Author: Katie Martinelli | The Hub | High Speed Training

What are the Requirements for Working in Confined Spaces?

Katie Martinelli — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 09:30:00 +0000

Where work in confined spaces is not planned, managed and carried out safely, in accordance with the law, there can be serious and potentially fatal consequences. Therefore, it’s essential that those involved in working in confined spaces have an understanding of the general duties placed on them. There are several pieces of legislation that regulate work in confined spaces, and this article will provide an overview of these and briefly discuss the duties and responsibilities set out by them.

What are Confined Spaces?

Under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, for a space to be defined as a ‘confined space’ it must have both of the following characteristics present. These characteristics are:

The space must be substantially (though not always entirely) enclosed.
One or more of the ‘specified risks’ must be present or reasonably foreseeable. These are defined by the Confined Spaces Regulations and will be discussed further below.

Examples of Confined Spaces

Some examples of confined spaces include:

Manholes, shafts and tunnels.
Sumps and inspection pits.
Silos and storage vessels.
Interiors of vehicles, such as closed vans.
Cold storage rooms or other food preservation rooms.

This is not an exhaustive list. It’s important to note that a confined space does not always always fit the image that springs to mind when hearing the term. Confined spaces can be any size, they can be easy or difficult to get in and out of, and they can be completely or partly enclosed – however, in order to be considered ‘confined’ they must have both of the defining characteristics outlined above.

Legislation Regulating Work in Confined Spaces

The main pieces of legislation that regulate work in confined spaces are:

The Health and Safety at Work (HSW), etc. Act 1974.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1999.
The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

The Health and Safety at Work (HSW), etc. Act 1974.

This is the primary legislation governing health and safety at work in the UK. Under this Act, employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees while they are at work, so far as is reasonably practicable. This duty is wide-ranging, and covers the prevention and control of risks arising from working in confined spaces, including ensuring the work is properly planned, organised, controlled, monitored and reviewed.

Employers must carry out their work activities in a way that does not affect the health and safety of others in the vicinity, such as members of the public.

Under the Act, duties are also placed on anyone who has any extent of control over any premises – such as employers who own or rent premises for which they are responsible, as well as anyone else who has any extent of control over any part of the premises, such as landlords or owners.

It’s important to understand that employers are required to ensure the safety of others affected by their work activities, such as contractors. Where contractors are required to enter confined spaces on their premises, there are duties placed on both the employer and the contractor to ensure that the work can be undertaken safely.

Further key duties are placed on designers, manufacturers, suppliers and importers of articles and substances for use at work. The dutyholder is required to ensure that all equipment and plant provided is safe and accompanied by information and instructions on its safe use and maintenance.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999.

This legislation places further legal duties on employers to manage health and safety in the workplace and applies to all work activities. Under the Regulations, employers must:

Ensure a risk assessment is carried out and kept up to date. Employers must ensure that the hazards and risks associated with their work activities are identified and appropriately controlled. It is a legal requirement to record the risk assessment when there are five or more employees, however, it’s good practice for organisations of any size to do so. The risk assessment should be reviewed at least annually, however more frequent reviews may be needed where circumstances of the work activities or work environment change. The person who carries out the risk assessment must be competent – this means they must have the skills, knowledge and experience of the work and equipment to be used, so that they understand the risks involved with the work activity and what precautions and safe systems of work will be required. In practice, managers and supervisors experienced in confined spaces work would have the competence required to undertake the risk assessment process, with specialist help where necessary.
Provide health surveillance, where necessary.
Provide workers with the necessary information, instruction and training required to ensure they can undertake their roles safely and effectively.

In addition, employers and the self-employed that are in control of a premises and engaging the work of any outside organisation, such as contractors, must ensure that they provide the employer of the outside organisation with clear information on the hazards and risks associated with their work activities and work environment.

This includes providing information on the nature and risks of any confined spaces that are present or could be present on the premises, as well as the precautions to be followed. This should begin with the prohibition of entry to the confined space(s), unless entry has been specifically agreed and is covered by a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and written safe system of work.

Guidance on The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997

The Confined Spaces Regulations apply where there is an identified risk of serious injury resulting from work in confined spaces. Note that these Regulations apply in addition to the duties set out under the HSW Act and the MHSW Regulations.

As mentioned above, confined spaces are defined by the Regulations as being a space that is substantially (though not always entirely) enclosed, where one or more of the ‘specified risks’ is present or reasonably foreseeable. These ‘specified risks’ are set out by the Regulations. They are:

Serious injury arising from fire and/or explosion caused by flammable substances (liquid, solid or gas) or by enrichment of the atmosphere by oxygen leading to enhanced risk of fire.
Loss of consciousness caused by an increase in body temperature due to excessive heat.
Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation caused by gas, fume or vapour.
Loss of consciousness caused by oxygen deficiency occurring where the level of oxygen in the air is reduced to a dangerous level.
Drowning caused by liquids entering the confined space.
Asphyxiation, or becoming trapped and unable to reach a respirable environment, by free-flowing solids such as grain, sand or other free-flowing materials.

You should note that some spaces can become ‘confined’ if the conditions change. For example, if the degree of enclosure is changed or there is another change that introduces the presence or foreseeable risk of one of the specified risks. This also applies in the reverse; so a space may no longer be considered ‘confined’ if the source of any present or foreseeable ‘specified risks’ is removed or the degree of enclosure is reduced.

The Confined Space Regulations are supported by an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP), aimed at those who plan and manage the work in confined spaces, and is designed to support them to apply the Regulations to their work activities.

Employers and the self-employed must ensure that the work carried out under their control is in compliance with the requirements outlined by the Confined Spaces Regulations. This includes ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, that anyone else undertaking work under their control does so in compliance with the Regulations, for example contractors. They must ensure that anyone entering a confined space under their control is fully protected in the same way as their employees or themselves.

Employers who hire contractors for entry and work in confined spaces must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the contractor and their employees are competent in their duties.

Under the Confined Spaces Regulations, employers and the self-employed must always, in the first instance, consider if entry to a confined space can be avoided, so far as is reasonably practicable. Ways to avoid entry into a confined space include using remote visual inspections and remote atmospheric sampling. Where avoiding entry is not reasonably practicable, dutyholders must ensure effective safe systems of work are enforced and used and that any work being carried out is done so safely.

Safe Systems of Work

A safe system of work should provide a written description of the work to be carried out and the precautions to be enforced. The main factors to be considered in a safe system of work are:

Supervisory arrangements.
The competency requirements for individuals involved in the work.
Methods of communication.
Atmospheric testing and monitoring.
Cleaning of the confined space, including purging and removal of residues.
Ventilation, including mechanical and local exhaust ventilation (LEV).
Isolation of adjacent plant.
Selection and use of suitable equipment.
Any requirements for PPE and RPE.
Safe means of access and egress and safe working arrangements.
Fire prevention arrangements and smoking arrangements.
Emergency and rescue arrangements.
Restrictions on working time.

It’s important to note that precautions will differ depending on the nature of the confined space and the activities being carried out. In addition, a written safe system of work will only ever be as good as its implementation.

Emergency Arrangements

Under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, emergency arrangements must be in place before anyone enters a confined space, and include the following:

Reduction of risks to anyone carrying out the rescue.
Resuscitation equipment should be readily available and maintained in efficient working order, where it has been deemed a means of resuscitation is necessary.
Appropriate steps should be taken to ensure emergency arrangements can be immediately actioned when needed.
Details of the rescue equipment required, as well as how to raise the alarm to get help (for both those inside and outside the confined space).
Fire safety arrangements.
Training requirements for anyone with rescue responsibilities, and the provision of and training in first aid.

Emergency arrangements must cover all risks in the confined space, not just the specified risks, and the ACoP makes it very clear that employers must not rely on public emergency services.

Training

Employers and others in control of work in confined spaces must properly plan for confined space work and ensure that any individuals involved in planning, supervising, monitoring and carrying out the work are competent in their responsibilities. This includes providing the necessary information, instruction and training.

More information on training and selection for work in confined spaces can be found in High Speed Training’s Working in Confined Spaces Training Course.

Permit-to-work systems

A permit-to-work system is usually required where there is a foreseeable risk of serious injury as a result of risks from confined spaces. Permit-to-work systems are not a replacement for written safe systems of work or risk assessments. Instead, they support them.

A permit-to-work provides a method for recording actions required to be followed for the safe entry and work in confined spaces, as well as a record of the essential information on risks and emergency information.

Those completing permit-to-work systems must be competent – they must have the required experience, skills, knowledge and training in the work and work equipment being used to complete the permit-to-work safely.

Employee Responsibilities

Under health and safety legislation, employees must;:

Co-operate with their employer and their employer’s health and safety arrangements to ensure that their responsibilities can be undertaken safely. This includes making safe and effective use of all control measures and safety arrangements. Employees must work in the safe and effective manner in which they have been informed, instructed and trained.
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety, the health and safety of their colleagues, and that of other people who may be affected by their work activities, for example visitors to the premises.
Immediately inform their employer of any health and safety concerns posed by a work activity or any shortcomings in the protection arrangements, both before and during the work activity.

For employees to be able to carry out their own responsibilities, their employer must have ensured that they are aware of what they are and how to undertake them competently – as well as ensuring the necessary supervision and monitoring arrangements are in place.

Other Legislation

While we have covered the key pieces of legislation regulating work in confined spaces, it’s important to note that, depending on the work activities or work environment, other regulations may also apply. For example, the Work at Height Regulations 2005, the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992, or the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

This article has provided a brief overview of the legislation regulating confined space working. For more information, or if you are looking to provide training on confined spaces for yourself or your employees, the following course may be suitable for you: Working in Confined Spaces Training Course.

Further Resources:

The post What are the Requirements for Working in Confined Spaces? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Working in Confined Spaces Hazards and Control Measures

Katie Martinelli — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:30:00 +0000

Confined spaces, by their very nature, can present many hazards to workers and those in the vicinity, including fires, explosions, drowning, and asphyxiation caused by gases, fumes, vapours, free-flowing materials, or a lack of oxygen. A significant majority of these incidents occur as a result of inadequate planning, controls and training for those planning and undertaking the work.

This article will discuss the main hazards associated with working in confined spaces, as well as key elements of general control measures that may be used to control the hazards associated with your work activities.

What are the Hazards of Working in Confined Spaces?

A space must have two key defining features present in order to be considered a ‘confined space’.These are that the space must be substantially (though not always entirely) enclosed and that one or more of the specified risks must be present or reasonably foreseeable.

What are the Specified Risks?

As mentioned above, for a space to be ‘confined’ it must have one or more of the specified risks present. There are six specified risks defined by the the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and its Approved Code of Practice (ACoP). These are a risk of:

Serious injury arising from fire and/or explosion caused by flammable substances (liquid, solid or gas) or by enrichment of the atmosphere by oxygen leading to enhanced risk of fire.
Loss of consciousness caused by an increase in body temperature due to excessive heat.
Loss of consciousness or asphyxiation caused by gas, fume or vapour.
Loss of consciousness caused by oxygen deficiency occurring where the level of oxygen in the air is reduced to a dangerous level.
Drowning caused by liquids entering the confined space.
Asphyxiation, or becoming trapped and unable to reach a respirable environment, by free-flowing solids such as grain, sand or other free-flowing materials.

Examples of Confined Spaces

Some examples of confined spaces include:

Manholes, shafts and tunnels.
Sumps and inspection pits.
Enclosed rooms, such as plant rooms.
Storage of wood pellets or other oxidising agents in hoppers or bins.
Silos and storage vessels.
Interiors of vehicles, such as closed vans.
Cold storage rooms or other food preservation rooms.

This list is not exhaustive. For a space to be defined as a ‘confined space’ it must have both of the defining features outlined above. You should note that some spaces can become ‘confined’ if the conditions change. For example, if the degree of enclosure is changed or there is another change that introduces the presence or foreseeable risk of one of the ‘specified risks’. This also applies in reverse; so a space may no longer be considered ‘confined’ if the source of any present or foreseeable ‘specified risks’ is removed or the degree of enclosure is lessened.

This article provides a brief overview of confined spaces – if you require more training on Working in Confined Spaces, take a look at our Working in Confined Spaces Online Training Course.

Other hazards associated with confined spaces

Further to the specified risks outlined above, it’s vital to understand that there are many other hazards that can also pose risks to those working in confined spaces. These include, but are not limited to:

Restricted access and movement as a result of narrow openings or access points. This can result in restricted or awkward working positions, trapping, and collisions with the structure or protruding objects.
Exposure to electricity. For example, from the use of electrical equipment that is not suitable for use in confined spaces, or the specific working conditions or activities being undertaken.
Slips, trips and falls. The conditions in a confined space can increase the risk of slips, trips and falls, such as fragile or slippery surfaces, and poor lighting.

Risk Assessments

Confined spaces pose many hazards to those working in them and anyone in the vicinity. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999, the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and its ACoP, employers have a legal duty to ensure a risk assessment is carried out to assess, control and monitor the risks associated with their work activities so that their employees remain safe from harm.

The rest of this article will explore the key elements of general control measures that may be used to control the risks associated with confined spaces.

This article does not contain an exhaustive list of control measures. The control measures used for your work activities must be tailored to, and suitable for, the specific hazards posed by your work activities and considered in line with the hierarchy of control.

Note that: for employers who employ five or more people, it is a legal requirement that their risk assessment is recorded. The following handy downloadable template can be used to record your risk assessment. The template is an easy to use template that has two columns; one for current controls and one for what further controls may be required:

Control Measures for Working in Confined Spaces

The Confined Spaces Regulations and its ACoP place a legal duty on dutyholders (employers, the self-employed, and those in control of premises) to avoid the need to enter or work in confined spaces as their first duty.

Where it is reasonably practicable to conduct the work activity from outside of a confined space, the dutyholder has a legal responsibility to prevent entry to the confined space by themselves or others. On every occasion, the dutyholder must consider if it is possible to avoid entry to and work in the confined space.

Methods of avoiding entry to confined spaces include:

Using remotely operated devices.
Installing portholes, sight glasses or inspection windows.
Replacing storage containers instead of entering to repair them.
Using remote cameras.

Safe Systems of Work

Where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid entry into a confined space, employers must ensure a safe system of work is in place. A safe system of work forms part of the risk assessment process for a confined space, it must not replace it. The key elements of a safe system of work are:

Safe Place of Work – The entries to all places of work should be sufficient and safe for entry and located in the safest possible place. Lighting, access and ventilation should be adequate.
Safe Work Equipment – The safe system of work should only permit the use of the safest work equipment possible. For example, low voltage electric generators rather than petrol or diesel generators.
Safe Substances for Use at Work – The safe system of work should only allow the safest substances possible. This may mean substituting dangerous, flammable or toxic substances, such as chemicals or gases, for safer alternatives.
Safe Management, Supervision and Monitoring – Managers, supervisors, those who plan the work, and other dutyholders should be competent in their duties, including an understanding of the hazards and risk of confined spaces and how to safely supervise and monitor activities.
Safe Workers – Employees and others at work in the confined space must be fully trained in the safe system of work, including any work equipment and use of substances, and in rescue arrangements.

Atmospheric Testing and Monitoring

If there is any foreseeable risk of reduced oxygen levels, or the presence of natural or man-made hazardous substances in the confined space, testing of the atmosphere must be undertaken before and during entry. Where reasonably practicable, this testing must be undertaken from outside of the confined space. If there is a risk that the atmosphere may deteriorate as the work activities are carried out, atmospheric monitoring may be required throughout the full duration of the work activity to ensure the air in the confined space remains safe to breathe.

Isolation

Confined spaces must be properly isolated to prevent entry of hazardous or dangerous substances, including gases, vapours, liquids and solids, and to secure mechanical and electrical equipment. Methods of isolation include:

Isolating the confined space by ensuring valves are properly turned off and locked off.
Disconnecting the confined space completely from other plant, such as by blanking off a pipe using an end cap.
Ensuring that any walls or partitions used to isolate an area are checked and reinforced, where necessary.

Cleaning and Removal of Residues

Many confined space work activities are undertaken to clean or remove residues. These activities may be undertaken to keep a confined space clean and free from contamination, or to remove residues that may be hazardous or harmful to health prior to planned work in a confined space. These residues may be natural or man-made. Precautions for work where residues may be present include purging the confined space using an inert gas, using mechanical ventilation, and using protected-low voltage equipment.

Confined Space Ventilation

Ensuring adequate ventilation is essential prior to entry into a confined space. Considering ventilation of a confined space must take into account:

The confined space layout.
Natural ventilation and air circulation within the space.
The size and positioning of openings.
Possible pollutants in the space.
The complexity of the space, such as if there are pockets that may allow pollutants to sit in the space and concentrate.

When using mechanical ventilation, care must be taken to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of breathable air – air must not be drawn from a place where it can become contaminated, such as next to a diesel generator exhaust. In addition, air extracted from the confined space must not be able to re-enter the space.

Fire Prevention

In order for a fire to start, there must be a source of ignition, fuel and oxygen present. To prevent a fire, these must be removed. Where the presence of a source of ignition, fuel or oxygen is unavoidable, appropriate controls must be enforced to prevent a fire. These controls include:

Properly removing residues prior to work commencing.
Minimising the use of combustible materials.
Never leaving combustible materials in a confined space. Where this is unavoidable, they should be stored in fire resistant containers.
Never using oxygen to ‘sweeten’ the air, as this can result in spontaneous combustion of substances.

Permit-to-work systems

A permit-to-work system is a written procedure to ensure that specific entry requirements and work activities in a confined space are followed, which is usually required where there is a reasonably foreseeable risk of serious injury occurring from entry or work in a confined space.

Please note that using a permit-to-work system alone does not, in itself, make a work activity safe. It’s a formal written system that forms part of the risk assessment process and contributes to the safe system of work. It does not replace either of them.

Emergency Arrangements

Properly planning for emergency situations is essential for work activities involving confined spaces. Failing to do so, can have serious consequences. It is legally required that emergency arrangements are planned and enforced before entry or work in a confined space commences. Rescue arrangements must cover all six of the specified risks, as well as any others identified in the risk assessment that may require a worker to be rescued. Emergency arrangements must form part of the risk assessment process and safe systems of work.

For more information on emergency arrangements for confined space working, take a look at our Working in Confined Spaces Online Training Course.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

PPE must only ever be used as a last resort. Where reasonably practicable, avoidance of risk, substitution for safer alternatives and engineering controls must always be in place, followed by the enforcement of safe systems of work, including a permit-to-work.

Examples of PPE that are regularly used in confined spaces include safety helmets, gloves, safety footwear, and anti-static clothing. Examples of more specific PPE that may also be used include safety lines, harnesses and, in exceptional cases, the use of breathing apparatus.

A significant majority of confined space incidents occur as a result of inadequate planning, controls and training. These incidents can be avoided by ensuring that the proper planning, controls and training are in place before confined space work commences. As previously mentioned, this article only briefly discusses the controls that may be used for confined space working. For more information, and training for those working in confined spaces, take a look at our Working in Confined Spaces Online Training Course.

Further Resources:

The post Working in Confined Spaces Hazards and Control Measures appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

A Personal Development Plan (PDP) Guide & Template

Katie Martinelli — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 09:30:00 +0000

What is a Personal Development Plan?

Personal development is an ongoing process that drives you to improve your knowledge, skills and experience, so that you can achieve your goals. A personal development plan (or PDP) is a method of focussing your goals into achievable steps, which helps you keep track of your personal development.

Why Should I Create a Personal Development Plan?

Your plan may be aimed at your education, career or personal goal, or a mixture of all three – that is up to you to determine. Whatever the case may be, a good plan will provide you with a clear sense of focus. It helps you map out a path towards your goals, strategise a plan to achieve them, record the actionable steps you will take, and set a timeframe for completing them. Focussing your goals into a PDP helps you maintain your vision, keep on track to achieve your targets, and reflect on your progress.

Simply put, a PDP can help you build a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it.

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A clear plan can also support your positive mental wellbeing and improve your level of satisfaction. It can provide a sense of direction, purposefulness and a feeling of success as you start to fulfil your potential. All of these can have very positive impacts on your mental health.

Therefore, discovering what your goals are, getting organised and giving yourself a sense of direction can be incredibly beneficial. This article will give you an understanding of how to write a personal development plan, as well as provide you with a handy template to support your development journey.

How to Write a Personal Development Plan

There are seven steps to writing a PDP:

Set yourself goals.
Prioritise those goals.
Set yourself deadlines for when you want to achieve them.
Recognise threats and opportunities.
Develop your skills or increase your knowledge.
Use your support network.
Measure your progress.

1. Set Yourself Goals

The first step is to set yourself goals. Think about what you want to achieve, whether that’s within a few weeks, within a year, or over your lifetime.

Deciding what you want is not only the first step in planning, it’s also the hardest. Once you’ve figured out what you want to do, that goal will provide clear direction and a structure for your resulting plan.

At this stage, your goals will feel big. You might be wondering how you are ever going to achieve them. Don’t worry – the next step is to prioritise and turn those goals into smaller, actionable steps that will support you on your way to achieving them.

2. Prioritising Your Goals

Now that you have your goals, the next stage is to break them down into smaller steps. When doing this, it’s important that your goals are SMART:

Specific. Avoid large, ambiguous steps. These won’t support you on your way to achieving your goals. Insted, make sure that your goals are specific and clearly highlight the skill, knowledge or experience you want to develop.
Measureable. You need to be able to monitor and reflect on your progress. Therefore, your goals need to be measurable, such as by setting a goal to develop your SEO knowledge with a measurable target of growing your website traffic by a set, defined percentage.
Attainable. Your goals need to be achievable and realistic. You need to think about if it is something you can realistically achieve with the time and resources you have. If not, you will likely be setting yourself up for failure.
Relevant. It’s important to keep your overall goal in mind and make sure that every step you take is supporting you to achieve it. You don’t want to be spending time doing things that don’t get you where you want to go.
Time-bound. Set yourself key targets to achieve and deadlines in which to achieve them. This will help you stay focussed on achieving your goals. However, it’s important to make sure you are realistic in what you can achieve in any given period. Don’t try to achieve everything all at once. It’s unrealistic and you won’t be setting yourself up well to achieve them. Remember that personal development is a journey – your PD plan can continue to grow and develop as you take those steps towards your goals.

Once you have your goals, you’ll need to prioritise them.

In your PDP, you should be setting yourself mini goals to make the big ones happen.

For example, if you wish to pursue a career in academia as a senior lecturer and then a professor, a necessary step to succeeding in this goal is to achieve a PhD. So that would be one of your long-term goals. You then need to break it down into steps, such as:

Learn about the PhD application process.
Find a suitable university and supervisor for a PhD.
Look at routes for funding.
Find studentships to apply for or apply to your university of choice.
Write and submit your PhD application.

3. Set Yourself Deadlines

Knowing when you want to achieve a goal is crucial, and picturing your future is an important source of motivation and inspiration.

Having goals and a set deadline will drive your motivation to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to buy a home, knowing when you want to achieve it will help you calculate exactly how much money you need to save each year in order to get your deposit. The same is true for your skills, knowledge and experience development. As mentioned above, setting realistic and time-bound goals are essential to achieving them.

One good way to understand more about achieving your goals is to speak to those who have previously trodden a similar path. Learning about their experiences can help you understand key barriers to, or methods of, success that may also be applicable to your PDP.

4. Recognise Threats and Opportunities

When considering your goals, you should identify your own strengths, consider areas of weakness you can develop, look at the opportunities available to support you in achieving your goals, and any threats that may hinder you in your progress. This is called a SWOT analysis. Note that these threats may be external or they may be core skills that you can develop as part of your PDP.

For example, a lack of motivation could hinder your plans to apply for a PhD. However, once you’ve identified your tendency to procrastinate or lose focus, you can put in place methods that will keep you motivated.

There are also going to be things that you could do, and connections with people or resources you could take advantage of, that will help you on your way. These are your opportunities that you should commit to doing.

For example, if there’s a conference coming up, take advantage of that. Go along and network, stay up to date on the latest knowledge, or even present a paper. These are all opportunities that could help you achieve your goals.

5. Develop Yourself

Once you have an idea of what could help or hinder you, this is when you can capitalise on those opportunities you recognised. Make an action plan about how you’ll make that progress.

Whatever it is that hinders you, there’s a way to stop it. Your plan is the first step to making sure you stay on track.

So, why not take a look at how to upskill yourself, develop transferable skills in today’s rapidly changing jobs market, or even discover an online learning opportunity.

6. Use Your Support Network

The next thing you need to realise is that:

You don’t have to do everything by yourself.

And you shouldn’t. The support network around you is a valuable asset, so use it and don’t underestimate it.

In your PDP, list the people who can help you. This could be a financial advisor, a friend, or a colleague. People are often so happy to help you, more than you might realise.

7. Measure Progress

After you’ve achieved some progress, whether it’s big or small, take time to reflect on how far you’ve come.

Recognising what has gone well is an effective way to bolster your motivation and remain dedicated.

And after a setback, this is another time to take stock.

Wallowing – briefly – is a good way to feel what you need to without holding on to it. Holding onto sadness, anger or frustration, however, will only deter you. These emotions will take you nowhere and will only hinder you.

You should also spend a little time figuring out why it went wrong. Can you identify a skills or knowledge gap?

If you can, then you can get yourself back on track by focussing on your next step. This will reignite your sense of purpose and help you regain control, which is integral to making progress.

Continue to reflect on your progress. You can gain significant insight from your reflections and this can help you grow. Remember that you should update your plan where necessary. Don’t overload it at any one time but, once you have achieved your small steps, reflect and then update your plan to focus on your next move.

Free Personal Development Plan Example & Template

In this article, we have discussed how you can create your own personal development plan, so you should now feel ready to start considering your goals and developing your own plan. To help you produce an effective personal development plan, we have created an editable template that you can use. Take a look at our example PDP, and download your free template below:

Further Resources:

The post A Personal Development Plan (PDP) Guide & Template appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

What is Effective Communication in Construction?

Katie Martinelli — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Effective communication is defined as being able to successfully convey information, knowledge, and ideas in a way that is received, understood, and acted upon as originally intended. When discussing communication in the construction sector, effective communication is essential in ensuring the successful and safe operation of an organisation and completion of projects.

Communication takes many forms, including verbal (both face-to-face and distanced, such as over the phone), non-verbal (conveying and understanding non-verbal cues such as body language), written, and visual (such as graphs and visual signage). All these forms of communication are essential and it’s important to understand their importance and know how to use them effectively.

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What is the Role of Communication in Construction?

There are several costly impacts that poor communication can have on an organisation and the success of its projects, including:

Increased health and safety issues. Work in the construction sector presents many potential hazards, including work at height, hazardous and dangerous substances, and on-site vehicles. Poor communication of health and safety information can significantly increase the number of accidents and incidents, which has a direct impact on productivity, turnover, morale, legal and compensation costs, and reputation with customers.
Low morale. Poor communication can cause increased stress levels, poor motivation and decreased morale in workers. Additionally, conflict can also arise when different parties in the project are not kept fully informed of all decisions. This can have a significant impact on the happiness and motivation of employees, and working on a site with poor information flow and conflicts is not a pleasant environment. This is often accompanied by feelings of resentment, high staff turnover and increased absences. To learn how to improve teamwork in construction, read our article How to Build Relationships in Construction.
Lack of clarity around goals. This can result in significant misunderstandings between different stakeholders. This can impact the success of a project as all parties have competing and inconsistent goals.
Delays, decreased productivity and profitability. Poor communication and ineffective communication streams can decrease the speed with which information is transferred within a project and can also cause information blocks where information is transferred to the wrong person. This can cause delays and reduced productivity, both of which may affect profit.
Increased costs. All of the factors above can have a direct impact on costs. For example, accidents and incidents can cause increased staff turnover, increased costs covering absent workers and hiring replacements, increased insurance premiums, and legal costs. Additionally, delays can result in significant additional costs including increased labour costs and increased rent hire for machinery and tools. Even poor communication around project specifics, such as materialis, project or site specific information, and quantities, can result in the purchase of incorrect, unusable or excess materials – all of which will increase costs.
Decreased reputation with customers. Poor communication resulting in delays, disruptions, conflicts and high levels of accidents and incidents can develop a negative reputation for an organisation. This can impact an organisations ability to remain competitive.

Poor communication can have serious impacts on an organisation and its employees in many ways. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain effective communication across an organisation, to limit any negative repercussions. However, there can often be barriers to communication, especially in the construction sector, which poses unique challenges that need to be overcome.

What are the Barriers to Communication in Construction?

If you are experiencing poor communication in your organisation, a good place to start is to understand why this might be the case. Detailed below are some common barriers to effective communication within the construction industry. It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list.

A large workforce. Construction sites often have very large numbers of individuals working there at any given time. This may be a mix of full-time or part-time employees, temporary workers, and contractors or subcontractors, all of whom have different roles, responsibilities, skills and levels of experience. In this style of workforce, it’s easy for communication barriers to form and, when on-site managers are responsible for the transfer of information, for there to be inconsistent levels of communication. Not every manager is an effective communicator. Communication is a skill and it takes practice.
Distanced senior management. Where the senior management works away from site, it can be hard to ensure that decisions made at the top are reflective of the conditions on-site or communicated effectively. Where this is not the case, it can lead to delays in communication and work, misunderstandings and even unsafe conditions. This is why effective top-down communication is essential.
Complex and unclear information. Providing information to workers that is overly complex, packed full of excessive information and jargon, can make it hard for your message to be understood and can result in misinterpretations.
Language barriers. Where a worker’s first language is not English, this can potentially pose communication barriers. These workers may rely on translations and interpretations, and may misunderstand information passed onto them. This can be very dangerous when communicating health and safety information. Where language barriers are not effectively managed, it may also increase the risk of workplace discrimination and harassment, which can impact not only the individual but the wider workplace as well.

Methods of Effective Communication on Construction Sites

There are several ways that you can help to improve communication in your workplace. When considering how to do this, think about the following:

Effective communication starts from the top down. Therefore, it’s essential that managers and supervisors communicate effectively, listen to their employees and never ignore policy or procedures. By doing this, you’ll start to develop a positive culture across your organisation and quickly start to see employees follow suit. Additionally, it’s essential that your safe working policies, procedures and practices are the same for everyone. There should not be one rule for some and a different rule for others. This will help to ensure everyone communicates and follows the correct methods.
Ensure formal communication channels are enforced. Communication needs to be effective from the top-down, but also allow employees to raise and report concerns. You should request and actively listen to feedback, both about work and around your communication style. There might be something you can do more of to help ensure your message is heard.
Be selective when choosing how to communicate. One size does not fit all with communication. Sometimes a ‘tool-box talk’ may be the best way to share information, other times it may be an email or visual sign. It’s important to choose the right communication method to ensure you are properly understood and that your message is received the way you intended.
Be professional, clear and concise. Don’t over complicate your message and explain your meaning as clearly and concisely as possible. This will help to ensure that your message is understood and the appropriate actions are taken.
Provide accessible information. For example, health and safety information and other policies and procedures should be widely and easily available for everyone in accessible formats. It’s essential that staff are properly briefed on any updates to health and safety procedures to ensure that staff can work safely and effectively.
Ensure information is communicated in a timely manner and delivered to all necessary parties. While being open and transparent is an essential part of effective communication, it’s important not to overload everyone with too much information. Sometimes, you may need to share communication with everyone in your organisation, other times, this is not needed. Where possible, it’s better to be specific with communication and target those impacted.
Identify the linguistic strengths and weaknesses in your organisation. It’s important to consider the current reality and the future needs of your organisation. When hiring, consider the language and communication skills of workers. Do they have skills that would benefit your workforce and help to close the language barrier gaps? You should also ensure that your written materials are properly and accurately translated and provided to workers who need them. It’s important that you ensure these are accurate translations done by professional construction translators, as you do not want to cause misunderstandings.

Throughout this article we have emphasised the importance of communication in the construction workforce. Effective communication is essential to the successful and safe completion of your projects. Therefore, you should consider communication as a key skill that you want your employees to demonstrate.

Communication skills may easily be forgotten, as they are seemingly not as important as health and safety or specific speciality skills, but they underpin safe working on your site. High Speed Training offers Communication Skills Training, that can help you train your workers in communication and teach them how to apply their communication skills to reduce communication barriers in your workplace.

The post What is Effective Communication in Construction? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

What is Hot Work and Do I Need a Permit?

Katie Martinelli — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 09:30:00 +0000

Hot work can create significant health and safety hazards that put workers, those around them, and the premises itself in danger.

Employers have a legal duty to ensure that risks in their workplace are assessed, controlled and monitored so that their employees remain safe from harm – including those from hot work. Employers must identify the hazards in their workplace and implement suitable controls to reduce the risks to as low as is reasonably practicable.

What is Hot Work?

The HSE defines hot work as the: ‘use of open fires, flames and work involving the application of heat by means of tools or equipment.’ Common types of hot work include:

Welding, brazing, and soldering.
Grinding and cutting.
Thawing pipes.
The use of open flames, blow-lamps, and torches.
Using bitumen and tar boilers.
The use of hot air blowers and lead heaters.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it does include the most common examples of hot work. All hot work can pose significant health and safety risks when carried out without proper controls.

Want to Learn More?

Our Hot Work course examines the different types of hot work and the risks associated with them. It also explains the legal duties on employers and duty holders, and the responsibilities employees have to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

Common Hazards of Hot Work

Hot work can present numerous types of hazards to workers and the environment around them. However, the most common and significant risk of hot work is fire and explosions. Without the proper safety procedures, all types of hot work can easily ignite a fire.

Fire hazards posed by hot work include:

Flying sparks. This is the main risk posed by hot work. Sparks can easily get trapped in cracks, pipes, gaps, holes, and other small openings, where it will potentially smoulder and start a fire.
Flammable swarf, molten metals, slag, cinder, and filings. The debris and residue that hot work creates are often highly combustible and/or hot.
Heat conduction when working on pipes. Hot work can cause a pipe to heat up substantially and this heat can easily transfer through the process of conduction to another, potentially flammable surface and cause a fire.
Hot surfaces. If you don’t properly remove flammable materials or substances from the area before you start hot work, they could come into contact with a surface that has become hot during the work and easily start a fire.
Explosive atmospheres. In certain environments, there may be vapours or gases in the air that are highly combustible and could ignite when exposed to hot work. Similarly, the hot work could generate fumes that create an explosive atmosphere.

The consequences of these hazards can be severe and costly for any business. Injuries can result in workers taking time off work, while a serious fire could damage the building irreparably. Both of these could even lead to legal consequences under certain circumstances. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how to implement appropriate safety controls.

Further hazards include, but are not limited to, the following:

Exposure to fumes and gases: Hot work can expose workers to hazardous fumes and gases that can result in severe health and safety impacts. This exposure may be a direct result of the hot work activity, such as welding fumes, or a result of the environment where the hot work is being undertaken. For example, carrying out hot work to repair a silo without proper removal of previous residues could result in serious adverse reactions, such as generating toxic fumes or an explosive atmosphere.
Exposure to electrical hazards: Depending on the type of hot work being undertaken, live electrical circuits may be used to generate heat, which results in a risk of electric shock.
Heat exposure: Hot work involves ‘use of open fires, flames and work involving the application of heat’, which can expose workers to dangerous elevated temperatures and heat build-up in the body. Excessive heat exposure can result in heat stress, heat stroke and unconsciousness.
Exposure to improper isolation of equipment: Improper isolation of equipment being worked on can result in hazards including entrapment, crushing, asphyxiation, explosive environments, etc. For example, failure to correctly chocking moving equipment is in place or not isolating pipework that could carry gases, vapours or fumes into the workplace.

It’s important to note that the hazards associated with hot work will depend on the specific work activity and the environment in which it is being undertaken.

Hot Work Control Measures

A variety of industries may require hot work in their premises as part of routine work activities, though it is also frequently carried out as part of contractual work. However, no matter the reason for, or duration of, the hot work being undertaken, it’s essential that the hazards have been assessed and appropriate controls have been enforced.

As previously mentioned, employers have a legal duty to ensure that risks in their workplace are assessed, controlled and monitored so that their employees remain safe from harm, including the risks from hot work activities. Control methods must be selected in line with the hierarchy of control which is outlined below:

Elimination – Elimination means to avoid carrying out hot work activities. This can be done through a number of ways. For example, if a tank requires hot work to repair it, completely replacing the tank instead of repairing it.
Substitution – The second step in the hierarchy involves substituting for a safer or less hazardous alternative, such as using cold cutting or cold repair methods rather than hot work.
Engineering controls – This involves using physical solutions to reduce risks, such as using general mechanical ventilation (ducted air with fans) or local exhaust ventilation (to remove fumes from the point of origin).
Administrative controls – This involves altering the way the activity is undertaken to make it safer, e.g. the use of safe systems of work, permit-to-work systems and training.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – The final stage of the hierarchy of control is the use of PPE to reduce any residual risks. Examples of PPE include respiratory protective equipment (RPE), hearing protection, eye protection and anti-static clothing and boots. PPE must only ever be used as a last resort and only when all other stages in the hierarchy of control have been considered.

Avoiding hot work altogether

Hot work must be avoided, so far as is reasonably practicable. ‘So far as is reasonably practicable’ means that, for any risk that is more than negligible or insignificant, then the duty holder has to weigh the risk against the time, money and trouble required to control it. The level of action should be proportionate to the risk. So, where risks are higher, such as hot work, then the actions taken must be more comprehensive. Therefore, you should consider every possible alternative for completing a task before deciding to proceed with hot work.

The need for hot work can be eliminated or substituted for safer alternatives in many ways. For example, replacing tanks and silos instead of repairing them, substituting welding for bolting methods, or substituting torch cutting for the use of hand-held hydraulic shears.

In some situations, hot work will be unavoidable. If this is the case, the duty holder must ensure that an effective safe system of work is enforced and used, to ensure that the work activity will be carried out safely and without risk to health.

Safe systems of work (SSoW)

Safe systems of work are part of the risk assessment process. The information contained within an SSoW should reflect and build on the information developed in the risk assessment process. The key information contained in a safe system of work are outlined below:

Safe Place of Work – The work environment should be safe for the work activities to be undertaken.
Safe Work Equipment – The safe system of work should only permit the use of the safest work equipment possible.
Safe Substances for Use at Work – The safe system of work should only allow the safest substances possible. This may mean substituting dangerous, flammable or toxic substances such as chemicals or gases for safer alternatives.
Safe Management, Supervision and Monitoring – Managers, supervisors, those who plan the work, and other duty holders should be competent in their duties. This includes an understanding of the hazards and risks involved with the work activities and work environment, and how to safely supervise and monitor activities.
Safe Workers – Employees and any others undertaking work activities must be fully trained in the safe system of work, including any work equipment and use of substances, and in rescue arrangements.

What is a permit-to-work?

A permit-to-work system is a written procedure to ensure that specific work activities are adhered to. Key information about permit-to-work systems is outlined below:

A permit-to-work is a document created to control and communicate the key control measures that are needed for work activities where hazards are increased due to the work to be undertaken or by the nature of the location where the work is being carried out. Permits-to-work form part of the safe system of work for those more hazardous work activities.
The main purposes of a permit-to-work is to act as a single communication tool for a specific and time-bound activity that can cause increased hazards and risks if the additional controls and checks are not included.
A permit-to-work is a formal written system that makes up part of the risk assessment process and contributes to the safe system of work. It is not a replacement for either of them.
Only a competent person in a position of authority, for example, a senior manager, can decide whether a permit-to-work is required.
Where a permit-to-work is needed, it must only be completed by a competent person in authority, such as an experienced supervisor, consulting specialist advice where necessary, and must be signed off by the competent person in charge of the work. The permit-to-work is a suitable way to record authorisations, document findings, and to permit work to proceed.
A permit-to-work must be specific to the work being carried out and the environment where it is being undertaken. Once the work activity has been finished, the permit-to-work must be cancelled in writing by the senior manager and supervisor, and a new assessment undertaken for any new work activities.
Anyone carrying out work must be fully informed and instructed in the risk assessment, safe systems of work and the permit-to-work before any work is carried out.

It is essential to note that a permit-to-work, alone, does not make a work activity safe. It is an extension of the safe system of work and must not be used as a replacement.

Need Permit to Work Training?

Our Permit to Work Training explains the duties of everyone responsible for the permit, from the point of issue to the work’s completion. If you work in an industry that often carries out high risk work, it’s crucial that you know what a permit should cover.

What information does a permit-to-work cover?

As previously mentioned, a permit-to-work system is a written procedure to ensure that specific work activities are adhered to. A permit-to-work will usually contain the following information:

Permit title.
Permit reference, including other relevant permits to work.
Job location. This must include a clear and accurate description of the area in which the work will be undertaken.
Date and duration of permit. It’s important to note that a new permit will normally be required for different work shifts.
Plant or equipment to be worked on. This should include the specific identification number or location where the work will be undertaken.
Description of work to be done. This section should include sufficient detail to clearly identify the work being done.
Hazard identification, including detailed information on the hazards arising from the work and other associated hazards, for example, work at height.
Precautions required, for example, safe equipment, isolation of power required and by whom, etc.
Emergency arrangements, for example, requirements for firefighting and rescue, details of rescue equipment, etc.
Monitoring equipment, for example, air monitoring.
Details of PPE required for the work.
A signature from the issuing authority, such as a/the manager, to confirm that isolations have been made and precautions taken.
A signature from the supervisor of the work, to confirm understanding of the work to be done, hazards involved and precautions required, and that the permit information has been explained to all permit users.
Extension and shift handover. The signatures of the authorising authority, manager, and supervisor for the permit to confirm the necessary checks have been made to ensure that the plant remains safe to be worked on and that all precautions remain in place. The new supervisors’ signature is also needed to confirm acceptance and confirm that the permit information has been explained to all permit users.
Hand-back. A signature from the supervisor of the work certifying the work has been completed and the area has been made safe, including any required tests.
A signature from the manager to confirm that the permit has been cancelled, all work under the permit has been completed and the area is safe.

Emergency Arrangements

After avoiding the risks associated with hot work and implementing safe systems of work, it’s important to set up and maintain any necessary emergency arrangements. Emergency arrangements must be well planned and set out by a competent person, and must be appropriate to the hazards generated by the specific work activities and environment.

Emergency arrangements must make up part of the risk assessment process and safe systems of work – no work should be commenced until the appropriate emergency arrangements are enforced. The complexity of the emergency arrangements will depend on the specific hazards identified.

Essential components to consider when deciding on emergency arrangements include:

Raising the alarm. Employees must understand how to raise an alarm and communicate effectively during an emergency rescue. An effective, reliable method of communication that is regularly tested before work is commenced must be in place.
Where deemed necessary by the risk assessment, suitable rescue and resuscitation equipment must be provided and those required to use it must be competent and fully trained.
Safeguarding any rescuers. All rescuers must be competent in their duties, they must understand their role, be contactable and readily available at all times when on rescue duty and must understand that they should never put themselves at risk to enact a rescue. All emergency rescuers must be provided with the information, instruction and training necessary to ensure they are competent in their duties.
Hot work activities pose a very significant risk of fires and explosions which must be assessed and suitable precautions taken. It’s important to consider all the hazards in the work environment and posed by the work activities and ensure that firefighting methods do not pose any additional risks – such as displacing oxygen in confined spaces.
Whether plant may need to be shut down in the event of an emergency. For example, because the plant is the cause of an emergency or it is not possible to carry out an emergency rescue without plant shut down.
Suitable first aid arrangements are in place.
Arrangements for contacting and working with the emergency services in the event of an emergency. Employers must not rely on emergency services alone when setting out emergency arrangements. However, it’s important to consider how the emergency services would be informed in the event of an emergency, who is responsible for contacting them, and what information they might need on their arrival to ensure they can carry out their duties safely.

As described in this article, hot work can present significant risks. Employers have a legal duty to ensure these risks are assessed, controlled and monitored to keep their employees safe from harm. Where necessary and used properly, a permit-to-work is an extension of the safe system of work and risk assessment carried out for your work activities. It must never be considered a substitution for a safe system of work or a risk assessment, and must be followed by everyone involved.

What to Read Next:

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Dust Hazards in Construction: Importance of Managing Risks & RPE

Katie Martinelli — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:30:00 +0000

In 2022/23, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that there were 135 fatal injuries to workers – the largest number of these, 45, occurred within the construction sector. The HSE also reported that there were approximately 69,000 cases of new or long-standing work-related ill health reported by those working in the construction sector. This means that approximately 3.3% of all workers in the construction industry suffered from work-related ill health in the last year.

This article will look at one of the most common risks in the construction industry: dusts hazards. It will explain what construction dusts are, why it’s important to control exposure, and what actions employers should take to appropriately manage the risks posed by dusts in their workplaces and associated with their work activities.

What are the Dust Hazards in Construction?

One significant hazard that those working in construction are exposed to is dust. Exposure to construction dust can result in a range of serious ill health impacts, in permanent disability, and even death in those affected. These health hazards include asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, and silicosis. Therefore, it’s essential that risks from construction dusts are properly assessed and controlled.

Construction dust is the generic name given to dust that is found on a construction site. It usually refers to three main types of dusts:

Silica dust. Silica is a natural substance present in many commonly used construction products, like bricks, tile and mortar. Silica dust is produced when construction and mineral processing activities are carried out on silica-containing materials, including sanding, cutting and drilling. These activities release very fine silica dust particles, known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which are fine enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs when breathed in. More information on RCS dust can be found here: What is Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) Dust and Why is it Dangerous?
Wood dust. Wood dust can be created when carrying out work activities on hardwood, softwood and wood-based products.
Lower toxicity dust, also known as non-silica dusts. These types of dusts are created from work activities on materials containing very little, or no, silica. For example, construction activities carried out on marble, limestone and gypsum.

Why is it important to Manage the Health Risks of Construction Dust?

Exposure to construction dusts can have serious ill health impacts on anyone exposed. These include:

Occupational asthma. Occupational asthma is an allergic reaction that certain individuals experience when exposed to ‘respiratory sensitisers’. Respiratory sensitisers are substances in the workplace, such as dusts, which, when an individual is exposed, can cause their airways to go into a ‘hypersensitive state’. When the airways become hypersensitive, exposure to even very small quantities of the substance can induce an attack.
Occupational cancers. Long and short-term exposure to dusts can increase the risk of workers developing several different types of cancer, including lung cancer and cancers of the nose.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). COPD is the collective name for the group of lung diseases that result in breathing difficulties, including emphysema and bronchitis. Those with COPD often experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent coughing, and recurring chest infections. COPDs can occur as a result of prolonged exposure to fumes and dusts, and symptoms usually worsen gradually over time. However, individuals with COPDs can experience stages where their symptoms significantly deteriorate, very rapidly.
Silicosis. Continuous, long-term exposure to RCS dust, or extensive exposure over a shorter period, can result in silicosis, a long-term lung disease. When RCS dust is inhaled into the lungs, the particles are attacked by the immune system, which causes inflammation. Repeated inhalation of RCS dust over a long period of time will result in fibrosis (areas of hardened and scarred tissue in the lungs) from the resulting attacking and inflammation that occurs. Silicosis impacts the lungs’ ability to function correctly, causing those with the disease to often experience a persistent cough, breathlessness and tiredness.

Construction Dust Exposure and the Law

Exposure to construction dust can have serious impacts on anyone exposed. Therefore, there are three main regulations that regulate exposure to dusts in the workplace. These are the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 (HSW Act), the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). These regulations place key duties on employers to control exposure to hazardous substances in their workplaces.

Note: Some hazardous substances are not covered under COSHH as they have their own specific regulations, such as lead and asbestos.

Therefore, as an employer, your legal responsibilities include:

Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of your employees so far as is reasonably practicable. Employers and self-employed are required to ensure that their work activities and workplaces operate in a way that does not pose risks to others.
Carrying out a risk assessment to identify, assess and control the risks in your workplace.
Recording the results of your risk assessment, if you have 5 or more employees. However, it’s good practice to record your risk assessment, no matter how many employees you have.
Choosing appropriate controls to eliminate or manage exposure to hazardous substances as a result of your workplace or work activities.
Sharing the results of your risk assessment with anyone impacted by your work activities, including employees, contractors and cleaning staff.
Ensure that your work activities don’t expose workers to levels of hazardous substances above the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL). WELs represent the legal safe maximum concentration of hazardous substances in the air, averaged over a certain time frame. There are around 500 substances that have WELs assigned to them. You can see a complete list of WELs in the HSE’s guide: EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits. The only way you can measure exposure is by carrying out exposure monitoring. As an employer, you must measure exposure in your workplace and ensure that any WELs are not exceeded.
Provide health surveillance for employees where necessary.
Ensure employees are provided with adequate training in their duties and any control measures, so that they can work safely and effectively.

It’s important to note that this list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and that everyone involved in construction activities has legal responsibilities placed on them.

Need a Course?

Our Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) will provide you with more information on the legal responsibilities posed on various parties.

Managing Construction Dust Hazards

It’s important to remember that everyone involved in construction work has legal responsibilities to manage the hazards associated with their work activities. This includes principal designers, principal contractors, designers and contractors, small builders and employees.

The HSE recommends that you use the ACR model to assess the hazards associated with your work activities and to effectively manage the risks.

The ACR model involves three key steps:

One: Assess the risks – identify the hazards associated with your workplace and work activities and assess the risks. You must consider:

The task itself. For example, consider the type of tools and materials that are being used to carry out the work activity.
The conditions of the work environment.
The duration and frequency with which a task is carried out.

Two: Control the risks – select controls to effectively eliminate or reduce the risks associated with your workplace and work activities. You must consider controls in line with the hierarchy of control. The hierarchy of control is outlined below:

Eliminate the hazard. Consider ways in which you can eliminate the hazards. For example, you can eliminate dust-creating processes by ordering materials that are pre-cut, pre-prepared or pre-finished.
Substitute for a less hazardous alternative. Consider if you can change the process or materials used to reduce the risks. For example, choosing wet methods over dry methods, such as using wet coring instead of dry coring, or using no-drill fixings.
Engineering controls. Consider how you can alter or change the equipment used to reduce the risks. For example, could you use on-tool dust extraction, general mechanical ventilation or water suppression systems?
Administrative controls. Consider how you can amend your work procedures to reduce the risks. Types of administrative controls include ‘designing out’ hazards, installing warning signs, enforcing job rotation and safe systems of work, and ensuring employees are appropriately trained in their responsibilities.
Personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE should only ever be used as a last resort to reduce any residual risk to below an acceptable level. There is a legal duty on employers to consider the first four methods of the hierarchy of control to eliminate or reduce exposure to dust to below the workplace exposure limit (WEL). However, there are some situations where the use of one or more of the above controls can’t reduce dust exposure to below the WEL. Where this happens, suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should be considered and used, alongside other controls, to reduce the risks to below the acceptable level.

Three: Review the controls – regularly review the controls used to eliminate or reduce the risks, to ensure they are in good working order and are effective.

Types of Respiratory Protection for Construction Workers

It’s vital to understand that respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should only ever be used as a last resort. It should never be your first consideration when deciding on controls to eliminate or reduce the risks associated with dusts in your workplace.

There is a legal duty to use methods of elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative controls to eliminate or reduce exposure to dusts. However, there will be situations where using one, or a combination, of those won’t reduce exposure to below the relevant workplace exposure limit (WEL). If this is the case, adequate and suitable RPE should also be used to reduce exposure to below the WEL.

There are two main types of respirators:

Powered respirators. These respirators use motors to pull air through the filter and supply the user with a flow of clean air.
Non-powered respirators. These respirators rely on the wearer’s breathing to pull air through the filter and supply the user with a flow of clean air.

Respirators can be either tight-fitting (these have to be face-fit tested to ensure that they can make a good seal with the wearers face) and loose-fitting (these do not require face-fit testing).

It is essential to note that there are very important conditions for RPE use. Any RPE has to be selected carefully to ensure it is adequate and suitable for specific hazards posed by a work activity, suitable for the work environment and specific to the user (e.g. the correct size). More information can be found in the following HSE guidance document: Respiratory Protective Equipment at Work

Construction dust exposure poses significant hazards to workers. As described in this article, it’s important that you effectively manage the risks in your workplace. You can find more information on your legal responsibilities, common health hazards, suitable control measures and the ACR model in our Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) Awareness Training Course.

Further Resources:

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What is an IIRSM Approval & What Does It Mean?

Katie Martinelli — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 08:30:00 +0000

At High Speed Training we pride ourselves on providing high-quality, accurate content that allows our learners to be engaged, effective, and safe in their chosen careers. As well as working with several subject matter experts, we also aim to get our courses independently reviewed to ensure that our content meets industry standards. To do this, we apply for accreditations, endorsements, and approvals for our courses.

There are various different types of accreditations, approvals, and endorsements available to online training companies. One type of approval that we display on a selection of our risk-based courses is Approval from the International Institute for Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM).

However, it’s not always clear what these types of approvals mean or why they are beneficial for us and our learners. In this article, we will explain who IIRSM are and how we work with them to ensure that our content meets their high standards.

Who is IIRSM?

The International Institute for Risk and Safety Management, also known as IIRSM, is an independent, educational charity that promotes risk management with the aim of improving employee and organisational wellbeing.

IIRSM provides support to their global community of over 8000 members working in a range of risk-related disciplines. Risk management is vital for ensuring a safe working environment, maintaining a positive reputation, and ensuring a profitable business. Therefore, IIRSM work to support their members with professional advice and guidance, as well as offering training organisations an opportunity to apply for Approval through their Training Approval Scheme.

What is an IIRSM Approval?

To ensure that a course meets their quality standards, IIRSM’s Training Approval process assesses the course’s learning experience and technical content, the competence of any subject matter experts involved in course development, and the course quality.

When we applied for Approval through IIRSM’s Training Approval Scheme, we worked with them to submit an application that provided the details of the courses, proof of subject matter expert qualifications, and supporting materials. Our application form then underwent a comprehensive review by IIRSM’s assessors to ensure that our courses met their assessment criteria.

During this process, we received feedback on our courses from IIRSM. We then liaised with them to ensure that our courses provide a high-quality, accurate training experience that allows our learners to effectively manage the risks in their workplaces.

Why is it Important for Our Courses to be Approved By IIRSM?

Applying for external accreditations, endorsements and approvals, such as IIRSM Approval, helps to assure our customers that our courses are independently assessed and reflect industry best practices. IIRSM are an educational charity who champion and set standards for risk management. Therefore, we have worked with IIRSM to independently assess a range of our risk-based courses to ensure they meet IIRSM’s quality standards.

Gaining IIRSM approval demonstrates that we work with professional organisations to ensure that we provide our customers with training that will help them to be engaged, effective and safe in their chosen careers. We consider our IIRSM Training Approval as a trust signal for our customers, so they can be sure the content has been independently assessed and that it meets IIRSM’s set standards.

Which High Speed Training Courses Are IIRSM Approved?

Several of our courses have been independently recognised by the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management as meeting the standards of its Training Approval Scheme. A full list of High Speed Training’s courses that have been approved by IIRSM is detailed below.

Financial Services and Business Skills

We have worked with IIRSM to approve a selection of our Financial Services and Business Skills courses. These courses address risks such as bribery, money laundering and cyber security. They provide an introduction to key financial and business risks that organisations face and explain how these risks can be managed. Our courses approved by IIRSM in this sector are:

Health and Safety Courses

Risk Management is a key focus for our Health and Safety courses. Therefore, we have worked with IIRSM to approve a selection of ours.

For example, our Respirable Crystalline Silica Awareness training course has recently been approved by IIRSM. Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust exposure poses significant risks to those working in construction, mining, and other dust producing industries. Therefore, it’s essential that workers understand how to manage the risks associated with their work activities. This course teaches our learners how to assess and manage the risks associated with RCS dust. We worked alongside IIRSM to approve our content and ensure that it meets their independent standards.

Further High Speed Training health and safety courses that have been approved by IIRSM are:

IIRSM Membership

Learners who take any of our IIRSM Approved courses are entitled to:

15% off first year’s Affiliate subscription fee.
Application fee (£50) waived for any learner who would like to join IIRSM as an Associate or Full Member.

For more information about IIRSM, their membership options and their member benefits, you can visit their website here: IIRSM.

Further Resources:

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Using the Assess, Control and Review (ACR) Model to Measure & Control Silica Dust Hazards

Katie Martinelli — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:30:00 +0000

Silica, or silica dioxide, is a natural substance found in most sand, rocks and clay. It’s also present in common construction products including concrete, brick, mortar, tile and stone. Therefore, common construction activities, such as drilling, cutting, sanding and grinding, can produce large volumes of silica-containing dust.

If these silica dust particles are small enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs when breathed in, they are known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust. RCS dust can have serious health impacts for anyone breathing them in, including the development of illnesses such as silicosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPDs) and lung cancer. Therefore, it’s essential that the hazards associated with RCS exposure are effectively controlled to reduce the risks for workers and anyone in the vicinity.

Due to its hazardous nature, RCS is considered a hazardous substance and is covered under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended). Therefore, employers have a legal duty to control respirable crystalline silica exposure.

However, everyone involved in construction activities has a responsibility to manage the hazards associated with their work. This includes employers, principal designers and principle contractors, designers and contractors, small builders and employees. To help you assess the risks in your workplace when carrying out a risk assessment, the HSE recommends that you use the Assess, Control, Review (ACR) model.

What is the ACR Model?

The ACR model involves three key steps that will help you to assess the health hazards in your workplace and take steps to manage them before starting work:

Assess the risks – In step one you should identify the hazards, as well as consider the nature of the work environment and the tasks carried out to evaluate the risks.
Control the risks – You should then select appropriate control measures to eliminate or reduce the volume of dust created in the workplace.
Review the controls – Finally, you should regularly review the controls you have selected to ensure they remain effective and are in good working order.

These stages will be further outlined below.

Step 1: Assess the Risks

When assessing the risks involved with your work activities, you must consider the following:

Task: Think about what tools and materials are being used to carry out the work activity.
Work environment: You should think about the conditions of the work environment. For example, if the activity takes place in an enclosed environment the risks will increase.
Task duration and frequency: You should consider how long a task takes to complete and how often a task is carried out. RCS producing tasks that are carried out more often and take longer to complete will expose workers to higher volumes of RCS dust.

Step 2: Control the Risks

Once you have identified the hazards and assessed the risks, you will need to select methods to control them. You should select control measures in line with the hierarchy of control:

Eliminate the hazard. For example, you can eliminate cutting processes by ordering materials that are pre-cut to size, pre-prepared or pre-finished.
Substitute for a less hazardous alternative. For example, you could substitute dry methods for wet methods, such as using water jetting instead of abrasive blasting.
Engineering controls. For example, using on-tool dust extraction, general mechanical ventilation or water suppression systems.
Administrative controls. These controls alter the way you work to reduce the risks. Administrative controls include ‘designing out’ hazards in the design stage, enforcing safe systems of work, and ensuring proper housekeeping and training.
Personal protective equipment (PPE). Including suitable eye protection, such as googles, and respiratory protective equipment (RPE), such as powered or non-powered respirators.

You must consider the hierarchy when you select controls to eliminate or reduce the risks associated with work activities. You should always aim to prevent the risks from occurring at all, before attempting to control them.

RCS has a long-term exposure limit of 0.1 mg/m³ averaged over an eight-hour time period. It’s essential that the levels of dust are monitored in the workplace and controls are used to protect workers if the RCS concentration in the air exceeds 0.1 mg/m³. PPE should only ever be used as a last resort if you are unable to reduce the exposure to below 0.1 mg/m³ using elimination, substitution, engineering or administrative controls.

It’s important to be aware that there are very important conditions attached to the use of RPE and suitable respiratory protection must be chosen carefully to suit the wearer and the specific hazards faced.

Note: The types of controls outlined above are only a few examples of effective control measures that can be used to eliminate or reduce the risks associated with RCS producing work activities. Any control measures that you choose to use must be properly tailored to your workplace and work activities.

Step 3: Review the Controls

The third and final step of the ACR model is to review the controls. To do this, you must ensure appropriate:

1. Supervision: Employees must be adequately supervised and any controls and RPE must be used correctly.
2. Maintenance: All controls and equipment must be regularly checked and maintained in line with the manufacturer’s guidance and stored properly.
3. Monitoring: Your organisation may be required to arrange appropriate health surveillance for employees to ensure that any signs of work-related ill-health are identified.

Using the ACR Model to Manage Silica Dust Hazards

The HSE recommends that you should use the ACR Model when assessing the risks associated with different work activities. The information below demonstrates how you should use the ACR Model in practice.

Dry Sweeping Construction Dust and Debris

You can use the ACR model to assess, control and review the risks associated with dry sweeping dust and debris:

1. Assess: Dry sweeping dust and debris is a very high risk activity. This is because sweeping up can push significant quantities of respirable dust into the air and expose workers, and anyone in the vicinity, to high levels of dust. The level of risk and specific hazards will depend on the volume and type of dust being swept. The risk associated with this activity will increase if the dust or debris contains RCS or wood dust, it occurs over a long time frame or is carried out in an enclosed space.

2. Control: Dry sweeping dusts and debris is very hazardous and should be avoided as far as possible. You should first consider methods to eliminate or substitute the hazard for a less risky process before work begins. You should:

Use the design and planning phase to carefully consider the type and volume of waste that will be produced during the work activity. All work should then be planned and designed to eliminate or minimise the risks. For example, you could order pre-cut materials to avoid the need to clear up dust and debris after cutting activities.
Consider where and when waste materials will be produced on site and identify how often they will need clearing.
Ensure you have the appropriate dust controls in place before starting work.

These preventative actions will help to eliminate most of the dust. However, you may still have dust and debris that needs to be cleared. If this is the case you should use appropriate control measures to reduce the risks associated with clearing construction waste, including:

Use a vacuum cleaner (class M or H) with appropriate hoses and attachments to clear finer dusts, especially if working indoors.
Use general mechanical ventilation when carrying out dust making activities inside to reduce the volume of dust in the work area.
Use water to damp down dust before removing it using a brush, rake or shovel, and a bucket or wheelbarrow.
Wear any required Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) for the task and environment. RPE chosen must have the appropriate protection factor for the task and tight-fitting RPE must be face-fit tested on a clean-shaven face.
Consider wearing coveralls that don’t retain dust. This will reduce the risks from dust lodging in employees’ clothing. Work coveralls should not be taken home, instead arrangements should be made for cleaning coveralls and safely storing them on-site.

3. Review: Step three of the ACR model is to review the preventative and control measures that you have selected to ensure that they are adequately reducing the risks associated with your work activities. To do this, you should:

Supervise the use of controls and RPE to ensure they are being used and worn correctly.
Properly check, clean, maintain and store all controls and RPE in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.
Consider if a health surveillance programme is required to monitor employee health.

Uncontrolled dust exposure can have significant impacts on employee health. Therefore, it’s essential to consider how you can prevent or reduce these hazards. The ACR model is the recommended method of considering the risks associated with different work tasks and how you can prevent and control the hazards.

In this article we have used the example of dry sweeping dust and debris, however, the ACR model can be applied to any workplace activity including:

Cutting activities.
Demolition activities.
Scabbling or grinding concrete.
Abrasive pressure blasting.

By using the ACR model, everyone involved in your work activities will be able to consider the associated risks and hazards, and manage them to make your workplace safer for you, other employees, and anyone in the vicinity.

What to Read Next:

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Guide to the Incoterms 2020 – Key Changes Explained

Katie Martinelli — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 08:30:00 +0000

In 2019, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) published an updated set of the international commercial terms: Incoterms. The most recent set of Incoterms are known as Incoterms 2020.

Incoterms help to make international trading easier by providing standard terms that are uniformly recognised across the world. These trade terms are frequently used in domestic and international trade contracts.

It’s important to note that, while the Incoterms 2020 have been published, parties can continue to use previous revisions of the Incoterms, as long as they are decided upon in their agreements.

Types of Incoterms

The commonality of Incoterms in trading contracts makes it important for you to understand what they mean and the responsibilities of the various involved parties.

Incoterms 2020 are made up of 11 different Incoterms. The update resulted in a couple of key changes, which are outlined in the dropdowns below. This article will detail all 11 of the Incoterms 2020 to help you understand more about them.

Note that one incoterm had a change of name to better reflect the content of the incoterm – DAT (Delivered at Terminal) was updated to DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded).

For more information on Incoterms 2010, visit the following article: Beginner’s Guide to the 11 Types of Incoterms 2010

EXW (EX Works)

EXW means that the seller has delivered when they place or deliver suitably packaged goods at the disposal of the buyer at an agreed-upon place (i.e. the works, factory, warehouse, etc.). The goods are not cleared for export.

The seller is not required to load the goods onto a collecting vehicle and, if they do, it is at the buyer’s expense. EXW is the only Incoterm where the goods are not required to be cleared for export, although the seller has the duty to assist the buyer (at the buyer’s expense) with any needed documentation and export approvals.

After collection, the buyer must provide the seller with proof that they collected the goods. From collection, the buyer is responsible for all risks, costs and clearances. Simply put, the buyer arranges the full shipment, and they are liable and responsible for almost all the stages.

FCA (Free Carrier)

FCA means that the seller fulfils their obligation to deliver when the goods are handed, suitably packaged and cleared for export, to the carrier (an approved person selected by the buyer) or the buyer at a place named by the buyer. Responsibility for the goods passes from seller to buyer at this named place.

The named place may be the seller’s premises. While the seller is responsible for loading the goods, they have no responsibility for unloading them if the goods are delivered to a named place that is not the seller’s premises.

The seller may procure a freight contract at the buyer’s request or, if the buyer fails to procure one by the date of a scheduled delivery, the seller may procure one on their own initiative. The costs and risks of this freight contract fall on the buyer. The buyer must be informed of delivery arrangements by the seller in time for the buyer to arrange insurance.

As of the Incoterms 2020, FCA has been revised with regards to the bill of lading. The buyer and seller can now agree in their contract that the buyers must instruct the carrier to supply the seller with a bill of lading with an on-board notation. This will allow the seller to meet the terms of a letter of credit.

CPT (Carriage Paid To)

CPT stands for when the seller delivers the goods to a carrier, or a person nominated by the buyer, at a destination jointly agreed upon by the seller and buyer. The seller is responsible for paying the freight charges to transport the goods to the named location. Responsibility for the goods being transported transfers from the seller to the buyer the moment the goods are delivered to the carrier.

If multiple carriers are used, risk passes as soon as the goods are delivered to the first carrier. The seller’s only responsibility is to arrange freight to the destination. They are not responsible for insuring the goods shipment as it is being transported.

The seller should ensure that they make it clear on their quotation that their responsibility for the goods ends at loading and, from this point forward, the buyer should arrange appropriate insurance.

CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid To)

CIP means that the seller is only responsible for the delivery of goods to a carrier or another approved person (selected by the seller) at an agreed location. However, the seller is responsible for paying the freight and insurance charges to the selected destination.

CIP states that, even though the seller is responsible for freight and insurance, the risk of damage or loss of the transported goods transfers from the seller to the buyer the moment the first carrier receives the goods.

Incoterms 2020 has increased the level of insurance the seller must obtain, and must now be compliant with the Institute Cargo Clauses (A) or similar clauses.

Under Incoterms 2010, the seller is only obliged to procure the minimum level of insurance coverage. However, in both cases, the buyer should consider if they want additional insurance; if so, they are responsible for arranging it themselves.

DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded)

The Incoterms 2020 has updated DAT (Delivered at Terminal) to DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded).

DPU is a term indicating that the seller delivers when the goods are unloaded at an agreed upon port or destination. The seller is responsible for all risk and costs up until this point, as well as for clearing the goods for export and arranging someone to unload the shipment. Once unloaded, the responsibility for the costs and risks transfers to the buyer, including any import costs.

The key point to note here is the name change from DAT to DPU reflects that the destination place for the goods can be any place, not simply a ‘terminal’.

DAT (Delivered at Terminal) Incoterms 2010

DAT is a term indicating that the seller delivers when the goods are unloaded at the destination terminal.‘Terminal’ can refer to a container yard, quayside, warehouse or another part of the cargo terminal. The terminal should be agreed upon accurately in advance to ensure no confusion over the location.

While there is no requirement for insurance, the delivery is not complete until the goods are unloaded at the agreed destination. Therefore, the seller should be wary of the risks that not securing insurance could pose.

DAP (Delivered at Place)

DAP means that the seller delivers the goods when they arrive at the pre-agreed destination, ready for unloading.

It is the buyer’s responsibility to cover any import customs clearance costs and pay any import duties or taxes. Additionally, while there is no requirement for insurance, the delivery is not complete until the goods are unloaded at the agreed destination. Therefore, the seller should be wary of the risks of not securing insurance.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)

DDP means that the seller delivers the goods to the buyer, cleared for import and ready for unloading, at the agreed location or destination. The seller maintains responsibility for all the costs and risks involved in delivering the goods to the location. Where applicable, this includes pre-shipment inspection costs and import ‘duty’ for the country of destination. Import duty may involve customs formalities, the payment of these formalities, customs duties and taxes. Simply put, the seller organises the whole shipment.

DDP holds the maximum obligation for the seller. While there is no requirement for insurance, the delivery is not complete until the goods have been unloaded at the destination. Therefore, the seller should be wary of the risks that not securing insurance could pose.

FAS (Free Alongside Ship)

FAS stands for when the seller delivers the goods, packaged suitably and cleared for export, by placing them beside the vessel at the agreed upon port of shipment. At this point, responsibility for the goods passes from the seller to the buyer. The buyer maintains responsibility for loading the goods and any further costs.

The seller may procure a freight contract at the buyer’s request or, if the buyer fails to procure one by the date of a scheduled delivery, the seller may procure one on their own initiative. The buyer is responsible for the cost and risk associated with the freight contract.

FOB (Free on Board)

FOB means that the seller delivers the goods, suitably packaged and cleared for export, once they are safely loaded on the ship at the agreed upon shipping port. At this point, responsibility for the goods transfers to the buyer. The seller may procure a freight contract at the buyer’s request or, if the buyer has failed to procure one by the date of a scheduled delivery, the seller may procure one on their own initiative. The buyer is responsible for the cost and risk of this freight contract.

The seller must inform the buyer of delivery arrangements in good time to sort out insurance for the shipment.

FOB is a frequently misused term. If a supplier insists FOB needs to be used for containerised goods, the buyer should make certain that the selected insurance covers the goods ‘warehouse to warehouse’.

CFR (Cost and Freight)

CFR means that the seller delivers when the suitably packaged goods, cleared for export, are safely loaded on the ship at the agreed upon shipping port.

The seller is responsible for pre-paying the freight contract. Once the goods are safely stowed on board, responsibility for them transfers to the buyer, despite the seller paying for the freight contract to the selected destination port. The buyer must be informed of the delivery arrangements with enough time to organise insurance.

CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight)

CIF means that the seller delivers when the suitably packaged goods, cleared for export, are safely stowed on board the ship at the selected port of shipment. This incoterm can only be used for maritime transport. The seller must prepay the freight contract and insurance.

Despite the seller paying for the freight contract to the selected destination port, once the goods are safely stowed on board, responsibility for them transfers to the buyer.

As with Incoterms 2010, in Incoterms 2020 the seller is only obliged to procure the minimum level of insurance coverage. This minimum level of coverage is not usually adequate for manufactured goods. In this event, the buyer and seller are at liberty to negotiate a higher level of coverage.

It’s important to understand the key responsibilities outlined by each Incoterm and choose the one that is most suited to your needs. Our guide to the Incoterms 2020 should be a useful resource to help you understand your responsibilities when reading over national and international trade contracts.

This resource is meant to only act as a brief introduction to Incoterms 2020. Also, remember that all revisions of the Incoterms can still be used, including Incoterms 2010, as long as they have been clearly decided upon in your agreement. Further information on Incoterms can be found directly from the ICC. It’s important to fully understand the rules outlined by the Incoterms to avoid any unplanned costs to the buyers and seller.

What to Read Next

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What is Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) Dust and Why is it Dangerous?

Katie Martinelli — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:30:56 +0000

Any work activities that expose workers to construction or mineral processing dusts can have severe health impacts on workers and anyone in the vicinity. Therefore, it’s essential that you understand the risks and hazards associated with your work activities, and take the appropriate precautions.

This article will explain what respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust is, the hazards associated with exposure and your responsibilities for controlling RCS dust exposure in your workplace.

What is Respirable Crystalline Silica?

Silica, or silica dioxide, is a natural substance found in most sand, rocks and clay, as well as several products such as concrete, brick, mortar and some plastics.

Construction and mineral processing activities, including drilling, sanding and grinding, can result in the production of silica-containing dusts. Silica dust particles that are small enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs when breathed in are known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust.

What Are the Risk Factors of Silica Dust?

Regular, uncontrolled exposure to silica dust can cause severe health impacts for workers and anyone in the vicinity. This may include:

Silicosis. Silicosis is a long-term lung disease that results from continuous exposure to large amounts of RCS dust. When RCS dust is inhaled into the lungs, the particles are attacked by the immune system, resulting in inflammation. If RCS dust is repeatedly inhaled over a long period of time, this recurrent attacking and inflammation will result in fibrosis (areas of hardened and scarred tissue in the lungs). Silicosis impacts the lungs’ ability to function correctly, causing those with the disease to often experience a persistent cough, breathlessness and tiredness. Silicosis often occurs after prolonged exposure (10-20 years). However, very significant exposure over a few months can be enough to result in silicosis.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is the collective name for the group of lung diseases that lead to breathing difficulties, including emphysema and bronchitis. One of the causes of COPDs is prolonged exposure to fumes and dusts. Individuals with COPD often experience shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent coughing, and recurring chest infections. These symptoms gradually worsen over time; however, individuals may experience periods where their symptoms significantly worsen, very quickly. Smoking can make the symptoms of COPD considerably worse.
Lung Cancer. Continued exposure to large volumes of RCS dust can result in lung cancer. The symptoms of lung cancer include persistent coughing, increasing shortness of breath, weight loss, tiredness, and coughing up blood. However, these symptoms are often unnoticed until the cancer has spread from the lungs. The risks of lung cancer increase if an individual also has silicosis.

RCS exposure can have significant health impacts, many of which can be seriously life changing. Approximately 19,000 new cases of breathing or lung problems that are believed to be caused, or made worse, by work activities arise every year. RCS exposure will be a major contributor to this number and results in approximately 600 deaths annually.

Therefore, it’s essential that you understand the risks and hazards associated with RCS so that you can effectively manage them.

Who is Most at Risk from RCS exposure?

Many professions are at an increased risk of RCS dust exposure due to the activities they carry out at work. These professions include:

Construction workers. Many construction activities, including sanding, drilling, demolition work and cutting, will expose workers to large volumes of dusts.
Quarry workers and miners. Silica is abundantly found in the Earth’s crust; therefore, most rocks, clays, sand and gravels will contain silica. Work activities carried out on these materials can expose workers to RCS dust.
Foundry workers. Work activities including casting sand, fettlings and kiln lining produce dusts and, when dry, can exposure workers to RCS dust.
Stonemasons. Stonemasons work primarily with stone, which contains silica. Work activities including sanding, chiselling, grinding and cutting can expose workers to RCS dust.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of workers who may be exposed to RCS dusts.

When Does Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust Become a Hazard for Workers?

Respirable crystalline silica is a hazardous substance that can have serious impacts on people’s health. Therefore, RCS has a set Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) to protect the health of workers. The WEL represents the legal, safe maximum concentration that workers can be exposed to over the stated time-frame.

RCS has a long-term exposure limit of 0.1 mg/m³ averaged over an eight-hour time period. Employers are required by law to ensure that RCS exposure is monitored and that the WEL is not exceeded. Control measures may be required to reduce RCS dust exposure to below the WEL.

The volume of silica present in different silica-containing materials varies significantly. The table below, from the HSE guide: Control of Exposure to Silica Dust, displays the range:

Material	Percentage Content of Silica (%)
Sandstone	70 – 90
Concrete, mortar	25 – 70
Tile	30 – 45
Granite	20 – 45 (typically 30)
Slate	20 – 40
Brick	Up to 30
Limestone	2
Marble	2

However, even if a substance has a low silica content, exposure to a large amount of dust of any type can result in serious health impacts. Different types of dusts will have different WEL values.

What Should You Do?

Everyone involved in work activities that produce dust plays an important role in ensuring that the associated hazards are managed.

Employer Responsibilities

Employers are required by law to:

Conduct their work activities and workplaces in a safe manner that does not pose risk to workers and others, this includes the public, visitors to the site and contractors.
Carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for their workplace and work activities, select and maintain appropriate controls, and communicate the significant findings to their employees.
Provide their workers with information on the risks and hazards associated with the workplace and work activities, on any control measures in place, and the policies and procedures they must follow at work.
Ensure appropriate health surveillance is provided where necessary.
Ensure employees are adequately and appropriately trained for their duties.

You can find further practical guidance and advice on controlling hazardous substances in the workplace in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Approved Code of Practice (ACoP): COSHH ACoP.

Employee Responsibilities

Employees, whether full-time or part-time, have a legal duty to ensure their own health and safety while at work. This includes:

Always adhering to the health and safety information and instructions provided by their employer.
Fully cooperating with any matters relating to health and safety.
Properly using any control measures enforced by their employer.
Immediately reporting any issues with control measures to their employer.

For construction specific projects, further duties are outlined for the clients, principle designers, principle contractors, designers, contractors, and small builders. For more information on these further duties take a look at our Respirable Crystalline Silica Awareness Course.

What to Read Next:

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