Two Temporary Works training dates for your calendar

Over on our Demolition Training website we have details of two new dates (very soon!) for Temporary Works training.

Please head on over to the training site to find out more, and to book your places.

How Temporary Is Temporary And Does It Matter?

A recent review of HSE News bulletins and trade headlines to see if we had missed anything important, other than the start of new CDM Regulations, over Easter, has shown the high number of times the phrase Temporary Works has been used. This got me thinking, what are they and how long do they have to be there before they become permanent? In fact, the first thing I found is that time is not really an issue at all, rather it is the reason for them being that which is important.

“Temporary works are the parts of a construction/demolition project that are needed to enable the permanent works to be built/demolished. Usually they are removed after use - ie access scaffolds, props, shoring, excavation support, falsework and formwork, etc. Sometimes they are incorporated into the permanent works - ie. haul road foundations and crane or piling platforms may be used for hardstanding or road foundations.” HSE Website.

This can be one of the reasons why Temporary Works continue to create so many problems on sites across the country. For example, that one acrow prop may only be needed for one day, but it may be even more important than the scaffold that is there for the week.

The legal requirement is that the “party in control must ensure that work is allocated and carried out in a manner that does not create unacceptable risk of harm to workers or members of the public.”

On projects with relatively simple Temporary Works needs, you may choose not to appoint a Temporary Works Co-ordinator. However, you must still make sure that Temporary Works are properly managed to ensure safety. Heras fencing, hoarding, ramps, footpath crossings, scaffold, site cabins are all classed as temporary works and need to be managed accordingly.

Further details on coming Temporary Works training will be released shortly, in the meantime if you have any questions please give us a call or send an email to stuart@demolishdismantle.co.uk

And Now The Weather Forecast – Wind, Wind and more Wind!

Autumn is traditionally the time of year for those South Westerly gales to be blowing across the country on a regular basis. Whilst they can bring obvious problems with working at height and creating dust, other, equally important issues need to be considered.

What about, for instance, your site hoardings or other types of barriers or fencing. They are all temporary works and as such need careful consideration and planning when being built, to ensure that high winds are taken in to consideration.

As past cases show, all too often these sorts of issues are not considered. The results can often be not only personal injuries to others, but financial costs to the companies.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-em-11013.htm

That's just one example of a prosecution by the HSE which illustrates the point.

Why not book a Temporary Works Course by emailing margaret@demolishdismantle.co.uk to learn about how to avoid these problems.

So you think you don't need Temporary Works Designer, Co-ordinator and Supervisor training?

Both the NDTG and C&D are currently running Temporary Works Co-ordinator and Supervisor training courses to prepare people for the work involved when carrying out temporary works on site, such as hoarding erection and loading of slabs in a temporary condition and I bet the site manager on this contract wished that he had been on the course!

When applying temporary loads to slabs it is a great idea to check that the slab will actually take the loads you intend to apply to them otherwise you may end up with a costly mistake such as this one in Australia.

A brand new crane on it's first ever job positioned on a slab that was not designed to take point loads. Here's what happened:








Why not book your place on the temporary works course now, and whilst you are doing so how about booking an appointed person course at the same time? Contact margaret@demolishdismantle.co.uk for further details.

Temporary Works Seminar on May 22nd

The Temporary Works Seminar is set to take place on May 22nd at the Princess Royal Suite at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. The seminar covers the following:

How things go wrong including:
Mobile Cranes
Structural Steelwork
Falsework

Session 1 & 2 both cover:
Mobile crane piling platforms - Jonothan Mack (Keepmoat)
Scaffolding - Ivan McManus and Martin Reader (Morgan Sindall)
Site set up - Chris Bennion (Keir Construction)
Excavations - Steve Hall (Costain)
Propping - Michael Greenhalgh (Lend Lease)

There's also the following to look forward to in the afternoon:
DfMA – The implications for temporary works - Martin Holland & John Carson (Laing O’Rourke)
Catastrophic events - Mike Cross (HSE)
Q&A Panel
Overview - John Carpenter

Registration starts at 8am and the day runs to 3:30pm with refreshments being available throughout as well as there being a lunch.

The reason the seminar exists is because there have been a number of high profile incidents in recent years which has highlighted the often poor management of temporary works during construction projects. The seminar aims to increase the understanding of the management of temporary works and will provide details on the successful management of typical temporary works scenarios.

To book you place, please email karen.nicholson@hse.gsi.gov.uk. Please include the names of your delegates, their positions, and contacts details.