Shedding some light on winter safety
December 1st 2007

Ice, snow, rain and plummeting temperatures make the conditions for working outdoors particularly hazardous. Steve Martin, managing director of sign installation and maintenance firm, Xmo Strata, explains how companies can step-up safety awareness and preempt potential winter catastrophes

"We may believe that common sense will prevail when it comes to working safely in the cold and wet winter months," said Mr Martin. "However, it is in these conditions that it will often fail us. The key is to go right back to basics and highlight the areas that can be so easily overlooked."

High risks in the sign industry include: Falls from height Under-qualified crews working outside of their capabilities Incorrect use of mobile scaffold towers Inadequate use of barriers to secure the working area Insufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Working at height Working at height always carries with it the potential for serious accidents. Slippery platforms, safety harnesses not being used or being attached incorrectly, access hatches being propped open, high winds, incorrect erection of scaffold towers and red warning tape being used as a barrier (providing little visual warning and no protection from moving vehicles), are just a small number of things to look out for when working above ground level.

The most important thing to ascertain before commencing work at height is: can the work be completed from the ground? If the answer is no, then the correct procedures that are second nature to any safety professional should be put in place in line with the hierarchy of risk control: Eliminate Reduce Isolate Control PPE Discipline

A working at height checklist should be developed and completed, windspeed should be checked (depending on the risk assessment, work should not commence in winds of more than 17mph on mobile scaffold towers, and 24mph on mobile elevated work platforms), PPE should be worn, safety harnesses should be inspected properly and registered, lanyards must be of the appropriate length and all components of a scaffold tower must be registered to that specific tower only.

Crew qualifications Professional companies will endeavor to provide up-todate training for their employees, and insist upon certain qualifications before commencing any work. With sufficient training, crews are prepared for the work they undertake, and in the event of an accident, companies have proof that staff had the relevant certifications at the time of the incident.

The minimum qualifications held by engineers should include PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers Association), IPAF (International Powered Access Federation), CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) and a Safety Harness certification. Some companies, including Xmo Strata, also insist on asbestos identification, fire and first aid, manual handling and safety passport accreditation and slinger/banksmen courses. More specialised training is required for electrical tradesmen.

Securing the work area If areas of work are not sufficiently cordoned off, crew and members of the public are at high risk of injury. Rigid barriers should be used on all sites. Crew vans with reflective markings offer a safe means of isolating the work area form moving traffic (such as a petrol forecourt).

Cones and reflective tape can also be used as a visual deterrent, but is not a suitable physical barrier to drivers.

PPE A PPE register should be used by all companies to ensure that protective equipment is regularly checked and serviced, to comply with current legislation. Safety helmets, high visibility vests, boots, eye protection, gloves and safety harnesses should be provided to all crews and should comply with the European standards.

Assessing a site and recording incidents "We are all human and therefore all fallible, however, if the correct procedures are in place and the correct equipment is supplied, the dangers of fatalities and nearmisses can be greatly reduced," said Mr Martin.

Before work commences on any site, a full site survey should be undertaken. This will highlight any high risk areas, allowing for preventative procedures to be put in place. Comprehensive risk assessments should be completed for every job on every site, and all engineers should be up-to-scratch on this requirement.

Toolbox Talks, (free safety resources available online at www.toolboxtalks.com) are an ideal way of updating staff on current issues and addressing any problems that may be occurring. Xmo Strata issues health and safety bulletins to all staff and customers on a fortnightly basis; these are also uploaded onto the company's website, allowing everyone to be updated on potential hazards and instances of near-misses.

"Reporting near-misses is not something to be ashamed of," said Mr Martin. "Every company will have them; it is only by reporting them and re-assessing safety procedures that they can be analysed in depth, the underlying causes identified and remedial steps taken to avoid a repeat incident (with potentially more serious consequences) in the future."

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