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Executive Report: Protect plant and people Health & Safety issues, plant theft and the need for the construction industry to be aware of green issues were among topics discussed at the recent Plant 08 conference. The important role hirers play in providing appropriate equipment and information to enable tradesmen to work safely was referred to frequently during Plant 08, held in Birmingham in March. One example was the session on workplace dust which, as EHN has frequently highlighted, has been the subject of increasingly stringent legislation. Speaking at the conference, organised by Construction News, Dr Robert Ellis from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s Disease Reduction Programme reported on the HSE Project for Reducing Respiratory Disease in Kerb, Paving and Block Cutting, inaugurated in May 2007 and to be completed in 2009. He explained how stakeholder representatives from different parts of the supply chain were involved, including training bodies, paving organisations, industry associations like the HAE and the European Power Tool Association (EPTA), manufacturers such as Stihl and construction companies, all “working to identify a range of practical interventions and lead on their implementation to assist compliance with legal requirements. Supply chain solution The need to reduce chemically induced ill health is expected to remain one of HSE’s top priorities. Cutting kerbs, paving and blocks is a risk that can cause respiratory disease, can be eliminated or controlled, and needs a supply chain solution that works for all.” He explained that cutting concrete inevitably produces respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust particles, which are so small they can be breathed into the lungs but not exhaled, leading to a risk of cancer and chronic diseases. In 2006, the UK’s daily workplace exposure limit (WEL) for RCS was set at 0.1mg/m3. Dr Ellis reported that contractors assisting with the Project were encouraging wider use of wet cutting to suppress dust, while the British Precast Concrete Federation had prepared a guide on cutting techniques. HAE had suggested the use of a hazard warning tape placed on the controls of cutting machinery ready for hire, to prevent operation until advice on dust control had been sought. Ulrich Betten, Electrical Power Tool Certification Manager for Hilti, based at the company’s German manufacturing plant at Kaufering, also talked about dust, and said that prescribed limits for RCS varied throughout Europe. He also explained research into dust emissions from wall chasers, surface grinders, sanders and cutting machinery, commissioned by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZWEI), to obtain data on dust collection systems. Tests had been performed in a 200m3 unventilated room on equipment used so as to generate 15kg of dust/hour, such as by using a Hilti wall chaser for 40m of cable ducting to a 35mm depth. The dust had a quartz content of 20%. When fitted with a Hilti class M vacuum cleaner, the result was an RCS dust level of below 0.1mg/m3. Ulrich Betten suggested that, in general, optimum results were obtained by using equipment with dust collection hoods and vacuums matched to specific power tool models. Tim Ward, HSE Principal Specialist Inspector (Noise & Vibration), described developments in controlling HAV exposure. He stressed the aim of eliminating such risk altogether by adopting methods avoiding the need for hand-held tools, or if not practicable, by reducing exposure to as low as reasonably practicable. It was poor practice, he said, to assume that the use of hand-held tools was inevitable, or to automatically work up to permitted exposure limits laid down in the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Machine mounted equipment Alternatives such as machine mounted breakers were available for tasks like pile cropping, which did away with the need for hand-held equipment. Similarly, floor saws or diamond wire cutting could be considered as replacements for hand-held breakers in appropriate situations. Direct fastening tools could be used instead of drill-and-fix systems. Where no practical alternatives were available, a hand-held tool could be selected according to productivity levels and quoted HAV readings. Tim Ward suggested that managers should draw on the knowledge of hirers and others in the supply chain. Similarly, in addressing issues surrounding working safely at height, Barney Green, Business Development Manager with Combisafe, a supplier of fall-safety systems, said managers should initially consider methods avoiding work at height completely. He quoted a definition in the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which described work at height as “work in any place from which, if no action was taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury,” and pointed out that there was therefore no minimum ‘safe’ working height. A hierarchy of controls existed whereby initial considerations should analyse ways of removing the hazard altogether, then exploring ways of preventing a fall if work at height was unavoidable, and finally introducing ways of reducing the consequences in case a fall did occur. Addressing the issue of plant theft, Yvette Henshall-Bell, Director of Sales Support with JCB, said £1m worth of machinery was stolen in the UK every week, but only 5% of it was ever recovered, owing to difficulties surrounding the accurate identification of equipment and the legal owner. New JCB construction machinery, compaction equipment and generators were being fitted with the Datatag CESAR (Construction Equipment Security and Registration) system. Developed by the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office Plant Theft Action Group, this includes the use of microchips containing ownership details embedded in the machine. Two tamper-resistant plates feature an identification code number, and equipment is registered on a national database to aid recovery. Additionally, JCB is now offering immobilisers as standard on its construction machinery. This isolates three electrical functions, typically the starter circuit, forward/reverse and fuel supply to the engine. Customers have the choice of a system with either a transponder key or keypad. The manufacturer has also introduced its LiveLink telematics system, which uses satellite and mobile phone technology to monitor the location of equipment. It can also determine the number of hours a machine is used and when servicing is required, as well as providing information on engine oil level and other parameters. One conference session was an open discussion between experts concerning green issues in construction. David Middleton, Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council for Sustainable Development - UK, said that “the need to be green impacts on all aspects of business. It also makes marketing sense. All those in the supply chain need to demonstrate responsible management, and being green will lower costs, help to ensure secure energy supplies and reduce waste.” Driving green issues forward Colin Wood, Chief Executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association, agreed that being green made obvious sense, but measures had to be “sensible and practical. Fitting diesel particulate filters can cost up to £10,000 per machine and hirers can find it difficult to get clients to accept higher charges for the provision of additional machinery on site such as dust suppression equipment.” However, he believed that contractors’ clients would gradually drive the issue forward as green initiatives gained acceptance. Donald Lack, a Director with the Faber Maunsell consultancy, believed that “clients are using environmental awareness as a filter to select contractors during the tendering process. Being green should be seen, not as a burden, but as an opportunity. It is not just the right thing to do, but also the right business thing to do.” • Executive Hire News › Archives › April 2008 › Executive Report › Protect plant and people
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