The Deadly First Eight Hours On Site!

On every demolition safety awareness course that C&D deliver we discuss site inductions and “What if?” particularly when new starters are involved on projects, as statistics show that you are more likely to be killed or injured on your first day at work than at any other time.

So why are the first eight hours so deadly? Is it because the job is unfamiliar? The site induction was not done? The new man has not been sufficiently trained? The new man has not worked for months so is a little “rusty”? The new man is pleased to be working so he is “too keen” and ends up in situations that he would not be in if he wasn’t so keen?

It can be any of these scenarios, but whichever it is the outcome leads to serious injury or death.

This week has seen a number of articles reported in the construction and demolition press where a new starter has been involved in an accident resulting in life changing injuries such as

http://press.hse.gov.uk/2013/construction-company-and-director-in-court-after-roof-fall/

And where Dan Whiston was crushed to death in a dumper accident

http://www.middevongazette.co.uk/Dumper-truck-driver-crushed-death-day-new-job/story-20095075-detail/story.html

These follow a familiar and highly dangerous route of putting untrained people to work without a formal induction in areas where they can be harmed and as an industry, be it demolition or construction, we cannot allow this to continue.

Ever since the NDTG Demolition Manager course was written, Day 4 of the course has included a section on why buildings collapse and it includes details of a contract where, yet again, a worker died on his first day on the job in an untrained demolition crew working at Moor Park School in Ludlow

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-wm-20110.htm

Every one of these accidents that caused life changing injuries or death was preventable and we, as an industry, failed the victims.

Let us all agree, let us pledge, and let us all do everything in our power to reduce the number of accidents in the first eight hours on site by some of the following simple steps:-

• All new starters MUST undergo a site induction covering the items listed in the Construction Design & Management Regulations 2007 regulation 13.4 which clearly sets out the areas of concern that should be fully explained to all new starters.
• Before any new starter gets near to a demolition site let us make sure that they attend an NDTG Demolition & Asbestos Awareness course delivered by C&D trainers or another NDTG approved training organisation.
• Pair up any new starter with an experienced “buddy” for the first seven days at least until the new starter understands the job and the hazards related to it.
• Allow only experienced competent persons with the correct tickets to drive demolition and construction plant and make sure that there is NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Clearly explain what exclusion zones mean and that plant can be dangerous.
• Ensure that all work at height is properly planned.
• Ensure that all workers have a trained supervisor with them at all times.

Going home safely from work is not a mission statement it is a god given right so let us all work harder to prevent accidents and pay particular attention to new starters in the first eight hours as they could be the deadly hours.