Page 89 - Build 152

If workers have to wear PPE make sure its the right sort.
With asbestos, new regulations are likely to come into e ect from April 2016 requiring detailed surveys of buildings. These will be carried out prior to construction or demolition work starting so that any asbestos-containing materials can be identi ed, planned for and removed safely by licensed contractors.
Focus on elimination or substitution
The emphasis is shifting from waiting until the harm occurs and then trying to identify how it was caused to a more proactive approach based on exposure monitoring.
The new legal framework rede nes the current hierarchy of control based on eliminate, isolate and minimise. This requires formal consideration of elimination or substitution – don’t do it at all or nd a better way – before engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation or noise control. PPE will be a last resort.
Designers will be under a tough new legal duty to ensure that their design adopts a whole-of-life approach to health and safety. Is it safe (and not unhealthy) to build, operate, maintain and ultimately decommission or demolish?
What needs to be done?
Information is power, so take the time to nd out more about the equip- ment and products you use. Check out the technical information. When you’re in the market for new tools or looking to try a new chemical, understand its characteristics and whether it’s the safest alternative.
Talk to the speci er to see if they are aware of the risks your team faces through the decisions they make.
Educate your team through the use of simple demonstrations about the bene ts of changing ‘the way we do things around here’. If you are going to use PPE, at least make sure it’s the right sort, ts properly and is compatible with other equipment.
Preventing occupational ill health isn’t that hard – it just needs the right attitude.
Note Mike Cosman has been a health and safety professional for 36 years here and in the UK. He works with boards and executive teams helping them embrace the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Build 152 — February/March 2016 — 87