Construction Health and Safety

Construction Health and Safety Consultants Leeds - CDM2015

Leeds| Bradford | Yorkshire

Construction is a high-risk sector - the health and safety of people within this industry is paramount, whether that’s designers, contractors, clients or construction workers themselves. As such, there are several policies and laws in place to ensure all individuals are safe, including the Construction Design and Management (CDM2015) Regulations. These laws and regulations set out what people need to do to protect themselves and others from harm, such as injuries and workplace accidents.

Meeting these requirements can often feel challenging or overwhelming, as preserving health and safety in construction is a great responsibility. Our specialist team of health and safety consultants are on hand to guide you through the processes, and the regulations, that must be followed within the industry and can provide effective advice and services that ensure the safety of construction workers and others within the sector.

We offer an extensive range of professional health and safety services to businesses. With site inspections, risk assessments, toolbox talks, effective management and a variety of other options, we can provide a bespoke service tailored to your needs, and your business, to ensure that you are meeting all of the necessary requirements and regulations whilst keeping your workers, and any other people within construction, safe.

If you’d like to book any of these services with one of our highly experienced and qualified consultants, please contact SMS Europe today on 0845 224 0028 or by emailing office@smseurope.co.uk. Whether it’s some further advice or information you need, or you would like to arrange one of our services, our team will always be happy to help.

Understanding The Risks In The Construction Industry

Having a sound understanding of the risks in the construction sector is an important foundation for the implementation of safety measures. In other words, understanding the risks will help you to appreciate why construction health and safety is so important for construction workers, contractors and those in surrounding areas that may be impacted by the construction work.

Risks in construction can vary from physical health risks, hazardous substances and even an increased chance of developing diseases like cancer in later life, due to hazardous materials on-site such as asbestos. Regarding the risk of disease, conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that can be caused by harmful materials are life-changing and so every measure must be taken to ensure that the risk of developing these diseases is minimised. Illnesses can also be developed as a result of the materials and tools that are used on-site. Tools, such as jack hammers, can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and other musculoskeletal conditions, due to the repetitive vibrations that occur during prolonged use.

Besides the development of illnesses and diseases, suffering a physical injury in the construction industry is also a possibility if the necessary measures are not implemented. Activities that involve working at height, moving objects and demolishing structures are all instances that may result in fatal injuries if care is not taken. Trip hazards can also be an issue, causing slips and falls that result in physical injuries.

Identifying the risks that are present in construction is the first step to understanding the importance of safety and the measures that need to be taken to ensure that individuals are healthy and safe on-site, as well as later in their lives. Deciding which measures to be implemented will depend on factors such as who is carrying out the work, who may be affected, what tasks present dangers and where the work is taking place.

Our consultants understand that each sector is different and that each business within that sector is different, too. That’s why our approach to construction health and safety is bespoke and personal - we’ll tailor our services to meet your requirements and the needs of your business, ensuring that everything is compliant with the related legislation and standards, such as CDM2015.

What Are the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations?

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 are designed to improve health and safety within the industry, regardless of your role. Whether you are a construction worker, contractor, designer, domestic client or commercial client, there are duties that you must fulfil to ensure that you, and others around you, are safe. The general duties that apply to most roles include:

• Having the right people for the right job, and ensuring that they have the correct qualifications to complete the work to a high standard whilst keeping themselves and others safe.
• Having the correct information about risks, and the necessary risk management.
• Consulting with workers about these risks and their management of them.
• Effectively planning your work to ensure that risks are managed throughout the process.
• Co-ordinating your work with others by communicating and cooperating effectively.
• Sharing this information with those involved in the construction project.

This is a basic overview of the purpose of CDM2015 and the duties it details within the legislation. However, businesses within the construction sector must have a clear understanding of these guidelines to ensure that they are compliant. Our consultants have in-depth knowledge of health and safety issues affecting a range of construction trades from piling and civil engineering to bricklaying and electrical contractors. Using this expertise, and their comprehensive knowledge of the regulations and legislation that affects businesses within the construction industry, our consultants can deliver a personalised service.

These services are designed to ensure that our clients are compliant with the relevant measures, such as CDM2015, and that risks are managed appropriately and effectively to protect workers as well as other individuals that are affected by construction projects.

Why Choose To Work With Our Health And Safety Consultants?

Here at SMSE, we have helped a range of businesses in a variety of sectors to create a healthy working environment for decades. Whilst we are based in Yorkshire, we have provided our services and safety expertise to the surrounding areas - such as Leeds and Bradford - as well as further afield across the UK in places such as Birmingham, Manchester and London. Whether you’re interested in our safety consulting services or safety training courses, our services are accessible all over the UK.

Our specialised team have all of the relevant experience and qualifications for their roles and can provide the best occupational health and safety services and advice. Each individual is a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner with the post-nominal letters CMIOSH, from the professional body of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. This title demonstrates the highest professional standards amongst our team, that inform the services we deliver to our clients. As a business, we are on The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR), meaning that we have met a strict set of standards from HSE, making us highly qualified consultants with the best knowledge in the industry.

All of our consultants are committed to providing a service that is highly professional, yet friendly - it is this approach that has earned us a strong reputation amongst clients. We understand that every sector and business is different, which is why we tailor our services to meet your needs. We also believe that communication is key here at SMSE - for example, with our effective safety management services, we will stay in regular contact with you to provide you with the best possible advice whenever you need it. We will act promptly on requests, providing a quick turnaround time to help you meet any deadlines.

Our Construction Health And Safety Services

Site inspections

Workplace inspections are crucial for identifying any hazards within the workplace, and site inspections for the construction industry are no different. Our consultants understand that construction site safety inspections are an essential part of monitoring the construction process and ensuring the safe working of contractors. Our team of health and safety consultants can either perform an advisory or policing role, depending on your needs.

We’ll also be on hand to offer help and support to the contractor and liaise with designers, consultants and enforcement officers as necessary. It is crucial to remember that these inspections should not be regarded as just a policing role, although there are times when this is appropriate.

Having a construction site inspection enables you to demonstrate that you are meeting your legal duties and are ensuring that there are effective management arrangements in place for a construction project, including welfare facilities. Our consultants will provide on-going monitoring, assessment and support for the practical application of health and safety on a project.

Construction safety documentation & forms

Filling out all of the paperwork that comes with a construction project can be stressful and time-consuming, as you need to make sure you have completed it correctly and are compliant with the legislation and safety requirements that are in place. Our team have a detailed knowledge of the construction industry and the relevant health and safety requirements. Using their expertise, they can guide you through the documentation that you must complete - such as the F10 form that notifies HSE (the Health & Safety Executive) of a new project - so you can rest assured knowing that you have provided all of the required information and have been compliant with CDM 2015. HSE have, in recent years, been paying closer attention to SMEs (Small to Medium-sized Enterprises) to make sure that they are complying with the health and safety rules, therefore, having one of our consultants assist you in completing the documentation will certainly pay off.

We have specific services for providing risk assessments and method statements, but we can also assist with the creation and completion of COSHH (Control Of Hazardous Substances to Health) assessments, construction phase health and safety plans, health and safety files and any other information documents that are required for the health and safety aspects of a construction project. Our consultants know the best practices for health and safety in the construction industry and will use this expertise to ensure that your documents are detailed and completed to the highest possible standard so that you are compliant with legislation.

Construction Phase Health and Safety Plans

General builders will need to draw up a Construction Phase Plan (CPP) for any construction work they do and this plan should be proportionate to the scale of the job that they are carrying out. Drawing up a plan that is simple and straightforward, before the work commences, will demonstrate that you have considered health and safety as well as the risks that may arise whilst the job is underway. If you are a contractor that is carrying out work for a principal contractor, then it is the principal contractor’s responsibility to create the CPP.

A CPP is a necessity under CDM 2015 and is a requirement for every construction project that is carried out. Those responsible for drafting a CPP are therefore responsible for preparing the plan, organising the work and working with others to ensure that the health and safety of those involved are prioritised and protected. Most plans can follow a simple format and do not need to be complicated documents. However, you will need to contact HSE if the project will last longer than 500 person-days or 30 working days (with over 20 people working on the project simultaneously), as the simple format is not sufficient for a project of that scale and complexity.

Our consultants have an in-depth understanding of CPPs and its requirements, to ensure that those responsible for health and safety are compliant with CDM 2015. We can assist in the creation of CPPs, offering our expert advice on the information that should be included. This information includes health and safety details, such as control measures.

Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS)

Whilst a formal risk assessment is not a legal requirement of CDM regulations, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 do state that risks must be controlled in the workplace. This includes construction sites, and by conducting a risk assessment, it can help you to identify any risks and steps that must be taken to prevent any harm to the people working on, or near, the site. If you employ more than five people, the findings from the assessment must be recorded.

Method statements are popular in construction as they help to control the risks to health and safety that have been identified. These may have been identified during the process of conducting a risk assessment and may include risks such as working at height and demolition. Method statements are an effective tool for managing risks and communicating the precautions that have been taken with those that are involved with the construction project.

Collectively, a risk assessment and a method statement are known as RAMS. Whilst there isn’t a requirement to meet CDM regulations, they do show that these regulations, as well as health and safety more generally, have been thoroughly considered. Sometimes, third parties may require RAMS for this reason. At SMSE, our consultants can help to carry out risk assessments and draft method statements so that you can prove you are entirely compliant with the relevant legislation and have made careful considerations about health and safety.

Toolbox talks

A toolbox talk is a short, informal presentation that is delivered to a workforce regarding one of the many aspects of health and safety. Here at SMSE, we can prepare and deliver toolbox talks to your construction staff, saving you the time and effort of having to write and deliver a talk yourself. Our team of consultants are all highly experienced and trained, with the best knowledge of construction health and safety. As a result, you know that when one of our consultants delivers a toolbox talk, the information that they will provide is accurate and reliable, with years of experience as their foundation.

Our toolbox talks are informal and conversational and we encourage questions from all workers to help further their understanding of the subject matter. We keep our talks simple and straightforward, discussing the most vital points that will ensure the health and safety of those on construction sites. Our subject matter can be tailored to your workplace and can cover the likes of slips, trips and falls, manual handling and the use of ladders. Toolbox talks are a great way to keep workers informed and engaged whilst reminding them of their duties and responsibilities.

Construction health and safety management

Having an effective health and safety management system in place can help to establish clear practices and procedures concerning workplace health and safety. Having this system in place will help you to develop, implement and review your practices and policies according to health and safety regulations and legislation. Regarding the latter, our construction health and safety management reports enable our clients to demonstrate safety compliance with their legal duty to check the competence and resources of the contractors they appoint on an ongoing basis.

Our construction health and safety management consultants can provide construction health and safety management information reports that can be used to monitor and manage health and safety performance. These reports enable the client to focus on individual areas of performance. Safety Management Services can also produce several reports which reflect the health and safety standards on site. This is then intended to give the client a clear understanding of the health and safety management performance of their site teams and contractors. This allows clients to quickly and clearly manage the application and improvement of health and safety through all the parties involved in their site activities.

Our Construction Health and Safety Consultancy & our CDM Advisor Service can combine the services above to deliver a full service that ensures you are meeting all of the relevant regulations and legislation.