Guest Post: On site metal work: the fire hazards to be aware of

Working with metal, be it welding or laser cutting, is never risk free. Staff must be well trained and proper safety regulations must be in place to prevent serious injury or even loss of life.

Metal workers will often be working with materials and equipment at an extremely high temperature. This means fire is always a risk and can become a reality within seconds if adequate measures are not put in place. Here are some points to bear in mind to help prevent a fire happening in the workplace:

Staff training
The vast majority of fires in the workplace are a result of human error. Momentary lapses in concentration or straying from procedure can result in a fire being started. Metal working tools require specialist training and no staff member should ever be allowed to use a piece of equipment they are not fully trained in the use of.

Staff should also know what to do if they do discover a fire, and where the nearest exits are.

Chemical storage
Industrial cleaning products are often flammable. As a consequence of this, they should always be properly stored in an appropriate location, away from sources of ignition. The type of storage you use should be relative to the level of risk posed by each chemical.

Correct use of electrical equipment
Having metalworking equipment on site means you will be dealing with heavy electrical loads. This poses ignition risks through sparks and risk of electric shocks.

Safety measures such as circuit breakers should be put in place and all equipment should be appropriately grounded. Plug sockets should never be overloaded and equipment should never be operated with wet hands.

Smoking precautions
Smoking should be designated to an area far away from combustible materials. Some chemicals can generate flammable vapours. This should be taken into account when you designate your smoking area.

Fire precautions
High fire risks posed by equipment make sprinkler systems highly recommended. These systems should be installed and maintained by a certified contractor. The correct fire extinguishers should be provided and staff should be trained in their use.

Cleanliness in the workplace
Dust rags, paper and other flammable materials should be stored away correctly. Having these around the workplace can lead to an increased risk of fire. Spills should be cleaned quickly and wet floor signs should be used.

The risks associated with metal work are a real threat and can cause fires if they are not taken seriously. With correct staff training and appropriate preventative measures, these risks can be successfully minimised.

This piece was written by Mark Enright, a writer for for Yorkshire Profiles, a laser cutting, water cutting and fabrication provider.

Guest Post: Structural engineering on your site: the health and safety of support structures

Structural engineering is the designing and construction of structures which are built to bear or resist loads. During the construction of support structures, temporary supports known as falseworks are needed until the structure can support itself.

Falseworks are defined as: Any temporary structure used to support a permanent structure while it is not self-supporting.

Any collapse in falsework can lead to the collapse of any building work it is supporting. This can cause injuries or even loss of life as well as being extremely costly. As a result there are extensive health and safety guidelines in place to prevent against this happening.

As a contractor it is your duty to:

• Ensure falsework doesn’t collapse under load
• Reduce health and safety risks of anyone who may be working upon the falsework from falling objects or hazardous materials
• Make sure your workers are properly equipped to do their job

Many of the health and safety requirements relating to falsework are linked to the requirements for employees working at height. You should ensure that:

• All work at height on the support structures is adequately planned and necessary
• All staff should be properly trained
• All work must be appropriately supervised
• Correct health and safety equipment must be provided

All support structures must be designed specifically for the task at hand, by people qualified in the field.

The materials used must be undamaged and strong enough to be stable in use. All proprietary components must be the same unless approved by an expert in the field.

Other points that should be kept in mind when using falseworks are:

• Foundations should be secure and stable
• Special attention should be paid to making the structure weatherproof
• Structures should be built according to plans provided

Using support structures is often essential to modern structural engineering. For further reading please visit the official HSE website.

This piece was written by Mark Enright, a writer for Subcon Laser Cutting, leading UK based subcontract manufacturing service provider.

Guest post: Working from heights: the regulations you must follow to protect your staff

‘Working at height’ is defined as a place where the worker could injure themselves if they fell. Falls from height are the number one fatal injury within the construction business and were responsible for 26% of deaths in 2010/2011.

The latest Working at Height restrictions came into force in 2005. These regulations outline the regulations you must follow in order to ensure your staff are not working under unnecessary risk.

These regulations are split into two parts: requirements for employers and requirements for employees.

To comply with regulations, employers must ensure:

• Duty holders avoid working at height if possible
• They provide adequate safety equipment where it is possible to do so
• All work at height must be properly planned and weather conditions must be taken into account
• All workers must be extensively trained in all dangers of working at height, including how to minimise injury if a fall does occur
• Equipment must be properly maintained
• Risks from working on fragile surfaces and falling objects must be controlled.

Employees have the responsibility to:

• Report any faulty equipment to their line manager
• Make sure to use any equipment provided in the manner they have been trained

A disproportionate amount of accidents in the workplace are related to the use of ladders. Because of this there are regulations that must be followed in order to reduce this amount:

• Ladders must be inspected before each use
• Bodyweight should be centered
• Hands and feet should always be on the rungs of the ladder - not the sides
• Footwear worn when using ladders should be nonslip and clean

To prevent the ladder slipping these steps should be taken:

• The ladder should be set up on a level, firm surface
• Ladder feet should be checked daily
• Both the top and bottom should be secured
• The top should be rested on a level,firm surface

To prevent the ladder from breaking:

• Do not exceed the weight limit
• Don’t carry heavy loads up the ladder
• Make sure the ladder is correctly angled against whatever it is resting upon
• Carry out routine maintenance, and report any problems

Working at height can pose a health risk to your employees if regulations are not followed and respected. The Working at Height Restrictions can be read in full here. This piece was written by Mark Enright, a writer for Enviko, award winning renewable energy specialist.