Risk Assessment at Foster Building - Case Study Example

Running Head: RISK ASSESSMENT Risk Assessment [Writer’s name] [Institution’s name] [Course title] [Date] Risk Assessment Introduction This report consists of risk assessment of the below given case. For this the following points shall be considered: • Statutory requirements for such operations; • Details of suitable safe systems of work for daily operation including maintenance and inspection work; • Hazards associated with this equipment and; • control methods (for hazards identified above) that should be implemented to reduce any associated risks to the lowest level that is reasonable practicable. Case The University of Central Lancashire has experienced a shortage of car park spaces in recent months and a decision has been made to construct a multi story car par in front of foster building, the work involves a 4 storey car park. During the construction work, the entrance to Foster Building will be via Maudland Building. The company for which you are health and safety advisor employs about 150 personnel on a medium size construction company. Your organisation has hired a luffing tower crane for this project. Statuary Requirements The best equipment that the university can sue for the car park is the crane. How ever the crone is dangerous lifting piece of equipment. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 have standards on how to go about using the equipments. The Statuary requirements for during the construction of the car park will be according to these two regulations these regulations cover all work equipment for lifting loads including accessories that connect the load to the crane and they revoke the Hoists Exemption Order 1962. The Lifting Equipment Regulations requires that Lifting equipment used to for construction must be appropriate for the purpose and must also have powerful enough to carry each load and each part of the load. If something is attached to the lifting equipment and is utilized in lifting it must be of the required strength. Thus all equipment use in this project will have to be utilized according to Lifting Equipment Regulations. Apart from this the Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 is an important regulation for the safety in this project. It states in regulation 6 that: “Equipment must be installed and positioned to reduce as much as possible the risk of the equipment or load striking a person or the load drifting, falling freely or being released unintentionally. Loads should not be lifted over people. Loads should normally be placed within an enclosure. Access by people to lifting shafts should be prevented by gates which are automatically locked except when the equipment is at the landing”1. Keeping this in mind the construction of the car park should follow these requirements so that the carne they select is suitable one. The lifting equipment should not be used for situations2 that may cause it to over turn, i.e. no over loading of the crane. All part of the crane should be inspected and in working condition. The crane operator has to have a clear record regarding accidents the supervisor and risk assessment advisor should advise the management to make sure that the crane operator is well trained and can effectively use the machinery and equipment, this is with reference to maintenance and inspection and the luffing tower crane being used in this project. . He should have a clear view while lifting the load so that he knows in which direction to sway the crane. The inspection officer should inspect the Crane and it’s parts to ensure that it functions properly. The officer should then handover the inspection report to the management of construction project. Before using the luffing tower crane for the construction the both the owners of the buildings should make sure that the control measures which are utilized to stop the ropes from breaking off the sheaves. The university management must also make sure that the devices meant for protection are present as they are required to keep track of the situation in which the luffing rope are operational. These can consist of detection devices which measure the proximity of the rope and systems that measure luffing winch torque3. Again, university must do a risk assessment of this equipment. 3. Risk assessment INITIAL RISK ASSESSMENT Use of Lifting Equipment SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS Lifting equipment is used in conditions like this which may deterioration may be the result of dangerous situations and may lead to Unintentional release of load High No Inspection of the lifting equipment High Risk also lye in the fact that the luffing tower crane operator may not be well trained. High Crush injuries to personnel Medium ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN TO REDUCE RISKS: Operation should be in compliance with: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) Planning: Apart from these risk assessments, management must talk to other companies who have used these luffing tower cranes. They may discuss this with other crane operators as well , and sure that they know what the possible cause is and know exactly the problems of operating the crane in string winds when carrying light loads having minimum radius. Maintenance and regular inspection must be done and the reports of this inspection must be kept on record Physical: All the load will be tightly packed and no load will be lifted if its too heavy for the crane so that the crane operator can operate the crane properly hand signals will be used. (see appendix) Managerial/Supervisory: The lifting equipment used will be checked according to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations to make sure that it’s sling and torque are properly operational Training: The crane operator and inspection officer both should be highly trained in order to avoid accidents Suitable Safe Systems of Work for Daily Operation The management of the organization should make sure that that the crane operator knows that if the above mentioned common situation occurs he should at once release the luffing winch control,4 after which he should follow the following precautions: Slowly slew far from the wind at about an angle of 90° to 180°; (see appendix) Carefully try to bring the luff down; . If the jibs stops moving, the operator should at once let go of the luffing winch control and should report the incident Inspection of the sling of the crane Lift loads vertically since cranes must not be used to drag a load. Switch off power to the crane when it is left unattended. If the there is something wrong with the jib and it does not move make sure the operator knows it is to be , reported to the supervisor in charge of the project as well as the management of the university5. Risk Control Risk control means to control the hazard before it leads into injury. Controlling risk is managed by cost strategies and each strategy is based upon in order of effectiveness6. There can be various strategies to solve a hazard. We will look upon each strategy later when discussing the hierarchy of control. Hazards and Control of Hazards The university should follow the following requirement so that it can eliminate any kind of risk regarding the equipment i.e. luffing tower crane being used. The regulations regarding such equipments have to be considered while keeping in mind the description as well as key requirements. The persons in charge for keeping the records of careful examination have to be clearly highlighted in the risk assessments. The management should, make sure that the initial requirements in the by the Regulations are the responsibility of the management, however the management with respect to this case should also apply it to the operator of the crane which will be used at work as well as any other person who is in charge of lifting equipment, the method in which lifting equipment is utilized, or to a person at or the supervises the utilization of the of lifting equipment. The crane operator should or crane has to be in maxim 6 months thus the university should take and already used crane and respectable crane operator; in the case there is need of other lifting equipment the university should make sure that it has been examined every twelve months; or according to the regulation of examination. A careful analysis has to be carried out each time that exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardize the safety of equipment have occurred. Two blocking is when there is too much load at the tip of the crane, this may cause the cable to break and thus the entire load will fall unintentionally7. The cable may also separate due to caused due to “Killer hooks”, these are crane hooks that cannot manage to keep the load sling in the hook, if the load when the load moves. Anti two-blocking devices, outrigger extension, sensing systems, overload sensors and limit switches are those devices which are commonly used to prevent crane accidents. Conclusion The risk management is essentially a structured approach of safety management which requires consultation. Planning and structuring risk identification and assessment exercises effectively and finding out all relevant background information about the paring lot project and its risks are an important part of ensuring that safety management fits in with and is part of mainstream management goals, objectives and systems of the university. Bibliography Health and Safety Executive; The Work at Height Regulations 2005: A Brief Guide. HSE Books Leaflet 2006 p 12 Lifting Operations And Lifting Equipment Regulations Fact Sheet (2001) retrieved from http://www.lhc.org.uk/members/pubs/factsht/71fact.htm on 6th February 2009 Great Britain. Health and Safety Executive; Safe Use of Lifting Equipment: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 - Approved Code of Practice and Guidance HSE books 1998 p 25 Thomas Pearcy; The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Statutory instruments; Stationery Office Books 1998 p 10 Great Britain. Health and Safety Executive; Safe Use of Work Equipment: Approved Code of Practice and Guidance HSE Books; Revised edition 1998 p 25 Howard Shapiro, Jay Shapiro, Lawrence Shapiro; Cranes and Derricks McGraw-Hill Professional; 3 edition 1999 p 56 Ronald G. Garby; Ipt’s Crane and Rigging Training Manual: Mobile-Eot-Tower Cranes; Intl Pub & Training Ltd 1999 p35 Appendix Hand signals Read More