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Construction is a high-risk industry. Heres theHigh 5 that will help you keep safeand healthy.

Remember to:

Plan andorganise what you do

Makesureyoure trained and competent and know the

special risksin yourtrade

Raise problemswith yoursupervisor or safetyrep

HIGH2 FALLS FROM HEIGH TFalls from height are the biggest cause of fatal and serious injuries inconstruction. They account for 5 0% of all deat hs. Many accidents

involve fal ls f rom roofs, through fragi le mater ia ls, f rom ladders andfrom leading edges.

Generally, make sure you:

Work from a safeand secureplaceor platform withproper

edge protection Usescaffoldsand scaffold towersthat are competently erected

Usepowered accessequipment safely

Protect holesandleading edges,eg with guardrailsandtoe boards

Whenworking on roofs never:

Work in poor weather

Work onslopingroofs without edge protect ion

Throw downwasteor equipment

Take care when working on or near fragi le m ater ia l -

you can fal l through as well as of f i t .

Ladders:

Onlyuseladdersfor l ightwork ofshort durat ionif theresnosafer alternative

Angleand securethemto preventsl ipping(1 outfor4 up)

Alwaysmake sure laddersare properly maintained

Never over-reach

HIGH3 MANUAL HANDLINGManual handling in j ur ies from working with heavy, awkwardmaterials, often in cold and wet conditions, are one of the most

common reasons why workers leave construction. Injuries are madeworse by repetitive jobs, such as laying heavy blocks.

Usemechanical means,eg hoists, teleportersand chutesrather

thanhods

Choose equipment suitablefor thejob and keep it maintained Changeto lighter materials,bagsetc

Avoid repetitive handling

Avoid awkwardm ovements

Protect yourself and reduce the strain

HSEfree leaflet Preventingslips, trips and falls at workINDG225

HSEfree information sheet Provisionof welfare facilities at transientconstruction sitesCIS46

HSEfreeinformation sheet General access scaffoldsand laddersCIS49(rev1)

HSEfree leaflet Workingon roofsINDG284

M O RE I N F O R M A T I O N M O RE I N F O R M A T I O N

HSE free leaflet Getting to grips with manual handlingINDG143(rev1)

MO RE I N F O R M A T I O N

HSEfreeinformation sheet Construction sitetransport safety:Safe useof compact dumpersCIS52

MO RE I N F O R M A T I O N

HIGH4 TRANSPORTWorkplace transport incidents are the second most common cause offatal i t ies af ter fa l ls f rom height.

Use barriersand warningsignsto separatevehiclesand people

Create clearancearound slewing vehicles

Avoid reversing - whereyou cant, usetrained banksmen

Makesureloadsare secure

Dont use plantand vehicleson dangerousslopes

Only takepassengerson vehiclesdesignedto take them

Makesurevehiclesarem aintainedand operatorsaretrainedWhen people and vehicles coll ide, people come off

worse - so keep them apart!

HIGH1 THE BASICS:

Tidy sites and d ecent w elfar eTidy sites and decent welfare are the basics of a good site.Slips and trips are the most common cause of injuries at work.

Anuntidysiteis a poorly managed site.

All sites need decent welfare facilities. The minimum welfarerequirements are:

Clean toilets

Running hotand coldwater withsoapand towels

Basinslargeenough toimmerseyourarmsup tothe elbows

Drinkingwater

Somewherewarm,dry andclean tositand eat

Poor welfare facil i t ies can lead to i l l health

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Five ways to reducerisk on site

TheTheHIGH5 ASBESTOSMany buildings in the UK contain asbestos. If youre thinking ofworking in a bui ld ing that was bui l t or renovated up unt i l the 1980s,you should assume it contains asbestos until proved otherwise.

The main asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are lagging, asbestosinsulating board, sprayed insulation, decorative coatings and asbestos

cement.

Check if thereisany ACM Find outwhatyouneedto doto work safely

I f in anydoubt , leavei t to theexperts!

HSEfree leaflets:

Workingwithasbestosin buildingsINDG289

A short guide tomanagingasbestos in premisesINDG223(rev3)

Asbestosdust kills - keep your mask onINDG255(rev1)

MO RE I N F O R M A T I O N

Working Well Together (WWT) is the countrys leading constructionhealth and safety campaign, supported by the construction industry,

trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive. For furtherinformation check out the WWT campaign website at wwt.uk.com

To join WWT call 0845 27 27 500

I ND G3 84 0 9/ 03 C5 00 0 Printed and publi shed by the Health and Safety Executive

For small construction sites

For small construction businesses

For workersFive ways to reduce risk on site

FURTHER INFORMATIONHSEBooksproducesa widerange of freeand pricedpublicationsonconstruction, including the fo llowi ng:

Construction:Health andsafety in constructionHSG150 HSEBooks2001ISBN 0 7176 2106 5

Falls from height:

Health and safety in roof workHSG33 HSEBooks199 8ISBN 0 7176 1425 5

A head for heights Video HSEBoo ks 2003 ISBN 0 7176 2217 7

Manual hand l ing :Backs for the futureHSG149 HSE Books 2000 ISBN 0 7176 1122 1

Transport:The safe use of vehicles on construction sitesHSG144HSEBoo ks 1998 ISBN 0 7176 1610 X

Asbestos:Introduction to asbestos essentialsHSG213 HSEBooks 2001ISBN 0 7176 1901 X

Asbestos essentials task manualHSG210 HSE Books 2001ISBN 0 7176 1887 0

Working with asbestos cementHSG189/2 HSE Books 1999ISBN 0 7176 1667 3

HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbu ry, Suffolk CO10 2WA

Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995 Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk

(HSE priced publications are also available from bookshops and free leaflets

can be downloaded from HSEs website: www.hse.gov.uk.)

For information about health and safety ring HSE's Infoline

Tel: 08701 545500 Fax: 02920 859260

e-mail: hseinformat ionservices@ natbr it .com or wr ite toHSE Informa tion Services, Caerphil ly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory butwhich you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.

This publicat ion m ay be f reely reprod uced, except for adver t is ing

endorsement or commerc ial purp oses. F irs t published 09/03.

Please acknowledge the source as HSE.

So thats theSo thats the