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

[Buzz]

Just link them here ? If you design one yourself what about liability ?

[Steve Bullman]

i give up:001_huh:

[Stephen Blair]

its all about helping each other, thats all.

[dillsue]

Just like to add a couple of tips from experience in the construction industry-

 

Someone earlier said they have less than 5 employees so didnt have to do risk assessments- I think that everyone has to do them for all work regardless of number of employees or whether you are employed or self employed. They need to be done to protect everyone at work and the public.

 

RA's need to be done for all tasks so that the task can be done as safely as possible. There's no obligation to record the RA by writing it down or dictating it, BUT if you dont record it and an accident happens you may well be up to your neck in it!

 

Picture this- a new freelance climber starts for you and as the supervisor you do a verbal site specific RA spotting a week branch in the tree. Your new numpty climber puts his anchor over the branch and it gives way. Without a record of the RA your gonna find it difficult to convince his widows barrister, and the court, that both of you spotted the branch and he was aware of it. With a written RA, noting the rot in the branch you probably wont even get to court. On top of this you've got a potential HSE prosecution to deal with. Again, with a written RA the accident will be put down to negilgence on the climbers part and not yours.

 

Always do a site specific RA. If you format the RA correctly it takes 5 mins to complete and gives you peace of mind that you have checked everything within reason and acted with due diligence.

 

For the small apple tree in the backgarden its your choice, but watch out for the taped up live elec cable running up the back of the stem to the point where the old flood light used to be!

[Stephen Blair]

thats good info mate, what would you class as the most basic RA that would pass the test.

[dillsue]

thats good info mate, what would you class as the most basic RA that would pass the test.

 

Unfortunately there isnt a "test" as such so you dont have a clear cut check list to work through and make sure you have covered everything.

 

What you have to do take all reasonable care in the work you do. This means that you have to look at all the reasonably forseeable hazards that could injure someone while doing the work. The definition of "reasonably forseeable" isnt defined anywhere as it varies with every job and site. For example a gaping big sink hole opening up and swallowing the tree and a climber isnt normally forseeable and if this happened and it wasnt in your risk assessment you are unlikely to be in trouble for anyone getting hurt.

 

However, if the same thing happened where you lived in an area of old shallow mine workings and there was a warning sign on the road up to the tree, then you would need to include it in your RA. If you didnt, then you would be negligent for ignoring the sign and local knowledge.

 

The starting point for your RA is to consider all the hazards that the relevant LANTRA/NPTC courses include. As a trained operator you would be negilgent if you didnt cover all these as you did the course and passed the assessment so are expected to know about them. As an example, if your RA didnt mention a structural check on the root system for recent heave or excavation damage, and the tree fell over with a climber in it, then you would be on sticky ground as these are both checks covered by the professional qualification(CS38) that you have.

 

After the basics you need to think of anything not covered by the LANTRA/NPTC that might be relevant to your specific task or site- such as the sink hole where there is a sign warning about subsidence.

 

I've followed the LANTRA/NPTC checks and added a section for any quirks of the specific site.

[Stephen Blair]

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?

[Buzz]

Stevie, PM me your email address and I'll send you one over tomorrow when I get in.

[Stephen Blair]

ha ha, then i can steal all your work wohohohhahahaha:lol:

[Buzz]

Whatever don't bother then !