure site is very important with any open excavation. You need to consider how long the excavations will stay exposed, and if an excavation is to be left unattended overnight, then consider plating, fully enclosing with a safety fence, or backfilling to minimise the risks. Barricades, cones, plastic mesh netting not supported by a solid frame, and hurdles are not sufficient to adequately protect from excavation risks. We recommend safety fences for internal fencing for long-term or unattended worksites where excavation hazards are present
Understand your competency level
Excavations up to 1.5m deep, you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work.
1.5m – 3m deep you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work at these depths, technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer)
3-6m Technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer). Experienced temporary works designer able to judge whether it is safe.
Make sure you are aware of your requirements for managing the risks of excavation.
The HazardCo App site review resource has a list of risk controls that should be in place to minimise the risk associated with excavation work.
If you need a hand getting started or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today – we’re always happy to help.
