SiSC has been established to help the small and medium size members comply with the Management of Health and Safety Regulations by giving those that subscribe the availability of direct competent health & safety advice.
Publications are available to buy or download here.
A new £1 million 'Target Zero' project is looking at five major building types (schools, warehouses, offices, supermarkets and mixed use) and will generate fully-costed solutions demonstrating how to achieve the three highest BREEAM ratings and meet the changes to Part L of the Building Regulations.
Below is an introduction to the topic of erection guides. You can also search for your specific topic using the Search box at the top of the page or click on any of the following keywords and phrases: GS28, best practice and industry standards.
The introduction of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 led to greater attention being given to ensure systems and procedures that eliminate or reduce the risks of falling during construction work are in place before any work begins.
The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 focus on managing risks on site, reducing paper work, encouraging team work and getting the right people for the right job at the right time. They clarify the responsibilities of each duty holder and focus on effective planning and risk management. Good communication between those involved in a construction project can only bring direct benefits to improving safety during construction work. It ensures that everyone involved in the project is working together to make the site safer. Through better planning and management, key health and safety issues such as ground conditions, edge protection systems and good loading and unloading facilities are fully planned before work begins, traditionally these issues would have been provided by different contractors during different phases of the work.
Early planning and preparation allow more of the work that would have previously been carried out at height to be addressed before the main steelwork components are lifted into place. For example, the off-site fabrication of steel components and the maximising of sub-assembly work results in a reduction of the riskier on-site work. But of course this kind of preparation can only take place when the clients and principal contractors involved in a construction project are working together to improve safety on site.
The improved use of safety nets has had a significant impact on the steel construction industry’s accident rate, and is probably one of the major contributions to the improved safety record of the steelwork industry associated trades.
The extensive use of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) or cherry pickers throughout the industry has significantly reduced the need to put personnel onto the steelwork to make connections etc. However, one area that still needs to be addressed by contractors is the need to ensure that ground conditions on the site are properly surveyed and prepared to allow such heavy plant and machinery to function safely without risk of sinking or worse still causing a MEWP to overturn. There is reluctance by some principal contractors to release the capital early in a project to properly prepare ground conditions.
Traditionally, scaffolding was the main form of edge protection and could only be installed and modified by trained scaffolders. Now, a wider variety of edge protection is available (including the new breed of system edge protection which improves the opportunities to pre-install the whole or part of the system prior to working at height) and different trades can be trained to be competent installers. However, problems can occur if the issue of edge protection has not been adequately pre-planned, because the different trades will provide their own edge protection, removing it when they leave only for another trade to come along and install their own edge protection in the same location, all of these issues can be pre planned and managed to reduce the risks.
The BCSA has produced a series of HSE-endorsed Codes of Practice to drive home safety improvements throughout the steel construction industry. Developed by the very people who have to deal with the issues covered in them, the Codes allow our members to share their experience and knowledge with others in the industry, and in part replace the withdrawn HSE publication GS28 Safe Erection of Structures.
Subjects covered in the series are:
This safe practice guide details how lifting operations are planned and organised. It has been developed to meet the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations [LOLER], in particular Regulation 8 which states: Every employer shall ensure that every lifting operation involving lifting accessories is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
The Management of Site Lifting Operations
The purpose of the Task Specific Method Statement is to identofy the hazards present in any undertaking, whether arising from work activities or other factors, e.g. the layout of the work area. It can be used to evaluate the extent of the risk involved, taking into account whatever precautions have already been adopted and to implement a safe system of work.
The Task Specific Method Statement
This highlights the principal safety objectives associated with erection of steelwork, such as the stability of the part erected structure, safe lifting and placing of steel components and safe access and working positions. It covers all aspects of the work from the planning, programming and co-ordination through to the site clearance and handover certification.
The Erection of Low Rise Buildings
Includes advice for duty holders on identifying competent contractors.
Is a step by step guide through the many different aspects of steel bridge erection and the early identification of hazards associated with such work that can often be eliminated or reduced when the designers and planners are made aware of the issues that can often be left for the steel contractor to resolve on site.
Safe Erection of Steel Bridges
Contains technical and practical guidance on the hazards associated with the sometimes complex issues associated with building high structures. It covers hazards such as working at height, lifting operations, hand-arm vibration and noise etc.
Erection of Multi Story Buildings
Is aimed at two parties – the designers to give technical support for the selection of materials and arrangements to be used as this invariably affects the erection sequence. Secondly, it will contain guidance for site management on when the conditions are becoming too dangerous to continue site work, either at height or for lifting operations.
Windy Conditions Guide
Gives practical advice on the best practices to be employed during the installation of deep decking.
Installation of Deep Decking
![SteelConstruction.org - All the information you need about steel construction - Go to home page [Accesskey '0']](/templates/images/logo_site.gif){kind=logo}