CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > December 2018 43 HEALTH & SAFETY: 3 Following a number of serious incidents involving forward tipping dumpers such as overturns and individuals being struck by dumpers, a Good Practice Guide on the safe operation of dumpers has been produced through the Strategic ForumPlant Safety Group, led by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). A draft document is now available to be downloaded for public comment, providing an opportunity for comments on the content before the document is formally launched. The draft document and a comments form can be downloaded from www.cpa.uk.net/ sfpsgdumpers and the closing date for comments is set for Friday 11th January 2019. As a result of concerns throughout the construction plant sector, an Industry Forum for Dumpers was formed in late 2016 with the overall objective of avoiding future incidents. Amajor openmeeting was held in September last year, hosted by the CPA and CECA (Civil Engineering Contractors Association). The Industry Forumagreed that a total of seven principles would be used as a basis of an industry initiative action plan including the production of a safe use publication. The CPA agreed to produce comprehensive guidance through the Strategic ForumPlant Safety Group. The SFPSG Dumper Development Group was subsequently formed to start work on the Good Practice Guide in early 2018. Members of the group include plant hirers and owners, clients, contractors, users, manufacturers, importers and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Four sub-groups were formed to focus on specific subject areas including Exclusion/ Segregation, Ground Conditions, Operation and Training. The content produced by each of the four working groups has now been assimilated into a single document. The guidance includes topics such as Operational Factors; Management and Supervision Requirements; Training and Information; Segregation/Exclusion Zones; Dumper Specifications; Machine Selection and Compatibility; and Ground Conditions. One of themainmessages of the safe use guidance is that the use of a dumper should not be an automatic choice. The correct identification of themost appropriatemachine should be the first step followed by effective planning, supervision and the use of competent people if dumpers are to be used safely. The use of dumpers fitted with a cab is becoming common, for which the guidance outlines some of the issues and considerations that need to bemade in terms of allowing an operator to remain seated during the loading process. The development of this Good Practice Guide has drawn on existing work that has already been undertaken by the Industry Forum, fromwhich a new section has been inserted that highlights the causes and consequences of accidents, based on case studies derived frompublicly-available safety alerts and those investigated by the HSE. All comments received will be reviewed by the group with the amendments and additions made accordingly. This should allow the final release of the document by Easter 2019. The Plant Safety Group for Dumpers is keen to release the guidance at the earliest opportunity tomitigate further incidents, but stress that with rapid technical and operational developments occurring with dumpers, the guidancemay be subject to continual future updates. DUMPER SAFETY GUIDANCE DRAFT DOCUMENT NOWAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT A newconcise safety document entitled ‘Rescue of Persons fromMEWPs’ is now freely available. Published by the Strategic ForumPlant Safety Group (SFPSG), the 10-page publication provides guidance to put plans in place to rescue powered access users if they ever become stranded at height. The new guidance document has been compiled by the SFPSGMEWPs Group which is chaired by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) and administered and supported by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). KevinMinton, Chief Executive of the CPA, said: “We anticipate that the guidance will be a useful reference tool for MEWP hire companies, customers, operators and manufacturers. WhenMEWPs are used there is always an inherent risk of people becoming stranded at height due to amachine malfunctioning, breaking down or other influences. Althoughmeasures can be put into place to reduce the risk such as regular maintenance of equipment and the use of competent, medically fit operators, it is still important that organisations have plans in place should a rescue froma MEWP ever become necessary. “The publication gives guidance to the organisation that has control of the planning, management and use of the MEWP on-site. Presented in easily digestible sections, it covers factors such as the Health and Safety legislative requirements, responsibility for rescue, means of rescue, the use of the Emergency Services and discusses scenarios such as rescues using another MEWP,” he continued. AndrewDelahunt, Technical and Safety Director at IPAF, said: “We now have a simple document to guide users andmanagers in how to plan for rescue situations. Planning is critical to use a MEWP safely at height. By including rescue planning and the appropriate methods to recover personnel if necessary, this potentially life-saving action can be properly prepared for. We’d like to thank the contribution of themany experienced people who have provided input and identified the priority for safe rescue“. The Strategic ForumPlant Safety Group MEWPs Group hasmembership from the CPA, IPAF, HSE (Health & Safety Executive), CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), BCSA (British Constructional Steelwork Association), FASET (Fall Arrest Safety Equipment and Training), SAFed (Safety Assessment Federation) and NPORS (National Plant Operators Registration Scheme), as well as significant representation from MEWP owners, manufacturers andmajor construction companies. It meets regularly to share information onMEWPs safety, and has set up working groups to produce guidance and address specific issues. The ‘Rescue of Persons fromMEWPs’ publication is available for anyone to freely download from the CPA website at www. cpa.uk.net/sfpsgpublications or from IPAF’s website at www.ipaf.org/guidance NEWMEWPSSAFETYPUBLICATIONTOFACILITATE WORKATHEIGHTRESCUEPLAN