The construction industry is getting to grips with The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM), which came into force on the 6^th April 2015. The aim is to improve the health and safety record within the construction sector, thus leading to a reduction in the number of accidents, and as a consequence less serious injuries and fatalities.

The regulations have a very wide remit, and the intention is to streamline the construction process between designers, main contractors and sub-contractors, so that there are less ‘grey areas’ of responsibility and clear lines of demarkation, with the promotion of health, safety and welfare. This includes the managing of risk, with emphasis on the co-ordination of work, suitable appropriate training, use of suitable skilled staff and the means of communication.

The remit of these regulations cover the planning, management, monitoring and co-ordination  in construction and building refurbishment of commercial, industrial, retail and domestic projects,  including site preparation and demolition. It includes the following aspects;

Fall from heights, including use of ladders, platforms, scaffolding, towers, and fragile roofs.

The use of support systems to prevent collapse of excavations or building structures.

Exposure to airborne particles and fumes, with inhalation of dust, lime, lead , asbestos or from vehicle diesel exhaust.

Electrical hazards from electrical systems in buildings, overhead or buried power lines.

Slips, trips and falls on uneven surfaces, alterations in levels, trailing wires, obstacles or wet or slippery floor surfaces.

Fire hazards for the safe storage of combustible materials and control of sources of ignition, including fire training on escape routes, assembly or muster points, or the location of fire fighting equipment.

Safe operation of cranes.

Safe operation of mobile plant and vehicles, including excavators, mobile work platforms, dumper trucks and road vehicles.

Site traffic control, and the prevention of entry to unauthorised persons, including the general public, and in particular children. Also, this covers car parking, site speed restrictions, and deliveries.

Housekeeping of materials storage, and management of waste (skips, wheelie bins, chutes).

Control of hazardous substances and dangerous chemicals.

Protection against physical hazards, such as noise, vibration through use of power tools, manual handling and repetitive strain.

Employee welfare, such as toilet, wash, rest facilities, and first aid.

Label Source can assist you in meeting your obligations by supplying health and safety labels and signs to the latest legislation for CDM applications, to highlight operational dangers and hazards, prohibited activities, mandatory actions (including the use of personal protective equipment supplied), and safe operating conditions. These can be used in your induction and training activities for site specific activities, so that all employees are suited to their roles in a safe working environment. Also see our ranges of tapes and barrier mesh for use on building sites and work excavations.

In order to prevent workplace injury or death to operators, or damage to equipment mechanisms, use our safe condition range of emergency cut off labels and signs to clearly identify shut off points. Prompt action can minimise effects of accidents (such as entanglement or crush injuries) or destruction of machinery, by manually shutting down power to motors or valves. These cut off points can be activated to shut off electricity, gas or supply of fuel to operating equipment.

Our identification products have been used in a variety of industries to mark emergency cut off controls on industrial machinery, presses, heavy lifting equipment, fuel pumps, conveyors and escalators. Also, ranges of hazard warning signs are available, to inform machine users of operating dangers, and signs for shut off controls for supply of electricity, water and gas.

Explosive atmospheres hazard zones in the workplace have to be clearly marked in accordance with The Dangerous Substance and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), with the aim to eliminate or control such risks from flammable gases, vapours or combustible dust being ignited on mixing with air. These are the implementation of the EU’s ATEX Regulations, both the Workplace Directive (99/92/EC) and the Equipment Directive for electrical and mechanical tools (94/9/EC).

Label Source has a range of health and safety to identify areas of potential risk from gas or dust release, with the use of correct equipment (including equipment labels), in hazard zones ranging from Zone 0 to Zone 2 (for gases), and Zone 20 to Zone 22 (for dust), and for related equipment for safe operation in the zones.

There are a range of potential sources of ignition such as sparks (either electrical or mechanically generated), electrostatic discharge, high surface temperatures, ionising radiation, naked flames, electrical networks, radio frequency or electromagnetic waves, ultrasound, lightning or adiabatic atmosphere compression).

Our signs are used in a wide spectrum of customers involved in manufacture, storage, transportation, recycling or use of paint, varnishes, flammable gases (such as acetylene), methane at landfill sites, petrol, LPG, chemicals, resins, solvents and plastics, or particles from wood, coal, grain, flour, animal feeds, coatings or powders.

For ATEX applications our ranges include signs for no smoking and no naked flame prohibition safety, hazard warning (including EX signs), electrical safety, electrostatic discharge, chemical warning, and use of personal protective equipment.

As springtime approaches, the longer daylight hours and milder weather are likely to encourage an increase in recreational sports and activities on and around inland waterways. Many will dust down their clothing and equipment, which has been stored for the winter, and with much enthusiasm and vigour will embark on activities such as angling, climbing, walking or running, cycling, rowing, canoeing or kayaking, swimming, sailing, water skiing, wind surfing and sub-aqua.

However, there are risks and hazards associated with such pursuits, and these can be escalated if combined with an intake of alcohol, which can lower inhibitions, and temporarily inflate belief in ability or prowess.  Over a quarter of deaths from drowning occur in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, old quarry workings or canals, as reported in the latest WAid statistics for 2011.

Besides these fatalities, there are risks of a wide range of injuries from following the pursuits outlined above. These can include sprains or strains, fractures, crush injuries, lacerations and cuts from slides, slips, trips, tumbles and falls on damp banks, uneven surfaces on towpaths, or from rocky outcrops. Hyperthermia can result from immersion in deep, low temperature water, or from strong currents. Other injuries can be from poisoning or chemical burns from polluted water, collisions with underwater obstacles, entanglement in underwater vegetation, difficulties caused by breakdown of or ill maintained equipment, inadequate training or supervision, or from ill-health.

Matters can be made worst when some of these waterways are in remote locations, or locations with limited accessibility, and where signals for mobile phone are poor or non-existent, increasing the dangers by delaying the response time from emergency services.

To assist in providing a safe water experience, Label Source supply a range of health and safety signs to ISO 20712-1: 2008 Water signs and beach safety, as well as our general ranges of hazard warning signs and general prohibition signs, which warn the general public and workforce of water related dangers.

Falls from heights remains the most common cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 39 deaths in 2013-14, which was 29% of total fatalities as reported by the HSE. It is a figure that remains stubbornly high, while there has been progress in reducing numbers, reported by employees, from other causes in the last five years. While the level of reported non-fatal injuries from falls was 2895 in 2013-14, well below the peak of 4684 of 2008-09, still there is much more training and safety education required to continue this downward trend.

Furthermore, fall injuries led to 567,000 working days (as reported by employees) lost in 2013-14, and there were 5952 recorded fall from height injuries from the same grouping.

The major industry for fatalities continues to be construction, including electricians and roofers, with other high risk sectors being agriculture, water supply, manufacturing, transport and storage, administration and support (the last mentioned including landscape gardeners, window cleaners and even social care workers).

In 2013-14 there were 73 convictions for breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, slightly down on the peak figure of 81 in 2012-13, and the average fine was in excess of £8000.00.

Major causes of falls from height include falling through fragile surfaces, being hit by falling objects, operating in dangerous areas, coming into contact with machinery as a result of a fall, use of inadequate work equipment, or misuse of such equipment.

To emphasise the dangers of working at heights, Label Source supply a range of health and safety signs to warn of the inherent risks and dangers, as well as mandatory notices for the use of personal protective equipment, and maintenance labels and tags for use on work equipment.