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HIRE EQUIPMENT & FINANCE


IMPROVING THE SAFETY STANDARDS OF UK PLANT HIRE ORGANISATIONS


Carl Bartlett is the executive director of Certification Services at Hire Association Europe, part of HAE EHA, providing the plant and tool hire sector with insurance services, legal advice, training, and safety checks.


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hankfully, most construction projects are completed without serious injury, due to careful health and safety planning in advance of the start of a project, coupled with the ongoing vigilance, cooperation and professionalism of workers during the build. Hazard recognition plays a key role in preventing accidents and some hazards are obvious - like the requirement for workers to work at height, but other hazards such as the safe operation of hired tools and equipment may be less so.


Latest annual figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reveal that there is at least one accident involving a digger or dumper each week on sites in the UK, with the majority caused by unstable ground or unsafe working – an industry challenge that must be met head on by all stakeholders if the frequency of incidents is to be reduced. HSE statistics also show that 30 people were killed on construction sites between April 2018 and March 2019, and construction continues to account for more workplace deaths than any sector other than farming. These tragic incidents are often swiftly followed by costly court proceedings and hefty fines for construction companies. It also pays to remember that incidents involving hired equipment can have grave consequences across the board. The knock-on effects can be far reaching in terms of the mental health of family and co-workers and the damage done to the reputation of the implicated firm is very difficult to undo. Safety improvement in the construction supply chain is not driven solely by the larger, better financed companies. In fact, small to medium-sized independent firms account for 62 per cent of the


total turnover for the UK construction industry. Clearly, if the level of safe working is to be improved, businesses of all sizes need to address health and safety matters as part of their core business strategy and policy.


Key plant manufacturers coming together across the board and agreeing on improvements to the safety standards of plant hire equipment and working practices could lead to a significant reduction in incidents. The HSE statistics clearly demonstrate that we cannot afford to become complacent in the construction industry in preventing injury, ill health and death at work. A tragic accident involving a dumper truck in 2018 proved the catalyst for the formation of such an initiative between plant hire companies - known as the Digger and Dumper Operational Safety Round Table. Overseen by Hire Association Europe (HAE), the group’s focus involves improving the recording of incidents, reviewing standards, engaging with manufacturers and making the sector aware of potential issues. HAE’s Technical Health & Safety Group will then be responsible for assessing the information gathered from the Round Table in an established, systematic format that will enable the industry to respond to trends, review frequency and determine the root causes and relevant factors that contribute to incidents. By working together to gather reliable data, companies can agree a framework, including training and education, that will further improve safety standards by ensuring that their operators are fully competent in handling machinery and are aware of the risks associated with their actions. Despite initiatives such as these, getting plant


42 NOVEMBER 2020 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS


hire companies on board with more robust safety measures can still be a challenge. Some companies may struggle with what they see as an additional strain on resources and feel that they lack the manpower, time or budget to implement further training.


As a means of incentivising positive change and overcoming these barriers, HAE researched and created the SafeHire Certification Scheme which was formalised into a private standard by the British Standards Institute. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is now working to raise awareness of the SafeHire scheme at local and national governmental levels.


In order for hire firms to achieve certification, participation in the SafeHire scheme requires that businesses are inspected annually and everything from paperwork, day-to-day operations, staff training and environment is checked for continued compliance with the scheme’s rigorous standards. Gaining SafeHire certification provides a competitive edge for hire companies as it proves a firm’s competence to customers in upholding high standards in health, safety, environment and quality of equipment and service. Countering any concerns about the burden on resources, schemes such as the Digger and Dumper Operational Safety Round Table and SafeHire certification demonstrate that accurate, vigorously researched options are available to the plant hire sector that not only mitigate the risk of future incidents, but also bolster customer confidence and therefore profitability.


HAE www.hae.org.uk


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