If you're a novice to construction, many things may be new to you. One very noticeable thing is the stringent emphasis on health and safety. For a non-initiate, these rules and guidelines may be pesky and seem extreme in some cases, but they are not unwarranted. For the construction worker, these health and safety procedures can be the difference between life and death (or injury). Everyone wears hard hats, high visibility clothing (Hi-Vis), safety goggles and so on, not as a matter of choice but as a matter of regulatory requirements. For all of this to be effectively enforced, someone has to be in charge of implementation; but who?
Construction sites on any given day are made up of a myriad of professionals, labourers and even clients getting their hands dirty to finish a project which almost always has a deadline. Therefore, things can get quite chaotic in these places, and someone has to be in charge of ensuring that all these people are complying with safety rules. Let us talk about some of the professionals and individuals you are likely to find on any construction site and what parts they play in ensuring safety compliance.
The Clients, Contractor, Designers
According to UK law, the burden of providing safety compliance falls primarily on the client and then on the designers and contractors they appoint. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 dictate this.
Sometimes, there may be several contractors; the client, in this case, is expected to appoint a "principal contractor". The principal contractor's duties include devising a plan, controlling and monitoring all aspects of construction which full under their control to ensure work is carried out without risks to health and safety. In a perfect scenario this is the case, but in reality, most principal contractors and architects are only occasionally on-site.
Designers are expected to preempt potential risks, hence "eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks that may arise during construction".
The Managers
Construction sites and workers can be very chaotic and challenging to manage, but someone has to do it. The manager or supervisor is in charge of maintaining day-to-day health and safety regulation on-site.
It is required that whoever is in charge of safety and health on-site be adequately trained and suited to such a task. Hence, it is essential to be trained in courses such as SSSTS and SMSTS. Here at Easybook Training, we offer both of these top health and safety courses...
SSSTS course
SSSTS courses (Site Supervisors' Safety Training Scheme) are designed for people with on-site supervisory responsibility or are about to acquire them. SSSTS provides supervisors with an understanding of health, safety, welfare, environmental and legal issues and equips them to promote safety in the workforce. The United Kingdom Contractors Group (UKCG) endorses the training programme as the standard course for all supervisors who work on UKCG sites.
The SMSTS course
SMSTS courses (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) are intended for those higher up the hierarchy. This safety course is aimed at site managers, agents and people who have responsibility for planning, organising, controlling, monitoring and administering groups of workers.
The SMSTS course is accredited by the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and is recognised nationally as an essential part of modern-day site supervision and guidance. The CITB recommends that all site managers, agents and owners of small to medium construction companies take this course as a critical requirement. The SMSTS is also listed in the approved code of practice.
Even though only 5% of the employed force in the UK work in construction, this sector accounts for 22% of workplace fatalities. It is, therefore, important for on-site skill and safety to work together to mitigate further disasters and reduce workplace risk. The SMSTS training course equips managers and site agents with the skills to achieve this goal. This construction safety course addresses legislation alongside other areas of safety, as well as the need for effective communication to the workforce.
Easybook Training offers a fully comprehensive list of training courses to assist in keeping construction sites up to date in terms of health and safety requirements. Reach out to us today.