Health
Healthand
andSafety
Safety
Executive
Executive
Management of
contractors: short duration
& fragile roof work
Liz Standen
HM Inspector of Health and Safety
KEY ELEMENTS OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Managing Business Risks
Managing for Health & Safety
Leading
Managing
(including business processes)
Worker Involvement
Risk profile
Competent workforce
Legal duties
Outline of WAH Regulations
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Requirements for:-
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Competence (Reg 5)
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Requirements for work equipment (Reg 8)
Organisation, planning & supervision
(Reg 4)
Avoidance of risk from WAH (Reg 6)
Selection and use of work equipment for
WAH (Reg 7)
Risk assessment approach
Selection of equipment – regulation 7
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Choice of work equipment must take account of:
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Access and egress and the distance to be
negotiated
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Distance and consequences of a fall
Working conditions and the risks to persons
safety
Duration and frequency of use
Ease of rescue/evacuation
Risk of use, installation and removal of
equipment
Safe means of access onto roof
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Existing means, internal/external staircase or
ladder and roof access hatches
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General access scaffolds
Stair towers
Fixed or mobile scaffold towers
Mobile access equipment
Ladders
Preventing falls
Verge edge protection
Fall mitigation
Short duration work
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Tasks measured in minutes rather than
hours
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Includes inspection, replacing a few tiles,
adjusting TV aerial
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May not be RP to install edge protection
or independent scaffold
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Precautions depend on overall
assessment of risk
Minimum requirements for short
duration work on roofs
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Safe means of access to roof level (secured
ladder to eaves as a minimum)
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Safe means of working on the roof e.g.:
– On a sloping roof a properly constructed and
supported roof ladder
– On a flat roof a fall restraint harness secured
to suitable anchor points
– Fall arrest as last resort – importance of
rescue plan
– MEWPS – particularly appropriate for shortduration minor work
Demarcation of access routes and
work areas
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For short-duration limited work on sections of flat roof
where edge protection not reasonably practicable
Simple form of continuous physical barrier which
identifies work area and access routes – “safe area”
Barrier must be at least 2 m from edge of roof,
leading edges and fragile materials
No unprotected holes, breaks or fragile materials
within “safe are” unless suitably protected
Barriers should be durable and immediately obvious
to all –bunting, tape, markings at foot level not
acceptable
Use of demarcation barrier requires high level of
supervision and discipline
The things we see when out and about!
Fragile roofs
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Falls through fragile roofs
account for 22% of all fatal
falls
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Single layer roof lights
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Non-reinforced fibre
cement sheets
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Corroded metal sheets
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Glass (including wired
glass)
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Rotted chipboard
An average of 7 deaths a
year
Not just construction –
maintenance repair and
cleaning
Fragile roofs
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Roof materials and fixings will degrade
overtime (erosion, weather damage,
UV, etc) and result in fragility
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All roofs should be treated as fragile
until a competent person has
confirmed they are not
Fragile roof hierarchy
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Work from underneath using a suitable work platform
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Work from a MEWP basket
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Perimeter edge protection and staging/crawling
boards which spread load across roof (should span
at least two purlins)
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Staging should be fitted with guardrails otherwise fall
mitigation required (crash-decks, birdcage, nets, soft
landing systems, fall arrest)
Work from below
Fragile roof protection
Fragile roof protection
Fragile roof protection
Health
Healthand
andSafety
Safety
Executive
Executive
Fragile roof case
studies
Key elements of successful
contractor management
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Procurement
Competence & leadership
Planning & selection of equipment
Good communication
Strong supervision
Workforce buy-in
Behavioural culture
What it looks like when done effectively
What it looks like when it is done badly or not at all.
Leaders:
-Maintain attention on the significant risks and implementation
of adequate controls.
-Demonstrate their commitment by their actions, they are aware
of the key health and safety issues;
-Ensure consultation with the workforce on health and safety.
-Challenge unsafe behaviour in a timely way
Leaders:
-Set no health and safety priorities
-Don’t understand the need to maintain oversight.
-Do not meet their own organisation’s standards/procedures e.g.
wearing correct PPE on site/shop floor.
Lack of engagement with health and safety by workers.
Health and safety is seen as an add-on, irrelevance or nuisance
Poor incident history (accidents, near misses, plant damage or
other indicators e.g. poor maintenance, poor housekeeping).
Management of health and safety
A systematic approach is used to manage health and safety
People understand the risks and control measures associated
with their work. Contractors adhere to the same standards
Appropriate documentation is available: current, organised,
relevant
People understand their roles and those of others.
Performance is measured – to check controls are working and
standards are being implemented, and learn from mistakes after
things go wrong.
Beyond compliance:
A formal system (such as BS OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001) is
used: has it been externally accredited?
Health and safety is integrated into business processes
Benchmarking is used to compare performance with others.
Supply chains are influenced to improve health and safety.
A ‘Wellness’ programme is in place.
Management of health and safety
Incomplete or missing paperwork. Does not link to actual risks in
workplace.
Confusion over roles, inaction as no one takes responsibility for
health and safety, distrust of management motives.
Widespread, routine violations of procedures. No oversight of
contractors.
Information is not passed on, not understood, or not
implemented.
Managers are unaware of employee concerns or do not respond
appropriately
Lessons are never learnt.
Tips for managing contractors
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Use PAS91 for procurement competence
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Clear job spec with benchmarks & penalties for
non-conformance
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Check supervisory competence
Get early input from competent CDMC &
designer
Mechanism for RA review for job revisions
Monitor actual site performance
Clear communication, roles & responsibilities
End of project review with contractor’s director
References
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PAS 91:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/busi
ness-sectors/docs/b/bsi-specificationpas91-construction-procurement.pdf
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Managing Health & Safety in
Construction:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l144.h
tm
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INDG368
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg368.pdf
More references
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http://www.cpa.uk.net/p/MEWPS-and-OverheadCrushing/
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http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/lwit/index.htm
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http://www.roofworkadvice.info/
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http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/subscribe.htm
http://www.ipaf.org/en/publications/technicalguidance-notes/
http://www.managementstandards.org/standards/full-list-2008-nationaloccupational-standards