Striking it out
Accident & Death Prevention – Service Strike Avoidance
One of the most significant health and safety dangers workers can encounter onsite is making accidental contact with electrical cables or gas pipelines. Unfortunately, these utility strikes occur all too often and can result in severe injury or even death.
Accident & Death Prevention Campaign
This year, as of April 2021, we’re already up to 16 service strikes for the year.
ECL is highlighting this issue as part of a campaign to address and reduce service strikes on site. They are involved in a pilot scheme with Bovis/Vistry Group to educate site workers on the importance of avoiding these strikes and instilling best practices, helping to ensure that projects are delivered on time and to cost.
Site workers need to understand that hitting underground services isn’t just a case of a quick repair. There is also the risk of serious injury, or even death, to workers from hitting a service. As well as, the hidden costs to the business when investigating the issue. Such as, meeting with clients and coming up with a solution to get the project back on track. As well as, costs caused by the delay in a project schedule and repairs to the damaged plant and the service itself. These hidden costs can be ten times the repair cost.
Taking potential service strikes seriously
Workers can be guilty of not taking potential service strikes seriously. That’s because there have been no serious injuries at ECL. But, this complacency is dangerous. As a result, a significant part of the scheme is to change the mindset of the site workers. To do this, we need to instil in them the importance of doing their homework with regards to checking drawings and permits and not ignoring instructions.
Underground Service Avoidance Group Measures
ECL has just signed a charter with USAG, the Underground Service Avoidance Group, to state that they will put the measures in place, to include the training of all black hat supervisors, to ensure the severity of service strikes and procedures are conveyed to the workers on the ground and correct practice is adopted by all.
This includes the requirement for all supervisors to undergo a one-day training course. Our very own Micheal Moore (Safety Advisor at ECL) will deliver the course on using the CAT and Genny equipment.
The training highlights the role of a supervisor in overseeing the scanning of the ground before any works, marking the ground if any services are present, and relaying the information to the site workers.
In conjunction with this, Bovis/Vistry Group is to run a poster campaign. The posters are to be distributed across all sites. Aimed to relay the message that a black hat supervisor will need to oversee all digging that requires a permit.
Want to find out more about ECL’s Accident & Death Prevention Campaign and the measures we’re taking to keep our people and the public safe?
Construction sites are constantly changing highly hazardous and potentially risk-riddled environments. Here at ECL, we recognise that we must continually educate our people to ensure they remain safe at all times.
Our Accident & Death Prevention Campaign is ongoing to maintain a top-down buy-in mentality is firmly in place so that all adopt and practice our health and safety procedures.
ECL is dedicated to safeguarding its team and the communities it serves.
To learn more about our accident & death prevention initiatives, check out the links below.
