Working at height for work such as building a house, renovations, painting, decorating, or roof work? Scaffolding could be the safest piece of height equipment to use for the job as it provides workers with a flat-level working platform and of course fall protection.
There are different types of scaffolds and the type you will use will depend on the environment you are working in and what is best suited to your task. The common types of scaffolding are proprietary and prefabricated, tube and coupler, and suspended scaffold. If you want to know more about these systems, click here.
Anyone involved in the installation of scaffolding is required to have the knowledge and skills to do so. Scaffolding up to 5 metres should be installed by a competent person. Competent means someone who has the knowledge and skills to carry out a particular task like installing scaffolding. The easiest way to gain this knowledge and skills is through training, qualification, experience or a combination of all three.
It is important that you know that scaffolding greater than 5 metres must be installed by a person who holds the appropriate class of certificate of competence (COC) for the type of scaffolding. Scaffolding over 5m is also notifiable to WorkSafe. This can be done online here.
We have a Scaffolding Task Analysis (TA) that you can use. This TA outlines the hazards, risks and controls that need to be put in place when it comes to installing and using a scaffold. Also available is a pre-start checklist for you to conduct your daily checks before use. These can both be found in the templates section of the HazardCo HUB. We will touch on in week 3 about the when, what, how and why when it comes to checking scaffolds.
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
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.
Homes built or renovated between 1950 and 2000 are likely to contain some asbestos. Therefore, every tradesperson is likely to come into contact with asbestos at work sooner or later. That’s why it’s important for you to understand how to manage the risk from working with or near asbestos, and how to protect yourself and others from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.
Areas that we recommend getting tested are cladding, roofing, vinyl, fibre cement sheeting, internal ceilings, and plumbing lagging.
There are 3 main types of testing or surveying; Management, Refurbishment, and Demolition, and each of these is designed for a specific purpose.
It is important that when you are conducting work that requires planning permission, it is likely that you will require a demolition or refurbishment survey to search for asbestos present. As the contractor, you have a legal requirement to ensure asbestos is identified and removed before any work begins that may disturb the asbestos in your client’s home.
You can refer to the Healthy Homes NZ website for more details on asbestos testing here
What to do if you or your workers uncover or damage materials that may contain asbestos:
You can view the WorkSafe website to find out how to apply the 10 m2 rule to an object that is not flat, such as asbestos piping and other frequently asked questions relating to Asbestos Licensing here.
Our advisory experts are here to support you, so if you have any asbestos-related questions while you are conducting your renovations – get in touch or give us a call on 0800 555 339.
When you are renovating, you will most likely be working with others, such as the client or other contractors on-site. This means that you will need to think about how you will manage health and safety on-site and how you will communicate this with other people involved with the project. This will ensure that everyone is on top of the site hazards and practicing good health and safety during your renovation.
Here are a few things you will need to think about for your upcoming renovations:
Inductions are a way of ensuring workers and clients are aware of the risks and hazards that are involved in the job at hand, conducted at the start of each new job.
It is important that you induct your clients prior to starting the job, advising them about the health and safety guidelines that need to be followed for your work area, even when it’s their home.
If your work site is occupied by a client, or the client is likely to visit, then we recommend that you carry out the following:
Firstly, check the following three COVID-19 related questions with your client:
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then the work should not commence.
Next, meet the client at the worksite (if possible) and explain the following:
Some good rules to use are:
These steps will help to identify the risks that you will be bringing into your clients home, because when health and safety is top of mind – your site is a safer place for everyone involved.
If you are working alone we suggest that you set up a procedure to regularly contact someone throughout the day to check-in that you are safe.
If you have any questions get in touch with the HazardCo Team today!
