Risk assessments and method statements...for the last time, hopefully!

[Andy Collins]

How many of you fill in the Risk Assessments on each site upon arrival? In the past, R/A's had to be filled in on the way to the jobs to save time on site, or on the journey home, utterly pointless exercise imo, and made a complete farce of the whole thing, making it meaningless. I would fill them in on site anyway, as I understand it it would be a legal doc in a court of law.

No-ones sayng that we should share client lists, contract details here Buzz, just help each other by sharing info that makes all our lives easier in the ever increasing red tape war. It doesnt matter whether you are a newbie with a one man band, or a multi-national consortium with a massive world-wide business, red tape is red tape and a bane to us all. If you dont wish to contribute, thats fine, just stick to posting pics of all your big kit for us to drool over, unless of course that lets any trade secrets out!!

[dillsue]

cheers, the first ra i ever saw was very basic, location, staff, whos in charge, local hospital, helicopter landing zone, first aider(if there was one) then just a brief bit of writing about the task in hand and what to look out for(i know this is now entering methos statement teritory) then it all got a bit storytelling and site agents would only pass it if it looked like one they had seen before. then my guy sent me a tick box a5 booklet with 2 sheets and a blott page. I had all my folders of stuff and generic corrisponding with a tick list on the A5, it was really easy. i would just look through my stuff, right down all the corrisponding numbers, tick a few boxes and hand all my folders into the portacabin of the site i was working in and pick it up when i left, but i was wondering if i could go back to the basic A4 sheet with a few headings, write down all the visual stuff, point all this all out to the groundie as we do anyway before we start, both sign it and stick it in the cab of the van? all my jobs are little domestics so all the folder stuff seems a bit OTT. what do you think?

 

It sounds like you're already doing the right thing:thumbup: The site specific emergency details need to be completed for each site, but this isnt the risk assessment.

 

I have a single A4 check list that prompts me to consider all the likely risks. As each hazard area is reveiwed I just tick it off if its covered by the generic risk assessments. If the generic risk assessments dont cover a site specific quirk then I can add further comments/control measures to the check sheet so that the "quirk" is covered. The final check is that there are no unusual hazards on the site, such as the sink hole mentioned previously. Doing this I beleive covers all the reasonably foreseeable hazards which is all you can be expected to do.

 

If I knew how to attach my docs to the posting I'd attach them for you, but I dont!!! Anyone know how this is done?

[Andy Clark]

Gents,

 

I've admittedly only skimmed through the pages of this thread, but I think it's fair to say that the original point seems to have been lost.

 

I think what Stevie B was trying to do, was compile a set of comprehensive H&S docs, to ultimately be used as an online resource for peeps to access and use when required (in much the same way as the generic Method Statement can be found on the AA site); subsequently asking people to post the physical docs on this link.

 

I understand that many of you see this as committing "commercial suicide", and are perhaps a bit reluctant to give away work for gratis, that may have taken hours (if not days) to write and compile, but what I will say is this.......

 

How any of us Arbtalkers have already benefited in some way/shape/form from the info that already exists within the sites hallowed pages?? (Quite a few of us, I'd wager!)

 

Is it then really to much to ask, for a small amount in return in order to carry on the trend of the site providing assistance to others??

 

I mean, consider this...... would you have still benefited, if the particular info that you found useful had not have been posted?? (probably not)

 

So can we please keep this thread on track, and keep it in-line with the purpose with which it was intended. Either add a doc, or shushh. (before Mr Bullman caves his skull in with the repeated "banging it against a brick wall")

 

 

There, rant over.

 

 

Below is a basic list of all H&S docs that uk Arb companies should have. It's not exhaustive or limited, so if anyone has any others, can they please add to the list.

 

• Current Health and Safety Policy Statement, with a clearly defined Management Responsibility Structure.

 

• Risk Assessment Policy in accordance with The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Method Statements

Clearly defined Risk assessing procedure (Site Specific/Generic)

Review (Frequency and date of next review)

 

• Hazard Reporting and Investigation Policy in accordance with RIDDOR 1998

Clearly defined Reporting Procedure

Investigation Protocol

 

• Accident and Incident Reporting Policy in accordance with RIDDOR 1998

Clearly defined Accident and Incident Reporting Procedure

Non Employees/Members of the Public

 

• Control of Hazardous Substances Policy in accordance with COSHH 1998

COSHH and Pesticide Safety Procedure and FEPA Requirements

COSHH Assessment Procedure

Spill and Contamination Procedure

 

• Fire and Explosion Avoidance Policy in accordance with DSEAR 2002

Appropriate and Identified Fuel/Substance Storage

ATEX Zoning

Fire Safety Training/Designated Fire Marshall

Defined Smoking/No-Smoking Areas

Fire Extinguisher provisions

 

• Personal Protective Equipment Policy in accordance with the PUWER 1992 and Noise at Work Regulations 1989

PPE Requirements and Issue procedure

Independent LOLER Inspection/examination procedures for PPE Issue Climbing Equipment

Requesting re-issue/replacement procedure

 

• Tools and Equipment Maintenance Policy in accordance with the PUWER 1992 and Noise at Work Regulations 1989

Defect Reporting Procedure

Routine Maintenance Schedule

Independent LOLER Examination/Inspection Procedure for Lifting and Lowering equipment

Maintenance Responsibility

 

• Working at Height Policy in accordance with the Work at Height Regulations 2005

Ladder usage

MEWP usage

Work at Height Avoidance

 

• Waste/Green Waste disposal Policy in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005

Woodchip and Log Disposal procedures

Recycling

Waste Carrier Registration

Waste Transfer operations

 

• Working Adjacent Highways Policy in accordance with the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991

Working on Highways

Use of signs and cones

Marking out of worksites (Chapter 8)

 

 

The list is not perfect (but that's not the point, so please don't start diverting the thread again), but it serves as a good source of guidance to the basic requirements, and over the course of the next few day, i'll be adding "edited" versions of the docs that I have.

 

Let's keep the ball rolling eh??

[Curvey Burrs]

I would just like to say in Buzz defence that he kindly sent me through a document before I went on holiday because I hadn't the time to sit down for hours and think it out for myself, this is where this thread comes in handy.

Surely Andy the above is taking it to extreme if its only you and your groundie/climber, does that meant if a bit of a saw is broken you have to stop everything and go fill in a form to get it repaired, surely a large amount of cursing always attracks the attention of your bud as to what is wrong??

[Andy Clark]

Surely Andy the above is taking it to extreme if its only you and your groundie/climber, does that meant if a bit of a saw is broken you have to stop everything and go fill in a form to get it repaired, surely a large amount of cursing always attracks the attention of your bud as to what is wrong??

 

No, course it doesn't CB. What it means is that you should work towards a point whereby you put measures in place to make sure that when something (eg a saw, as you mention) gets broken, it DOES actually end up getting fixed, rather than just put back on the shelf, only to get taken out the next day to curses of "I wish I'd fixed that poxy saw".

 

But it's not from the "Convenience" standpoint of having a saw that works, it's from the H&S point of the possibility of someone else ending up being injured as a result of the damaged saw.

 

Put it into the context of the stop bar on a chipper, or perhaps an even better example would be a break light on a transit. We all know how often they get broken, and we all know how frustrating and costly it is to have to keep replacing them........ but what are the implications that arise if/when it goes unfixed for weeks on end?

 

 

I think CB, that it needs keeping in context. Small companies do still need to be compliant, but would obviously not get judged or treated in the same manner as a large company, as for them there is undoubtedly no excuse for being non compliant with the full extent.

And let's not also forget that it's not only members of small companies that use this site. If some of the bigger boys wanna add their docs that relate to the list that i've added, then surely you're quids in and then have that policy at your disposal??

 

 

At the end of the day, to my best knowledge no one in this country has ever been prosecuted for trying to do the right thing, where as prosecutions for negligence though, are pretty much 10 a penny these days. Why? Because people try and play the system. POINTLESS!

No point in even trying to thesedays, as you WILL loose; perhaps even moreso as time progresses, awareness is increased and more prosecution cases come to light.

 

 

Anyway, as i've said, the list itself is not up for debate...... it's there to be a guide as to what docs to add.

[Steve Bullman]

Gents,

 

I've admittedly only skimmed through the pages of this thread, but I think it's fair to say that the original point seems to have been lost.

 

I think what Stevie B was trying to do, was compile a set of comprehensive H&S docs, to ultimately be used as an online resource for peeps to access and use when required (in much the same way as the generic Method Statement can be found on the AA site); subsequently asking people to post the physical docs on this link.

 

I understand that many of you see this as committing "commercial suicide", and are perhaps a bit reluctant to give away work for gratis, that may have taken hours (if not days) to write and compile, but what I will say is this.......

 

How any of us Arbtalkers have already benefited in some way/shape/form from the info that already exists within the sites hallowed pages?? (Quite a few of us, I'd wager!)

 

Is it then really to much to ask, for a small amount in return in order to carry on the trend of the site providing assistance to others??

 

I mean, consider this...... would you have still benefited, if the particular info that you found useful had not have been posted?? (probably not)

 

So can we please keep this thread on track, and keep it in-line with the purpose with which it was intended. Either add a doc, or shushh. (before Mr Bullman caves his skull in with the repeated "banging it against a brick wall")

 

 

There, rant over.

 

 

 

Let's keep the ball rolling eh??

 

thanks andy, spot on:thumbup:

[Dean Lofthouse]

I called andy one day for a bit of advice on a dying elm, he never charged me for his time, we chatted for about 10minutes and that saved me a whole lot of work. next time i see him i will get him a pint and a burger:thumbup:i call dean and huck every week for advice, thats what good guys do for each other:thumbup1:

 

Why aren't you only ten minutes when you ring me, I had to get the customer to bring me a chair the last time you rang, my legs went weak after 1 hour 20 minutes

[Steve Bullman]

do what the rest of us do dean, just put the phone on the table and let him talk while you carry on whatever you're doing. he never notices!

[David oakman]

It would be very kind if someone could send me a daily R/A form i have one which i fill in every job but it is well out of line with the current way of thinking.

I need to update this as the woods department needs to come into the right century. I think if this site could have all these forms ready to download and always up to date it would be very helpful and would save most of us searching the web for them:thumbup:

[Mesterh]

It would be very kind if someone could send me a daily R/A form i have one which i fill in every job but it is well out of line with the current way of thinking.

 

Same here I could do with one that takes a silly short amount of time to fill in, its only too look good for H&S reasons if I am going to be completely honest.

 

IMO useful RA's are done on site throughout the day/time your there. We always have a quick look about on every job before we even get the gear out of the truck no matter how small a job, just to check if there are any potential probs and if things change we tell each other about it.

 

Filling in a bit of paper can, sometimes be a false sense of security in thinking that someone else is responsible for whatever happens and I dont need to think for myself.