NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part III

This Post follows on from a couple I posted a few of months ago for NCC2, this takes it to the final stages where we have to complete the practicle observation walkaround and then prepare a writtenn report to management

NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part I

NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part II

Sample report

Important Notes:

1. This report is not the only way that can be used to write your report, merely an example of what would obtain a good pass.


2. All defects noted should be chronologically numbered. This will allow for easy reference to items in when writing the report to management.


3. If you are carrying out inspections in more than one area, please start a new observation sheet for each area.


4. Number pages as in the sample report.


5. Please ensure your writing is reasonably legible and leave a space between each paragraph.


6. Do not attempt to re-write your observation sheets in the time that you are given to write your report to management. If you do, you will run out of time.


7. The observation sheets used in this post are similar to those you would be given during the actual inspection.


8. You will be supplied with a several headed sheets of paper. Ensure you complete the headings required.
   


9. We recommend that you number each item so that you may refer to it in your report tomanagement.


10. It is anticipated that the following sample report would receive reasonably good marks in all section

  

NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY	Practical unit marking sheet
Unit NCC2 — CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICAL APPLICATION		Sheet number ___of_
Candidate name	Candidate number C
Place inspected	Date of inspection

Observations		Priority/ Risk	Actions to be taken (if any)	Time scale
List hazards, unsafe practices and good practices		(H, M, L)	List all immediate and longer-term actions required	(immediate, 1 week, etc.)
1 The guard on lathe No.4 was lying on an adjacent bench		H	Replace guard and instruct the operator it must not be removed	Immediate
2 Tools and waste were lying on a side bench		L	Tools should be properly stored and, Waste put into a waste receptacle	Immediate One week
3 Empty cardboard boxes were lying around on the floor		L	Remove boxes to store or to waste skip as appropriate	One week
4The local exhaust ventilation(LEV) was not properly  connected to the bench grinder		M	Secure the LEV to the grinder and instruct the supervisor to be vigilant and ensure it is always connected	Immediate
5 A pool of oil was on the floor next to drill number 4		H	Clean up the oil and speak to the operator	Immediate
6 The earth wire to the                electric welding booth table is broken		H	This should be connected at once Efforts should be made to enquire if this was due to lack of knowledge or negligence.	Immediate Two weeks
7 Tins of solvents were lying vented to atmosphere		M	These should be removed or capped Operators should be instructed this must not recur.	Immediate One week
8 The Forklift truck was blocking access to a fire point		L	The driver should be instructed to move the truck to a safe parking place, given the reason why and told not to park it in such a position again.	Immediate
9 The guard on drilling machine No.12 was hanging loose on one bolt		M	Secure the guard. Enquiries should be made as to why it was not reported	Immediate
10 Oil was being stored in two mineral bottles		L	Remove the bottles Employees should be reminded that This practice is unacceptable  and given the reasons why.	Immediate
11The visual panel on milling machine (No.9) was cracked		L	The guard should be repaired. Enquire from the operator when this had happened and if it had been reported	One week Immediate
12 A pallet was partially blocking a passageway		L	The pallet should be removed and the forklift  driver informed not to block passageways at any time	One week
13 An obsolete Factories Act 1961 poster was on  display. Other notices    were noted for their  absence		L	Remove the obsolete poster. Replace other statutory and information posters as required.	One month
14 Cigarette ends were observed on the floor of the flammable goods store		H	An investigation should be initiated to find out who was smoking and appropriate action taken. Supervisors should be reminded they are expected to be vigilant and spot such unsafe practices	Immediate
15 The lighting above the variable speed turning lathe is  undiffused fluorescent lights		M	This type of lighting could cause a stroboscope effect on moving parts and should  either be defused or replaced.	Two weeks
16 Cans of paint and empty oil containers had been dumped in the skip for ordinary waste.		M	Remove these cans and drums and have them taken away as hazardous waste by a specialist waste removal company. Instruct staff this must not happen again.	Immediate One week
17 Damage safety goggles and gloves were lying around at  random throughout the machine shop		L	These should be removed. Staff reminded of their legal duty to take care of their PPE.	Immediate One week
18 Various hand-tools were lying around damaged. Files  were  observed with no handles on them		M	Such tools can be dangerous to use and should either be scrapped or repaired. Staff should be reminded of their duty of care	Immediate One week
19 Storage racking had obviously been hit by the forklift truck		L	The racking should be repaired and inquiries made  as to why the damage had not been reported. Consideration should be made as to whether  the driver should be disciplined or trained.	One month

Note: Start a new sheet for each location visited, but continue the number sequence of observations.

Report to Senior Management

Candidate name _________________________________ Candidate Number C___________

Place inspected  _________________________________ Date of Inspection ____ /___ /____

Introduction:

This inspection was carried out to identify:

• Hazards and potentially dangerous situations and areas


• Breaches of statutory or common law duties of care


• Time-scaled recommendations in order to appropriately deal with the hazards, dangerous situations and breaches of legislation identified

The inspection was carried out at a time when no work was being undertaken; therefore observations are only made on the conditions observed at the time of the inspection and any reasonable assumptions that can be made as a result of the observations.

General Observations:
Generally the safety standards observed throughout the premises inspected were reasonable and displayed a good degree of general safety practices and awareness. However there were a number of deficiencies noted mostly of low risk, which are indicative of a certain degree of slackness both in terms of safety supervision and of diligence amongst the workforce.
Observations and recommendations on the necessary action to be taken by local managers and supervisors are shown on the appended observation sheets.
There were two items noted that required immediate attention because of the nature of the hazard and the imminent nature of the associated danger. These are highlighted on the inspection sheets. In each case the deficiencies and recommendations were immediately made known to the local manager for his/her attention.

1. The earth wire on the metal table in the electric welding booth was broken
This is a breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and could have resulted in a prohibition notice being served and a criminal prosecution being undertaken against both the company and/or individual members of management or staff (see item 6 on the observation sheets).

Recommendation

Whilst this particular incident may have received immediate attention it is recommended that the supervisor be instructed to ensure no recurrence of this type of incident takes place.



1. Cigarette ends on the floor of the flammable goods store.

Smoking in this area could well result in an explosion. The condition of the cigarette ends suggests that this was no isolated incident. The smoking shows a blatant disregard for the 'No Smoking' notice that is prominently displayed (see item 4 on the observation sheets)

Recommendations:

As these cigarette ends were easily observed it should also have been obvious to supervisors who should have taken appropriate action to deal with the situation. It is recommended that supervisors be reminded of their need to be vigilant for such offences. Also a general notice be displayed warning that such smoking is a serious safety violation that will result in severe disciplinary action.

Other Deficiencies:

As shown on the observation sheets there were a number of other items that require your attention.
These can be grouped as follows:
Housekeeping: Items 1, 2, 4, 21, 22 & 25 on the observation sheets

Whilst the overall housekeeping standards were reasonable there were a number of items lying around and other situations that required attention.
Housekeeping is often indicative of the safety culture of an organisation and gives first impressions to visitors such as HSE inspectors, insurance personnel or customers.
Poor housekeeping can cause damage to equipment and products and often leads to accidents. It can also constitute a breach of duties of care under The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Section 2 of the health and Safety at Work etc, Act 1974 and common law duties of care.

Recommendations:
On all these grounds it is worth emphasising to employees and supervisors the need for good housekeeping standards to be maintained at all times.

Machinery Safety: Items 1, 4 & 11 on the observation sheets

Deficiencies include missing, loose or damaged guards and local exhaust ventilation. These are all breaches of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

Recommendations:
Instructions should be issued to ensure that guards are not removed and defective equipment is reported in order that repairs may be carried out.
There were also no markings on machines to indicate they had been reviewed to ensure they are in compliance with The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Hazardous Substances: Items 7, 10 & 16 on the observation sheets

A certain degree of carelessness was observed with regards to the storing, use and disposal of dangerous substances. This constitutes a breach of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and The Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Recommendations:
All personnel, especially managers and supervisors should be reminded of the need to adhere strictly to the company policy on the control of substances hazardous to health as it is a requirement of the 2002 Regulations.

Fire Safety: Items 7, 8 & 14 on the observation sheets

There are a number of non-conformances relating to fire safety such as uncapped tins of solvent, fire doors blocked and evidence of smoking. These are non-conformances to the company's own fire precaution arrangements and are in breach of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997.

Recommendations:
Staff should be reminded of their statutory and contractual duties to comply with fire prevention and protection arrangements.

Personnel Protective Equipment: Item 17 on the observation sheets

There were a number of damaged safety goggles and gloves lying around the workshop. This clearly indicates that employees are in breach of their duties of care to take reasonable care of equipment supplied to them under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.

Recommendations:
All employees must be reminded of their statutory duties of care and that if this abuse continues disciplinary action will be taken. It may also be worth discussing this matter at the next meeting of the company safety committee.

Safety Information and Posters: Item 13 on the observation sheets

An old Factories Act poster was on display. This observation indicates a formal procedure is required to renew and review posters around the premises. This could also indicate a breach of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.

Recommendations:
It is recommended that a procedure be adopted to review and replace as required notices. Obsolete posters reduce the credibility of all notices on display.

Training

It is recommended that some refresher and upgrading training on safety awareness would be an advantage. This could draw the attention of all staff to their statutory, common and contractual duties of care as well as explaining to them good safety practices and the advantages of developing a good safety culture. The training programme should be commenced within a medium time-scale.

Safety Monitoring

This inspection indicates that in the longer term the company would benefit from setting up a safety inspection and auditing system. These audits will be of value in monitoring health and safety compliance with legal requirements and also the safety management system of the company.

Cost of Compliance

Most of the recommendation made can be implemented at little or no cost. In the replacement of equipment costs will be moderate. Whilst safety training will result in some time off work for those attending in-house courses (approximately one half day each) plus fees to tutors the advantages should more than repay themselves over a period of time.

The Benefits

The benefits of implementing the actions recommended will reduce the possibility of recurrence of these types of non-conformances. It will also benefit the company in reducing damage and lost time incidents as well as assisting to improve the overall safety culture of the organisation.

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Marks for the report to management could be reduced for the following reasons:

Item	Marks available	Reason for low marks
Selection of topics management action for urgent	10	Not emphasising the more serious hazards with no attempt to differentiate between trivial issues and important ones.
Consideration of cost implications	5	Unrealistic costs. Better to use statements such as low, medium or high costs with perhaps a general note emphasising the benefits of spending the money.
Identification of beaches of legislation	5	Breaches of legislation not being   correctly identified. Candidates will not be penalised for omitting the dates of legislation or for referring to items of legislation in shortened terms where the full title has already been given. Inaccuracies, in titles, or confusion where over where the legislation applies will lead to lower marks being awarded.
Presentation of information	10	Lower marks will be given for poorly structured, reports where items are not in a logical sequence or more important topics not highlighted.
Effectiveness in convincing management to take action	15	Marks awarded in this section will reflect the marks awarded in the other section. Vague, weak or erroneous statements will not inspire action by management.