OUR BLOG 

 
Below are a number of posts containing useful tips and insights from the Directors of Auxil Limited, acknowledged industry experts and trusted advisors in the fields of Health & Safety and Human Resources, which will hopefully trigger some thoughts or ideas. 
 
Why not join the conversation? We would love to hear your views… 
Whilst noise during construction works is inevitable it’s important to understand the legislation and requirements. Works relating to construction sites could lead to excessive levels of noise produced, which can result in affecting any neighbouring residents and businesses, resulting in a noise nuisance. 
It falls under the person responsible for managing construction sites to adhere to the appropriate noise legislation. Section 60 and 61 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 pertain to noise surrounding construction sites, specifically concerning the works regarding the assembly, construction, alteration, repair of maintenance of buildings, structures and roads, in addition to demolition, dredging and engineering. 
 
In the event of construction works, the local authority must be informed of them prior to commencing and will enforce notices of requirements for how these works must be carried out. These will include the specification of plant or machinery to be used, the hours of works taking place and the level of noise allowed to be emitted in the area. 
The disposal and recycling of electrical waste is imperative given increased volumes of electrical waste generated in the UK in recent years with 2 million tonnes of WEEE items disposed of every year. 
Therefore, these items must be handled with the appropriate regulations and procedures. 
 
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 distils electrical items into ten broad categories as outlined in Schedules 1 and 2: 
• Large household appliances – fridges, cookers, microwaves, washing machines and dishwashers 
• Small household appliances – vacuum cleaners, irons, toasters and clocks 
• IT and telecommunications equipment – personal computers, copying equipment, telephones, 
calculators 
• Consumer equipment – this includes camcorders, hi-fi equipment, musical instruments, radio, 
televisions 
• Lighting equipment – this includes compact and straight fluorescent bulbs, high intensity discharge 
lamps 
• Electrical and electronic tools – drills, saws, sewing machines, electric lawnmowers 
• Toys, leisure and sports equipment – these would include items such as electric trains, games consoles, 
running machines 
• Medical devices – these include analysers, cardiology equipment, dialysis machines, medical freezers 
• Monitoring and control equipment – these include heating regulators, smoke detectors, thermostats 
• Automatic dispensers – these include hot drinks dispensers, money dispensers 
Bats are a protected species under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. If any bats are found on sites prior to works or demolition, they must be kept safe at all times. 
Activities such as renovating, converting or demolishing buildings are activities that can harm bats. 
 
It would be breaking the law if any of the following were to occur on site: 
• The deliberate capturing, injuring or killing of any bats 
• The damaging or destruction of a breeding or resting place 
• Obstructing the access to the resting place or sheltering place 
• The possession, selling, controlling or transportation of live or dead bats 
• Intentionally or recklessly disturbing bats while it’s in a structure or any place of shelter and protection 
 
If any of these were to occur and you are found guilty, this can result in: 
• Up to 6 months imprisonment 
• An unlimited fine 
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 state that it is an employer’s duties to ensure the safety of all employees as well as those who can and will be affected by their work activities. 
This also extends to work pertaining to public roads, as road works require particular safety standards in order to secure the health and safety of all involved. 
 
A risk assessment must be conducted on the public road work to ensure that any and all hazards associated with it are identified and control measures are put into place to reduce the likelihood and risk of these hazards as far as reasonably possible. Any pre-existing services must be looked into via survey drawings of the area and appropriately located with CAT scanners, marked and sectioned off to avoid the risk of contact with services. 
A hop-up is a low-level working platform at the height of 0.5m. They are foldable platforms that allow for work in areas requiring slight elevation such as painting, decorating or installing or removing lighting fixtures. 
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 provide the basic principles in regards to working at height in every means and methods, whether from below ground to on top of buildings, and this would include the parameters set for hop-up platforms. 
 
Prior to any work at height, a risk assessment must be conducted to examine the risks and control measures for the activity. It must be checked if the hop-up is appropriate for the task at hand. The risk of harm to any workers and other site personnel near the hop-up must be taken into account. Any obstructions and hazards in the vicinity also need to be checked, such as the risk of plant activity or loose cables on the floor. To safely use hop-ups, the platform must be unfolded and placed in the work area. The location must be somewhere with stable even ground, no proximity near trenches or other holes in the ground that can make it unbalanced. The equipment set to be on the hop-up must not compromise the ability to conduct work. 
 
Both feet must be kept on the platform to ensure total balance and safety while conducting the necessary activities. Hop-ups have a weight capacity limit that cannot be exceeded, and this can vary depending on the type of hop-up being used, so precautions need to be in place such as the hop-ups available and the kind of equipment that would need to be used. Jumping on the platform and overreaching must also be avoided since this can damage it and result in unbalancing and thus the risk of falling from height. The recommended dimension of the hop-up to be 600mm x 600mm and not exceeding height at 500mm. 300mm wide hop-ups are available but are not as safe as the 600mm. 
The excess of noise on work sites can lead to serious effects on operatives being near or handling noisy work such as power tools or equipment. 
Health and safety requirements for work sites ensure the limitations of noise exposure, from the lowest levels to the excessive which would result in permanent damage over time. Noise is measured in decibels (dB(A)), with the lower exposure action value (accepted lower noise limit) is 80dB(A), while the upper exposure action value is 85dB(A). 87dB(A) is the exposure limit value; it must not be exceeded as repeated exposure will surely affect hearing. 
 
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 state that it is the employer’s responsibility to assess the risk of noise while employees are a work, reduce exposure to these risks, provide hearing protection, maintain the protection and noise limit, provide training to employees and finally to carry out health surveillance on employees. 
 
Loud noises that can affect workers while being used can include power tools, machinery and plant. Hearing loss can occur gradually over time from exposure to noise at work over long a period of time, or from extremely loud sudden noises. This can split into temporary and permanent hearing loss, with temporary loss being a sign that if continued noise exposure occurs, it will result in permanent loss. A side effect of hearing loss can be tinnitus, characterised as a ringing or buzzing noise. If workers have trouble hearing others from at close proximity, it is a sign that ear damage has been sustained. 
Working with electricity on construction sites requires the correct precautions to be taken by both site manager and operatives in order to ensure a safe and sufficient system of work for all involved. 
While electrical equipment can be useful in site activities, it presents just as much risk of harm and even death if it is not assessed before use. 
 
It is important when working with electrical equipment that the system is isolated and turned off when not in use, as doing so reduces the risk of accidents involving electricity. An electric shock can vary from a minor injury to fatal, especially depending on whether low or high voltage is used. A risk assessment and a safe isolation procedure must be put in place before any work with electrical systems are conducted. 
 
It is important for employers to ensure the safety of employees when driving vehicles, whether they are driving cars, vans, motorbikes etc, on the road as part of a work activity. Just as much as health and safety laws apply to all construction sites, they also apply to when employees drive on the road. The driver’s health and the condition of the vehicle are to be assessed prior to driving, as the driver’s mental and physical health affect their driving, along with the vehicle not being in a good condition, can increase the risk of danger on the road. 
 
A risk assessment must be carried out as part of health and safety arrangements, taking into account the driver, the vehicle and the journey to be taken. The following hazards to consider include: 
• The condition of the vehicle 
• The roadworks, traffic and congestion 
• Weather 
• Fatigue and/or distractions 
• Pressure of time 
• The behaviour of other drivers 
 
Tips on providing former employee references 
 
Employers do not have to provide a reference for a former employee but, if you do, the reference must be true, fair and accurate. Providing a misleading or inaccurate reference could lead to, under principles of negligent misstatement, a claim for damages from both the former employee and new employer. 
 
Employers should be particularly cautious when providing references for employees who have been dismissed for gross misconduct or left in similar circumstances. The employer should, in this instance, communicate the issues accurately. The employer should also be careful to make very clear if the allegations have, or have not, been investigated. 
 
Many employers now only provide a ‘bare minimum’ reference, but this should not be used as a means of concealing something serious. 
The storage of fuel on construction sites must be secured at all times, as all fuel is flammable and even combustible depending on the particular fuel substances and requirements needed for such a reaction. 
 
Fuel on site can be flammable liquids, which can spill or leak out and could result in fires and Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions, and flammable gases that can result in a confined or unconfined explosion. 
 
All fuel must be kept away from all hot works or other activities that could introduce heat to the canisters and thus help to create a fire or explosion. This would include screens for hot works and keeping fuel away from cables which could result in electrical arcs in equipment. Bowsers and tanks are to be typically used for storage of plant fuel, with bowser to be sufficiently grounded so that there is no risk of an imbalance and toppling over, thus reducing the potential hazard of damage to the environment. 

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