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This procedure outlines the company’s policy with regard to the establishing and maintaining site accommodation and welfare, security and other relevant issues when setting up a site where we are appointed Principal contractor. It is intended satisfy legal requirements and convey a professional image, both to clients and those working on our behalf.
The decision with regard to site set up will involve many persons, within Production, Commercial, H&S and other departments and will depend on our appointment as the Principal Contractor or the subcontractor. It should be noted that when designing the compound layout, and specifying the facilities the Operations Director, Contracts Manager, Site Management Team and the H&S Advisor should be consulted before final decisions on size and placement are made.
In terms of welfare, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 place a general duty on “any person in control of a construction site” to ensure that suitable and sufficient welfare facilities are provided. In addition, when appointed as the Principal Contractor we should ensure that the welfare arrangements are clearly set out in the Health & Safety Plan and shown on the Site Setup layout drawing.
Safe access from the point of entry must be provided by the Principal contractor. The access routes are to be segregated from vehicular movements by means of fencing. During the initial stages, Netlon fencing (erected without using penetrating road pins) can be used, however, once progress has allowed, more substantial crowd barriers should be used. Once on site, clear and safe access routes must be provided and maintained. Furthermore, if the high rise structure is likely to over sail the safe access routes, then protection fans or crash decks will need to be considered to protect personnel from falling objects.
Our developments sites are widely seen by various people, workers, potential clients, potential customers and purchasers. First impressions are important to the reputation of the company and we should look at our developments as our “shop window”. As such if the window is poorly presented, any potential customers will walk on by, where as if they see a well presented window, they will be keen to enter.
In practice, a well presented development site can be achieved with little effort. Regular cleaning of the access routes, mud and debris cleared away, clean and well positioned signage and consideration for our neighbours will all help to present the site as we wish it to be seen. Courteous gatemen and security guards are also important to enhance our image.
All welfare facilities must be readily accessible. On some sites this may mean they are provided at more than one location. All welfare facilities must have adequate heating, lighting and ventilation. Clear arrangements must be made to ensure that welfare facilities are kept clean and tidy. Wherever possible, the full site health and welfare facilities should be provided before the construction phase begins. Where services are not readily available, (e.g. water, electricity, sewerage connections etc.), temporary facilities will be accepted provided that:
They contain:
Accommodation for taking meals and rest breaks;
Heating;
Warm/hot water for washing;
Toilet facilities;
All reasonable efforts should be made to provide the full facilities in most cases within one month of starting. Only in exceptional circumstances would it be permitted to exceed this period;
During this period, The Company would be actively constructing the full hygiene and welfare facilities.
An adequate number of toilets must be provided at all times there are no set requirements as to how many should be provided but this will clearly depend on the number of people working on the site. The number provided should be sufficient to ensure facilities are available without undue delay at all times.
CDM regulations state Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences must be provided or made available at readily accessible places. Men and women may not use the same toilets; separate toilets must be provided for female workers. Units used by female workers must be able to be secured.
Washing facilities must be put next to both toilets and changing areas. They must include:
Basins or sinks large enough to enable a person to wash their face, hands and forearms;
A supply of hot and cold, or warm running water. This requirement will normally mean that power will be required to heat water;
Soap, and towels or dryers.
The number of sinks is not specified and will depend on the number of people using them.
Where work is particularly dirty, or where workers are exposed to hazardous substances, e. g. working on contaminated land, showers may be needed. Men and women can share basins for washing hands, face and forearms and a shower can be used by men and women if it is in a lockable room and used by only one person at a time.
Every site must have provision for storing:
Clothing not worn on site;
Protective clothing needed for work on site. Where there is a risk of protective clothing contaminating everyday clothing, they must be stored separately.
Facilities should allow wet clothing to be dried; careless drying of clothes is a common cause of fires on sites. Gas fires should be avoided unless they are the flameless type. Electrical tube type heaters are the preferred option. Men and women must have separate changing facilities.
Every site must have facilities provided for taking breaks. They should provide shelter from the weather and be adequately heated. Care should be taken to ensure sufficient permanent ventilation is available when heating appliances are used. This is particularly important where LPG is used.
Rest facilities should have:
Tables and chairs with back supports.
A kettle or urn for boiling water; and
Provision for preparing food e. g. a microwave oven or electric/gas cooker. Gas rings should not be used due to the risk of fire.
All facilities are to be maintained as NON SMOKING AREAS
Provision of adequate welfare facilities can be particularly difficult where work is of a short duration e. g. emergency works or maintenance etc. The provision of welfare will be risk based in these circumstances.
There must be a supply of drinking water which can be from bottles or tanks if there is no mains supply available. The drinking water supply must be clearly marked and cups provided except with a water fountain.
Unless any special exceptions exist, the Principal Contractor will be responsible for fencing the site perimeter, and ensuring arrangements are in place for areas of the site such as demolition, open trench, scaffold, site transport areas, to be securely fenced to prevent access by the public, especially children.
At the pre-construction stage, an assessment will be made by the Contracts Manager and Site Management Team to determine the most practical means of fencing. The Project Health and Safety Plan should detail the arrangements in force, i.e. whether we will undertake to fence, or delegate the responsibility contractually to one or more contractors. At all sites where it is reasonably practicable to do so, a fence should be erected enclosing all construction activities.
The following minimum standards apply:
The fence should be not less than 2m high;
The fence should not be capable of being easily climbed, it should be close-boarded or covered with mesh not exceeding 30mm in size;
All support posts be securely anchored;
A timber hoarding will be subject to a Temporary works design;
Access openings should be fitted with gates which must be kept locked at all times when the site is unoccupied;
Surveillance of the gates should be maintained when they are open;
Fencing should be properly maintained;
Materials should not be stacked in the vicinity of fences so as to provide a means of climbing the fence and;
Suitable warning notices should be fixed to the fence.
Consideration should always be given to the possibility of erecting permanent boundary fencing to each plot as soon as possible. Where members of the public are invited onto our sites where construction work is ongoing, adequate measures must be in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of such persons. Sales personnel must only access construction areas with the permission of the site management team and they must have received the site induction.
Such measures should include:
Filling, guarding or covering the edges of excavations or openings;
Immobilisation of plant and machinery;
Fencing and hoarding around tower crane access points
Stacking materials in such a way as to prevent easy displacement;
Isolation of gas and electrical supply’s and;
Removal of access to elevated areas etc.
See AP 07 Emergency Procedures. This section includes a section on First Aid requirements for our development sites.
All visitors must be met upon arrival to site and accompanied to the site offices. They must never be allowed access to any working part of the site without being accompanied. Upon arrival on site, they are to be given a brief visitors induction before being escorted onto site. All visitors are required to sign in and off site using the visitor’s book.
Below is an example of the Health and Safety Notice Board that should be displayed in a prominent indoor position accessible to all site personnel. It should contain the following posters as a minimum standard.
H&S Law Poster
Both pages of the HSE form F10
H&S Policy Statement
Insurance certificate
Emergency procedures poster
Traffic Management Plan
Hospital Location map
Police Location map
Coinford Plant have produced a standard site safety signage catalogue that is available from the office. All signs should be chosen from this catalogue and installed at the earliest opportunity. The catalogue has also made provision for special signage that may be required on some of the developments. The location or position of safety signage will vary from development to development. However, the composite safety sign must be displayed at the entrance to all developments.
Safe condition
Warning
Fire Signage
Prohibition
Mandatory
Traffic
The contents of the start-up pack will depend on our role as Principal Contractor or subcontractor. AP 09 contains the requirements for each role and should be followed.
See also: AP 09: Monitoring and Site Records
