safe by choice ….not by chance - morrison utility services · 2017. 12. 4. · safe by choice...

Safe by choice ….not by chance 02380 742222 [email protected] www.dyerandbutler.co.uk


Conkers bonkers…

Autumn is definitely in full swing and the colours of the trees this year are truly amazing. Autumn is also the time when the seeds of the horse chestnut tree, or conkers are collected by children so that the playground game of “conkers” can be played. The mere mention of conkers always reminds me of the outcry that occurred when the Health and Safety Executive supposedly banned the game in the school playgrounds because there was a risk that children might get hurt from flying fragments of conkers.

The press were quick to pick on this and it wasn’t long before other schools banned the game or children could only play conkers whilst wearing the type of PPE that is commonly worn on construction sites. As a result, the Health and Safety Executive were quick to point out that they had not banned conkers and instead provided sensible, practical guidance via one of their “myth buster” campaigns to show how the game could still be safely enjoyed.

So what’s my point…?

We are exposed to hazards as part of our everyday lives and as a result risk assessment is a process that we all carry out naturally.

However, at work, the risk assessment process is formalised and therefore when you are called upon to carry out a risk assessment, or prepare a safe system of work, it is important that it is suitable, sufficient, specific to the activity and above all, sensible in terms of the control measures that are specified.

By providing clear guidance to the personnel that are undertaking the works it will be easier for them to understand the hazards and implement the necessary control measures

So, rather than taking the “conkers bonkers” approach to risk control, just keep it simple and make sure that the simple things are done well.

Steven Broom Director of SHEQ & Training

Safety performance – September

Accident Frequency Rate – 0.153

Reportable Accidents or Incidents 22/9/16 – Shrewsbury Retaining Wall – During work to construct a retaining wall a 2.3 metre high, 25 metre long section of the wall failed and collapsed into a cordoned off area of a car park. The design (supplied by the client) is believed to have been at fault. Investigations are ongoing.

Unchartered Services Report During September there were 26 reports of unchartered services being encountered on site which were not damaged.

Minor Accidents and Near Misses

5/9/16 – Kingsnorth – An old redundant oil filled cable was severed during sheet pile installation works. A SHEQ Alert has been produced.

5/9/16 – LOGOB, Leytonstone – Plant and materials were vandalised by persons unknown.

5/9/16 – LOGOB, Wanstead Park – A screwdriver fell from height onto cars below causing damage. The tool was not properly tethered. A SHEQ Alert has been produced.

5/9/16 – Burst Water Main – An excavator window was poorly repaired which then fell out and smashed when the machine was in use.

5/9/16 – Beale Place – A street lighting cable was struck and damaged during work to cut and remove the tarmac for trial holes to be dug.

7/9/16 – CP20 Burst Main – A team working within a deep chamber made an emergency escape when they heard water in the connecting pipe. A feed valve was opened by others without their knowledge. Investigations are ongoing.


8/9/16 – Aberbeeg Flood Wall – A contractor moved some reinforcement bars from the bottom of a stack causing the bars to move down trapping his fingers.

8/9/16 – T3 Valve Chamber – A HIAB lorry made contact with a sweeper whilst reversing due to incorrect positioning of the banksman.

13/9/16 – MSCP1 Resurfacing – Whilst being towed, the leg on a set of tower lights came loose and dragged along the road. The driver did not hold the necessary licence endorsement to tow.

13/9/16 – Cynghordy Viaduct – A contractor cut his hand on a retractable knife whilst cutting netting on site.

14/9/16 – Bulford Camp – A loaded articulated dump truck overturned on site after hitting a pot hole whilst speeding.

14/9/16 – Bulford Camp – Unexploded ordnance were discovered during excavation works which were dealt with by the MOD.

14/9/16 – Bulford Camp – A sheet of material that is believed to contain asbestos was discovered during excavation works.

14/9/16 – Coldbrook FAS – A contractor was stripping shuttering when he stepped back and onto a piece of timber with a protruding nail casing a puncture wound to his arm.

14/9/16 – Berkeley Bridge – An unchartered redundant cable was struck and damaged during excavation works.

15/9/16 – Crawters Brook – An excavator caught one of the installed wires whilst slewing causing it to wrap around the boom.

16/9/16 – LOGOB, Leyton Middle Rd – A shallow earth cable was struck and damaged during work to remove the surfacing on site.

19/9/16 – LOGOB, Leytonstone – A contractor sustained mild chemical burns to his lower legs after his clothing became contaminated with lime mortar dust.

21/9/16 – LOGOB Office – An employee walked into a glass door which had not been fitted with any form of distinguishing marks to indicate that it was a glass door (i.e. frosting).

23/9/16 – Fareham Station – An unchartered redundant cable was struck and damaged during excavation works. It was 200mm below the surface with no tape or ducting.

28/9/16 – Fareham Station – An unchartered redundant cable was struck and damaged during excavation works to remove concrete on site. It is believed that the cable was encased within the edge of a lump of concrete.

28/9/16 – Coldbrook FAS – A dumper towing a jetting unit reversed up to the edge of an excavation whereby one of the wheels began to slip into the excavation. An excavator had to be used to move the vehicle back onto level ground.

29/9/16 – Fareham Station – A low voltage cable was struck and damaged during hand digging operations. A fork was being used to loosen compacted soil at the time, but it is unclear if the tool, or a sharp piece of fill material caused the damage to the service.

30/9/16 – Coldbrook FAS – A member of the public has alleged that they fell over the feet of the Heras fencing causing an injury to their wrist. This alleged accident is being investigated.

Please note…Accidents and incidents must be reported by phone to the SHEQ Advisor and then be followed up with a report on Workspace. Close calls may be reported using the email address shown on the posters, the close call reporting cards, or the QR Code App.

Top spot for Jamie

Jamie Thomas a COSS working out of the Swansea office was working to clear vegetation from a ditch and an adjacent watercourse when he spotted that raw sewerage had recently been discharged into the river from a nearby pipe.

As a result, the works in the area were stopped to safeguard the health of the team and the matter was reported to Natural Resource Wales (NRW) to allow for the matter to be investigated.

Congratulations Jamie. Your efforts have earned you a £25 voucher which is now on its way to you


Communication is key…!

A Close Call was recently raised against Dyer & Butler when one of our employees inadvertently gave the incorrect information to the Signaller when taking manual control of a level crossing.

On the night a briefing was given by the COSS to the employee, who was acting as the level crossing attendant. Following the briefing, the employee drove to the correct level crossing, confirmed the mileage and placed his marker boards correctly. He then went back to the level crossing and contacted the Signaller on his mobile phone but during the conversation, he gave the Signaller the name of a different level crossing to the one that he had just taken control of. The mistake was quickly identified and corrected, but the miscommunication and the potential of what could have occurred if the mistake had not been identified formed the basis of the close call.

Dyer & Butler operate in safety critical environments and whether its verbal communication with Signallers, or Air Traffic Controllers the giving, receiving and understanding of verbal communication is essential for us all to work safely. Therefore we must all ensure that the information which is given during safety critical communications is accurate, tested and as per the planned sequence of work. To assist you, please consider the following…

Check that you have the correct information to allow you to communicate effectively and that it is legible and understandable.

Take time to prepare what you need to say. Write it down if you need to.

Confirm that you are speaking to the right person and identify yourself correctly.

Speak slowly, clearly and use the correct phrases, phonetic alphabet and numeric references.

Ask for any safety critical messages to be repeated back to confirm that it has been understood.

Are you parking considerately..?

With a fleet of over 400 vehicles, Dyer & Butler vans are often the source of complaints that are received by the company.

One recent complaint involved an instance of inconsiderate parking which meant that the property owner was unable to move their van off of the driveway and as such, they were unable to carry out their business activities,

All employees are reminded that the actions associated with driving, parking and operating their vehicle (whether sign written or not) directly reflect on the company and as such a certain level of consideration and courtesy must be afforded to the other road users and residents with whom we interact.

Please ensure that all vehicles are parked legally and considerately in the future.

Zero lost time accidents is a reality

The Wightman Road bridge replacement contract for Network Rail that was recently completed by Dyer & Butler has been hailed as an outstanding success by Francis Paonessa, the Managing Director for Infrastructure Projects (IP) at Network Rail.

The efforts of the project team have contributed to Network Rail Anglia Route completing a 12 month period with no lost time accidents.

This proves that safety excellence can be achieved on any project and our team is to be congratulated for the part that they played in this achievement.


How important is your phone call..?

A lorry driver who caused the deaths of four family members on the A34 in Berkshire, while scrolling through music on his mobile phone, was recently jailed for 10 years at Reading Crown Court. Tomasz Kroker was driving on the northbound carriageway when he drove into the back of the stationary queue of vehicles at approximately 50mph.

Tracey Houghton, aged 45, her two sons, Josh Houghton (11) and Ethan Houghton (13), and her partner’s daughter Aimee Goldsmith (11), who were all travelling in the same vehicle, died at the scene. A further five people were injured including one man who was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Mr. Kroker initially claimed at the scene that his brakes had failed. But when confronted with dash-cam footage he admitted he had been looking at his mobile phone at the time of the crash. It was revealed in court that the distracted lorry driver had signed a form on the same day as the crash stating ‘I will never use a hand-held mobile phone or hands-free kit whilst driving’.

A statement released on behalf of the family said…“Today’s outcome must serve as a reminder to us all of our responsibilities every time we drive and that decisions we make can be fatal. We are not the only family to have suffered due to what is perceived by many, as a minor inconsequential crime, a crime that takes place on our roads every single day. We urge you to make a personal commitment to stop using mobile phones whilst driving and make our roads safer for everyone.” All employees are reminded that it is company policy that mobile phones are not to be used whilst driving (even with a hands free device).

Laptop fire

Recently a Dyer & Butler Site Agent’s car was written off when his laptop caught fire whilst it was in his car. The company supplied Hewlett Packard laptop was inside the laptop bag which was stored in the boot of the car when the fire occurred. It is believed that the laptop had been shut down properly at the time of the fire. Early indications are that fire was caused by a short circuit within the USB ports and it was this that caused the machine to overheat.

Investigations have indicated that this fire was not caused by a patent defect with the laptop and Hewlett Packard have not indicated that they are aware of any such problems affecting their machines. Therefore, it looks as though this is an isolated case. In order to prevent similar incidents, or computer damage from occurring, the following points should be considered…

Before placing your laptop into a bag, make sure it is fully shutdown as programs could still be running.

Always back up your data files regularly. All of the Agent’s data was lost as the hard drive was destroyed by the fire

Never leave your laptop in a vehicle overnight as the changes in temperature and moisture could have adverse effects.

Only use the approved charger that is supplied with the laptop.

Report any damage or overheating issues promptly to the I.T Team.


Kingsnorth cable strike

A significant cable strike occurred on the Kingsnorth National Grid site recently when an old redundant oil filled cable was struck and damaged during works to install temporary sheet piles. The damage only became evident after work to remove the soil from the area was carried out. Further investigations confirmed the service to be an old redundant 100mm diameter 132KV electrical cable. The cable, (which had previously been purged of oil) was severed at both ends by the installation of the sheet piles.

The investigation identified a number of failures which led to the incident; as follows…

The site area had not been fully checked using a CAT and Genny due to an obstruction being in place at the start of the works.

The location of the existing electrical cables had been previously identified but an incorrect point of reference was then used to identify the position of the other services.

The foreman enlarged the size of the excavation slightly without obtaining approval from the Site Manager. This caused the buried service to be struck by the piles.

Before carrying out any excavation works, always remember, P.A.C.E

Plan the work before starting

Ask for information on buried services

Confirm the exact location of buried services

Excavate using safe digging practice

Heathrow Safety Award

The team at Heathrow are currently undertaking works within the fuel farm and as such, the protection of underground services is paramount. In preparation to complete the works a full survey was carried out and this included a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of all areas that were to be excavated.

Since starting the project, Keith Roberts has identified a number of services through careful excavation that were not shown on the drawings, and were not picked up on the GPR survey.

Keith’s approach to service protection therefore wins him this month’s safety award

Well done Keith. A £25 voucher is on its way to you.

Heathrow green vehicle on trial

Dyer & Butler holds BS50001 accreditation against the energy management standard and as such, we are always looking for ways to improve our energy efficiency.

As vehicle fuel is our largest energy usage within the company, the team at Heathrow decided to trial an electric vehicle to determine whether it can be a viable alternative to traditional combustion engine vehicles.

The initial trials have been good and the vehicle has coped well with the trips that it has been called upon to make.

The drive to “Go Green” at Heathrow is to support the airports target to cut emissions and improve air quality as the airport expands. It is therefore great to see Dyer & Butler doing its bit.


Simple measures…significant energy savings

Dyer and Butler is striving to reduce our energy consumption and cut our fuel bills. Simple energy efficiency measures such as switching off office equipment and the correct setting of room temperatures could cut office energy bills by up to 20%.

This year we have achieved a 5% reduction in our office electricity consumption, but we can do more to reduce our energy consumption. So, as we leave British Summer Time behind and the temperature drops, it is the perfect time to focus on reducing energy in the office and at home by following these simple tips…

Lighting

Make the most of natural daylight and use lighting only when necessary.

Lights in corridors can be left on continuously but must be switched off at the end of the day.

Meeting rooms should only be lit when in use.

We must continue to look to install energy efficient luminaries, PIRs, and daylight sensors in low occupancy levels.

Heating

Heating typically accounts for 50% of all our energy used in offices. Reducing room temperatures by just 1°C can cut fuel consumption in a typical office by around 8%!

Storage Heaters

Many of our offices have overnight storage heaters and benefit from cheaper electricity at night.

The controls should be set so that in cold weather the right hand (INPUT) knob is set to maximum (fully clockwise) and in milder weather it is set to a lower position.

The output control must be set to maximum to ensure maximum output during working hours. If you alter the controls the benefits will not be felt until the following day.

Panel Convector Heaters

We also have a number of convector type heaters. These heaters are fitted with an adjustable thermostat which enables the room temperature to be controlled.

Temperature settings range from 1-6 (max.) creating a room temperature of approx. 30ºC. The conformable working temperature for an office is between 18-22°C.

In the morning switch on the heater and turn the thermostat knob to mark 6 opposite the indicator mark and set selector switch to full heat output to warm the room rapidly. When the room temperature has reached the desired level, turn the thermostat knob back slowly until the thermostat just clicks off.

The switch marked I - II (half heat – full heat) provides a choice of output as desired.

General Considerations

The use of supplementary electric heaters under desks should be avoided. These are one of the most expensive heat sources to run.

Using window blinds and closing windows at night or in the early evening can also help to reduce heat loss.

Avoid heating and cooling the building at the same time. (i.e. Heaters on when the doors and windows are open)

A computer and monitor left on for 24 hours will cost around £45 a year. Switching them off could reduce this to less than £10 a year.

Remember to turn off lights and other appliances before you leave the building.

By making these simple changes, you will be doing your bit to reduce our energy usage.


Mental health is on the agenda

The World Health Organisation has predicted that depression and issues connected with mental wellbeing will be the second biggest health problem facing industry by the year 2020. Currently, one in six workers experience depression, anxiety or unmanageable stress which can affect their performance at work.

Mental health is a real issue within the construction and civil engineering industry as it is still considered to be a taboo subject and perceived to be a sign of weakness.

This is further compounded by the fact that the industry is a male dominated workplace and it is often the fear of being ridiculed, bullied or losing your job that is the reason as to why mental health issues are not talked about and confronted.

In a bid to improve the awareness and management of mental health issues, Dyer & Butler is working closely with our client at Gatwick Airport to move mental wellbeing up the agenda. As a result, a number of initiatives and campaigns that are focused on this issue will soon be put into practice.

These improvements will undoubtedly be used by Dyer & Butler and the wider contracting community to raise awareness of the issues throughout the industry so watch this space.

Dyer & Butler are able to provide the support and guidance that is needed to improve your mental wellbeing.

Sometimes, just the act of talking about and sharing a problem can improve the way that you feel about it.

If stress, depression or anxiety are affecting you at work, please contact the Human Resources Manager in confidence.

Safe towing guidance

During the past 3 months, Dyer & Butler employees have been involved in a number of incidents involving vehicles that have been towing. The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test and therefore you must consider the following…

Licenses issued after the 1st January 1997

If you passed your car driving test on or after the 1st January 1997 you can drive a car or van up to 3,500kg and tow a trailer of up to 750kg as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

Please note - MAM stands for Maximum Authorised Mass and this should be taken to mean the permissible maximum weight, also known as the gross vehicle weight.

If you want to tow anything heavier you have to pass an additional car and trailer driving test.

Licenses issued before 1 January 1997

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM.

You’re also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.

Before you attempt to tow with a vehicle, you must check that you have the correct license category and ensure that the weight limits specified above are not exceded under any circumstances.

Before towing anything with a vehicle, the following safety checks should be carried out…

Has any moveable part of the load been properly secured prior to transit.

Check the coupling on the tow bar to ensure that the trailer is properly engaged with the vehicle.

Check that all of the lights on the trailer function properly when it is connected to the towing vehicle.


No HAVS at Winchester Cathedral

Dyer & Butler is currently engaged in works to construct a glass lift within the South transept at Winchester Cathedral. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1093 and is therefore a building of significant historical importance where works have to be completed in a highly controlled and sensitive fashion.

As part of the works to install the new hydraulic lift an area approximately 15m3 square was excavated and later filled with foam concrete to allow for the formation of 8 no 220/190mm piles and 1no 508/450mm lift ram bore.

During discussions about the upcoming hazards that are associated with the project the SHEQ team and Site Agent/s identified ways to eliminate or at least minimise the risk of hand arm vibration (HAVS) throughout the project. The operations discussed involved with breaking out the foam concrete that was installed to surround the piles and the cropping of the pile caps down to the concrete blinding level. These were identified as the significant operations that might cause a HAVS hazard.

To minimise the HAVS risk, mechanical means of doing the works were assessed, but traditional excavators with breakers were not an option due to combustion engines not being allowed within the Cathedral and the access to the South transept only being gained through a narrow doorway.

Using site operatives to carry out the work was identified as being too labour intensive and the works would have exposed those carrying it out to be over exposed to the safe daily HAVS limits. The work was therefore planned to be completed using an alternative method and therefore the decision was made to procure and hire in a Brokk 100 which is a remote controlled demolition robot that is capable of breaking out the material whilst not exposing anyone to the risk of HAVS.

By completing the work in this way the project benefited by reducing the level of manpower involved (i.e. the work would have taken 4 operatives a week to complete whilst also exposing them to a HAVS risk). The work involving the Brokk took 3 to 4 days to complete and no-one was exposed to a risk of HAVS. This is a truly excellent example of how careful planning and works delivery can be used to minimise risk…Well done to the team at Winchester Cathedral


DABBS Feedback

With the enhancements that have been made to the DABBS training during 2016, the information that we are now receiving in relation to the observations that are being undertaken has improved greatly. Some great behavioural observations are being noted and as such, we can now continue to provide you with feedback on what the biggest issues are.

During September Demolition issues were identified as our biggest cause of unsafe acts. However, the one report was a dummy report and therefore this statistic can be discounted.

The selection and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is also high on the list of unsafe acts that were reported during September. Again, unsafe observations of staff failing to wear safety glasses, safety gloves and the use of the inappropriate PPE were reported.

Working at Height also remains at a high level of reports with people failing to use the protective measures such as ladders and towers and inadequate forms of edge protection being the main topic of the reports. All personnel must ensure that any work at height, or access to a place of work at height is properly planned and executed to ensure that people are protected from a fall from any height at which they may become injured.

Equipment issues also featured highly during September and the main subject of the reports was connected with changing the type of equipment used without re-assessing the activity (i.e. mechanical means to hand held tools and equipment) and the also the use of mobile phones whilst on site. Some sites are now establishing “phone zones” which highlight a protected area where people can stand to make and take phone calls on site.

We will continue to monitor the DABBS Observation levels and report on them from this point forwards. Please ensure that the target of one DABBS Observation per 500 man hours worked is maintained.

Close Call Feedback

Close calls are continuing to be monitored and during September 77 close calls were reported from across the company with the Wales and West and Central regions reporting the most close calls within the period (27 in number for each region).

The figures for September have shown a slight increase and it is good to see that overall, the trend remains to be an upwards one with Southern and Central showing a strong upward reporting trend during September.

The close call reporting figures as of September 2016 are as follows…


Amongst the close calls that have been raised during September, these are some of the best examples...

What Was The Close Call What Could Have Happened What Were You Able To Do About It..?

Fork lift drove over a soft piece of haul road due to heavy rain over night and sunk on one side making the load slide

off the forks to the ground.

It could have injured someone if they had been standing there.

Fill in the soft area with more stone.

Thunder rumble at the site. Could be followed by lightning striking

the scaffold.

Sound the alarm and remove all personal from the scaffolding until the

rain and thunder had stopped.

The tracked power barrow was having difficult negotiating the boggy

foreshore conditions to access the place of work.

The power barrow could have overturned

Ply boards were put down as a temporary measure and an alternative

access route was found.

Thames Valley Signal/Track Diagrams show wrong platform numbers at

Drayton Green Station (WEL 7m07ch). On Trac has out of date diagrams.

Walked out onto wrong line Check against sectional appendix.

Looked for nearest signal. Reported to Network Rail and On Trac

Operatives were having to walk up the cess to a worksite area past an open

10ft drop off into water adjacent to the track, which requires hand‐

railing/guard rails.

Track workers could easily fall off the side into the water. The considerable drop could do serious damage, possibly

fatal.

My operatives were briefed but that cannot be extended to other

companies. A temporary fix cannot be achieved, it requires a permanent

fixture.

It’s your close calls that are making the difference… Keep them coming in…!

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Oct‐15 Nov‐15 Dec‐15 Jan‐16 Feb‐16 Mar‐16 Apr‐16 May‐16 Jun‐16 Jul‐16 Aug‐16 Sep‐16

No of Close Calls

Month

Oct‐15 Nov‐15 Dec‐15 Jan‐16 Feb‐16 Mar‐16 Apr‐16 May‐16 Jun‐16 Jul‐16 Aug‐16 Sep‐16

Wales and West 27 20 9 21 44 42 52 48 19 32 27 27

Southern 38 36 3 15 10 8 12 10 10 6 8 11

Central 2 2 0 5 5 32 56 56 46 40 20 27

Airports 2 1 0 0 8 5 15 28 12 12 22 18

Close Calls by Region

Airports Central Southern Wales and West

safe by choice ….not by chance - morrison utility services · 2017. 12. 4. · safe by choice...

Documents