Health and Safety

Falls from a height and accidents with power tools account for many building site injuries. By observing some simple guidelines, the risk of these things happening can be reduced.

Ladders

Accepted safety measures are:

• having the ladder at the correct angle – normally 1 m out from the wall for every 4 m of height (check whether the treads are horizontal)
• having the ladder on a solid, level base
• not leaning the ladder directly against glass or plastic spouting
• having 1 m of the ladder above the level you are going to climb to
• securing the top of the ladder once it’s been put up
• repositioning the ladder rather than stretching out to reach something
• not using a ladder as a work platform
• facing the ladder at all times
• using both hands when you’re climbing up or down.

Scaffolds

For some major work, free-standing scaffolds are practical options. Free-standing scaffolds must be erected level, on solid footings or supports, braced, and if possible tied to the structure. They must have handrails and toe boards and have the planks tied down to the scaffold structures.

For flat sites, it is possible in some places to hire kitset aluminium scaffolds that are assembled on-site by the company. These scaffolds feature integral bracing and floor panels and barriers, as well as wheels with a braking mechanism.

Electricity

For electrical safety:

• use an isolating transformer or earth leakage device when using electrical tools outside
• do not use electrical tools in the wet
• electrical leads must be inspected and tagged
• do not overload circuits
• take extreme care if you are working close to underground or overhead power lines – or, preferably, have the power temporarily disconnected at the pole by the utility company.

Using tools

For effective and safe use, tools must:

• be kept in good working order
• have cutting edges properly sharpened
• only be used for the purposes for which they were designed.

For operator safety:

• use dust masks when sanding, cutting or creating any dust
• use eye protection with power-cutting tools and also for hand tools where flying chips are a risk
• wear good quality ear muffs when operating power tools and equipment
• feed all electrical tools used outside through an earth leakage protection device or an isolating transformer.