Health and Safety Nightmare!
How about this for a ‘recipe’...
- One old bridge – swept away by a raging river.
- Two constricted, waterlogged workplaces – each with difficult access and split by the river. (By the way, they’re also Sites of Special Scientific Interest.)
- 82 Sappers – well mixed together with plenty of heavy plant (tractors, cranes, dumpers, rollers and compactors).
- A good fistful of ‘serious’ pressure, i.e. it must be done ASAP.
- 330 contractors’ lorries delivering materials to the site.
- A steady drenching of bad weather (–5ºC temperatures and heavy rain).
- A goodly squeeze of national media interest.
- Crush in plenty of visitors wanting to see (and be seen at) the site.
- Season with ‘Working at Height Regs’ and a few lifejackets for working over icy water.
- The task to run 24/7 – all until nicely done!
Sounds like it could be a total disaster – and to be avoided at ALL costs! . . .
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"Absolutely not" . . . says 2Lt Jonathan Farminer RE. He was the officer in 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron, Royal Engineers, tasked with bringing together all the complex H&S aspects of the ‘high profile’ temporary footbridge project at Workington in Cumbria last November. |
Some might have found the task daunting – but not Jonathan. Having recently completed his RE Young Officers’ course, where he had covered the management of site safety including the production of Risk Assessments, it was just another part of the job. He commented:
"The implementation of H&S shouldn’t be perceived as a problem. Quite the opposite. Effective usage of H&S actually prevents problems. It needn’t be regarded as difficult either. H&S is partly based on experience but largely derived from common sense." He went on to add that "You need to count on the expertise of others. So long as the crews performing the tasks are properly trained and using safe practices (and safe equipment – Ed) you simply have to play your part by ensuring that the required standards are met and maintained." Sound advice.
Making the main site safe and suitable was the Squadron’s first task. Five major Risk Assessments for the different phases of the operation had to be written and assembled into the crucially important ‘Bridge Site Health and Safety File’. Then all the mandatory safety notices had to be posted at all the site entrances. Finding copies of the required signage was a challenge at short notice. (Ed’s hint – see the ‘Free H&S Signs’ link, right). He was able to call on the RE ‘Reach Back’ library at the RE Depot at Chatham for proven documentation that had already been used in similar situations. He was also very well supported by the 64 Engineer Works Group from Chetwynd Bks, Nottingham, who provided help with the production and review of the all the technical Risk Assessments and the calculations connected with building the bridge.
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Lt Farminer made the point that communication and team work on the site was critical. He was particularly impressed with how the SNCOs played their parts in managing and ensuring safe operating conditions across the two sites. He singled out the role of the experienced Squadron Sergeant Major as one of the key safety appointments. |
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Apart from the torrent of visitors who needed to be togged up in hard hats and high vis jackets (and be escorted) there were remarkably few safety concerns on the site. Just one minor injury in nearly 8,000 man-hours of heavy construction work on site is an excellent safety record. |
Jonathan’s initial point of the application of common sense coupled with good communications and well trained soldiers doing their jobs right actually made a serious construction challenge into just another task. Potential nightmares were avoided as the project was well handled and professionally executed by an armoured engineer squadron that clearly has a strong and positive safety culture.
The footbridge was opened by the Armed Forces Minister, Mr Bill Rammell on 7th Dec 2009. It is now known as the Barker Crossing in memory of PC Bill Barker who died during the Workington floods.