Overhead Hazards 2018

Overhead Hazards Campaign 2018

The next hub campaign commencing in April covers overhead hazards and will look at the following areas;

Month 1 “Apr 18” – Work at height: The campaign will focus on provision of scaffold access beneath the M5/J1-2 Motorway Oldbury Viaduct scheme, together with learning from a Fall from height Reportable injury that occurred on the scheme in Sep-17
Month 2 “May 18” – Lifting operations: The campaign will focus on systems of work re the use and control of MEWP's to gain access to underside the Viaduct structure to carry out repairs on the M5/J1-2 Motorway Oldbury Viaduct scheme
Month 3 “Jun 18” – Overhead protection: The campaign will focus on the protection of Overhead hazards to underside the Viaduct structure on the M5/J1-2 Motorway Oldbury Viaduct scheme, and review of Raising the bar 07 “Overhead structure and services protection”

Month 3, June 2018 Overhead Structures & Services Protection

Summary

This campaign has sought to look at legislation in place relating to safe travelling of plant and equipment, case studies produced following incidents, and systems available for deployment on construction sites and for use with items of mobile plant equipment and vehicles. The latter as an aide and reminder to driver/operators, both visual and audible, to ensure that:
- Prior to travelling beneath overhead hazards, all items have been safely stowed
- When working beneath or adjacent to overhead hazards, incidents (hits) and near misses are avoided

Background

When the 1st campaign to raise awareness about “Overhead protection” was run in April 2016, full details of which can be found on the Highways England Hub H&S web site”, focus was on provision of a safe infrastructure, including use of warning systems, to prevent injuries, incidents and near misses associated with the striking of overhead services and structures.
Historically, these have been result of a combination of strikes (hits) and near misses attributed to mobile plant equipment and vehicles and their respective loads, travelling beneath or working adjacent to and beneath overhead hazards.

Research by the writer into establishing details re frequency and numbers of incidents (hits) and near misses associated with construction works on highways schemes, and key learning from same, has proved difficult, however, there is much documentation available on service avoidance. Typically;

HSE Guidance GS6 “Avoidance Of Danger From Overhead Electric Power Lines”

HE Raising the bar 1 “Plant and Equipment”

HE Raising the bar 7 “Overhead Structures and Services protection”

HE Raising the bar 20 “Transportation and logistics management”

These notes provide examples of videos, case studies and SSOW documentation, as well as aides and reminders to driver/operators, including systems and devices that are either already provided or can be retro fitted.
It should be noted however, that irrespective of systems and devices, without the presence of inspection and monitoring regimes in places, they can be defeated and/or simply not used, with issues, many of them repeat, only identified through investigation after incidents (hits), and near misses that have been reported

Campaign Notes & Resources;

oh_protection_h_s_campaign_notes_jun_18.pdf
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