Tandem held a very successful week of events in October 2020 to coincide with the Construction Industry Federation’s Safety Week.
The topics covered included mental health and wellbeing in construction, plant and pedestrian safety, occupational health in construction, working safely at height and emergency preparedness.
Tandem’s mental health and wellbeing presentation centered on destigmatising issues around mental health. It focussed on the stresses that occur in the construction industry that may affect mental health and how to look after your mental health in the workplace and in life.
According to the HSA the greatest risk to pedestrians on construction sites is from vehicles & mobile plant. Tandem focussed on Construction Plant Blind Spots. Safety around mobile plant is upheld by adhering to pedestrian routes, paying close attention to signage, wearing Hi Vis PPE, using the Thumbs Up communication method when approaching plant operators, coaching & mentoring behaviours in others & looking out for each other.
To demonstrate occupational health in construction participants were shown a video emphasising how easily Silica dust particles are formed & their long-term damage to lungs. Damage can be avoided by using dust suppression methods & wearing Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE). Briefings were also delivered on Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) & resulting damage, manual handling injuries & consequences, contact dermatitis & other skin conditions caused by cement.
Working at height continues to be the greatest causal factor for fatal workplace injuries in construction. In the year to date, 45% of construction workplace fatalities have been related to falling from height. Tandem’s activities included the importance of correctly securing your harnesses when working at heights, emphasising safety around Mobile Elevating Work Platforms, which are regularly in use on site.
The finale of safety week was emergency preparedness and what better way to demonstrate preparedness than a practical fire alarm drill. The drill was successful, each person knew their responsibilities upon the alarm sounding, they acted accordingly and everyone on site was accounted for. Planning and preparedness are key to ensure the safety of all team members in a real emergency.
Tandem believes that the key to a successful and safe workplace is a TEAM effort – Together Everyone Achieves More!
