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Executive Hire Show Review: Evolving solutions The seminar programme running alongside the Show provided the latest information on important Health & Safety and training issues, including dust and HAV. HAV remains a hugely important Health & Safety issue and to meet this challenge the primary source of data for the hire industry continues to evolve. That was the message from David Pierre, Head of Training and Consultancy Services at HAE, in a joint seminar with David Smeatham, HSE Noise and Vibration Specialist Inspector. David Pierre said that, recognising there was a lack of standardised, accurate information, HAE had several years ago introduced the well known ‘traffic light’ system. Users of a tool in the red tier were told to seek guidance from their supervisor, but this, in turn, often led to requests to hire companies. Better data had been needed, plus the adoption of common testing procedures (tri-axial measurements) more relevant to ‘real life’ conditions. The next step to improve the quality and scope of HAE’s database was amalgamating its information with the Havtec database from The Off-highway Plant and Equipment Research Centre (OPERC). This will give information on thousands of tools and, where possible, will take into account the age of the machine, different applications and trigger times (the length of a time a tool is actually used). A further aim is to include more equipment, such as hydraulic and pneumatic tools. A calculating wheel for use where internet access is not available is being developed, along with a new traffic-light based tool tag carrying HSE exposure ‘points’ values and trigger time advice. HSE’s David Smeatham reinforced the message that the hire industry, and counter staff in particular, have a vital role in educating customers about the risks and alternative tools and practices. EHN’s Editor at Large, Nigel Strickland, who was chosen by HSE to present the seminar on controlling dust, claimed the issue was continuing its rapid rise up the Health & Safety agenda. Indeed, HSE had launched a new web site aimed at the construction industry, with dust being a core topic. The need for better information, especially on respirable crystalline silica (RCS), meant a serious challenge lay ahead for hirers in providing education, training and equipment. Under revised COSHH regulations, the Working Exposure Limits (WELs) for RCS meant that the amount a worker could be exposed to in an average eight-hour shift, namely 0.1mg/m3, was incredibly small. The HSE was also vigilant, and a recent court case where an employer had been successfully prosecuted and fined for breaching the regulations was highlighted. It was suggested that our industry should engage with HSE projects such as its current initiative for reducing dust exposure in kerb cutting. Hirers should seek guidance from equipment suppliers and manufacturers, and alternative processes should be explored. Using brushes to clean construction sites could be avoided by using a dust extraction vacuum fitted with HEPA filters. Where a dust-creating task could not be replaced, reductions could be achieved by simple techniques such as water suppression or dust extraction. The hire industry also needed to assess risks its own staff faced, especially in workshops. Explaining the HSE Shattered Lives initiative, Campaign Manager John Holland said it would be the biggest and most complex project undertaken by the organisation this year. Aimed at reducing the 10,970 serious injuries attributed to slips and trips in 2006, it will also encompass falls from height, as discussed in the article introducing our Work at Height Market Report in this issue. Finally, Gill Bridger, Group Training Manager of HAE’s HireTrain, gave an update on the initiative one year on from its inception. A portfolio of training was being established for all hire markets, including tools, audio visual and catering equipment, targeted at all companies and all levels of staff. She said funding was available to support many of the courses, with rebates available to companies paying the CITB levy. • Executive Hire News › Archives › March 2008 › Executive Hire Show Review › Evolving solutions
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