Two Safety Alerts have been shared with us recently, one by Highways England relating to a fatal incident earlier this month on a Balfour Beatty site in Birmingham, and the other from Network Rail, where an incident caused serious burns to one of their staff.

The fatal incident was associated with a fall from height and the circumstances could be relevant to some of our operations; two contractors were working from a scissor lift, which was struck by an overhead crane causing it to topple over, resulting in the death of one of the operators.  While we don’t know all the facts, there are some basic principles that help prevent this type of incident:

• Works should be effectively planned, with risk assessments and method statements in place
• As part of planning any none routine works, it is essential that interrelating activities are coordinated
• Contractors must be inducted to ensure they are aware of the safe systems of work, competent for the tasks in hand and authorised
• All work at height requires a Permit to Work and should be closely supervised
• Work at height should be segregated, with any equipment that could enter the work area being effectively isolated

The second Alert, from Network Rail, details an incident where a member of staff suffered burns to one of his legs and hands while working with a petrol-powered disc saw.  While the use of such equipment is increasingly uncommon, with safer alternatives being preferred, petrol powered tools may be more widely used for gardening or DIY tasks at home.  The Alert highlights some of the risks and precautions required with this type of equipment.

Please discuss the Alerts as appropriate with your teams, encouraging everyone to STOP, THINK & CHECK that they have taken the necessary precautions to keep themselves and others safe, whether at work, or at home.

The safety alerts can be found at the bottom of this document or downloaded here: https://cemexuknews.co.uk/downloads/