RESIDENTIAL // COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
FEATURES
A safety harness protects one person, while a handrail can protect more workers on site.
Pexels before commencing and during any construction work, conduct a document a risk assessment by a competent person.
“ The risk assessment must form part of the basis of the health and safety plan and therefore is the first step in the process. It then directs you to identify everything that poses risk and to implement control measures to mitigate each possible risk,” he explains.
Any PPE required is a result of the assessment and is also a final measure after all other mitigation options of the risks have been established. The assessment typically considers all possible risks or hazards that may occur during performing various work duties on site and if assessments are not done in producing the site’ s Health and Safety Plan, work on site cannot commence.
“ This document includes the appropriate PPE requirements. You cannot issue someone with PPE unless you know the risk or hazard they are exposed to,” Coetzer elaborates. For instance, if the assessment finds that a worker might injure their hands, equipment will be required to protect the hands such as leather gloves.
“ The same applies if there’ s possible injury to the feet- then safety shoes are required. If there’ s a risk of falling, then a safety harness or solid barrier is required, and so on,” he says.
The facts
Legislation related to construction health and safety are outlined in the OHS Act, Construction Regulations, the South African National Standards( SANS) and European( EN) Standards.
“ The OHS Act and its incorporated regulations are applicable for implementation on site, but more specifically General Safety Regulations and Construction Regulations of 2014,” says Brian Randall from the Institute for Work at Heights( IWH). The regulations reference the employer’ s duty to ensure employees are safe.
Coetzer further adds that,“ on site there can be many contractors doing different jobs. The client( or property owner who has ordered the construction work) is responsible for the principal contractor, and the principal contractor needs to ensure sub-contractors that are hired also comply.”
Before work on site begins the client must prepare a health and safety specification document and then it’ s up to the contractor to develop and implement a health and safety plan,” says Randall. Part of the client’ s duty is to ensure that that people who submit tenders are making provision for the cost of safety in their documentation.“ It further states that the client must make sure that any person who submits a tender is not only competent for the job but has also made provision for safety in their quotes, pricing and systems.”
After the contractor commences work on site, an audit is required every 30 days.‘ Onsite, the client has to ensure that the safety measures of workers are in place. Workers are equally responsible to adhere to safety standards and regulations,’ according to health and safety equipment supplier, Evolution Height Safety( EHS).
MARCH 2018 17