From the ground up
August 1st 2005 The Safety from the Ground Up campaign from Speedy Hire has been praised to the hilt by HSE operators. Here HSM speaks to Philip Prince of Speedy Hire about the thinking behind the campaign and what it covers.
The largest range of products that Speedy Hire hires out to its customers is access products, therefore the company has been aware of the new Work at Height Legislation for a good time and has even developed products to conform to it. However, as Phil Prince explains the company asked itself the question ‘How can we assist the customers regarding the new legislation’.
Having conducted some market research Speedy Hire found that on the whole safety managers were aware of the new legislation but, according to Phil “There was a problem getting information down to the site, i.e. ground level – therefore we decided to address this and so you have Safety from the Ground Up”.
It’s all very well that this problem was recognised, but more difficult to successfully address it. Firstly, Speedy Hire wanted to raise awareness of the new legislation and so posters and stickers were issued as part of ‘communication packs’.
However, as well as this high profile information there was also literature in the forms of pocket guides, A4 guides, speakers notes and CD-ROM’s with more detailed information to fill in the gaps in knowledge.
However, recognising the fact that people like ‘bite sized chunks’ of information rather than intimidating reams of technical documentation, all this supporting information was broken down into a short but informative message containing just six major ‘principles’.
Principle 1 - It applies to everyone The fact is accidents can happen at any height, anywhere and to anyone. The new working at height legislation applies to everyone, from the builder on site to the office temp. It includes all employees, subcontractors and the self-employed.
Principle 2 - Risk Assessment Proper risk assessment is a fundamental part of the new Work at Height legislation and is based on a three stage ‘hierarchy of control’: avoid; prevent; minimise.
The first question to ask before undertaking any work at height is could I avoid it by finding an alternative. If there is no alternative and you have to work at height then you must do everything possible to prevent a fall.
Where there still remains a risk, however small, you must minimise the distance and the consequences of a potential fall.
Principle 3 - Select the correct equipment The correct selection of equipment is essential to safety at height and a ‘make do’ mentality has no place in today’s working environment. As part of the risk assessment you should consider the working conditions, duration, frequency and user competence as well as the risk of erecting and dismantling equipment.
Principle 4 - Use equipment correctly Risk assessment is a constant theme throughout the new Work at Height legislation and it also applies to the suitability of your selected equipment. Speedy provides safety information with each hire. These give essential tips on do’s and don’ts, advise on the use of PPE and where appropriate comment on work and area and equipment use. All hire items are regularly inspected and maintained by Speedy. With towers, inspection on site is critical when the tower is first erected and then on a regular basis afterwards.
Speedy has set up a partnership with Scafftag using its Towertag to a provide a clear inspection trail.
Speedy Hire also operates two training courses relating to towers, one for operators and one for supervisors.
Both have been approved by PASMA.
Principle 5 -Requires competence All too often competence is taken for granted in the workplace. Questions over a person’s suitability to carry out a task go unasked and the results can be catastrophic Principle 6 - Collective Responsibility Responsibility for safety in the workplace is down to you and everyone else at work. Whether it’s a manufacturing plant, a warehouse, an office or a large construction site, safety is your responsibility.
The Safety from the Ground Up campaign is nearing its conclusion but Phil Prince believes that “It is through repeating these messages that we can change behaviour”.
If you would like more information on the campaign then either call: 0845 606 6886 or go to www.speedyhire.co.uk More articles from Speedy Hire Plc: | 
