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Construction Hazards In The Summer

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construction hazards and scaffolding

Construction Hazards In The Summer

Safeway Scaffolding encourages safety measures and protection all year around, whatever the month or weather may be. However, we have sectioned these safety measures into segments that will be seasonally appropriate for you to follow. Whilst the winter brings the dreaded dark and icy conditions, the summer can be just as problematic for working in scorching conditions that can be restricting and a danger to your health. Let’s explore the potential construction hazards there are within the summer months within the scaffolding industry and know how to stay safe when working in these conditions.

Sun Exposure

Sun exposure may be the most obvious, however, the most dangerous construction hazards that you need to be aware of, and keep yourself protected by the sun’s UV rays. Sunburn has been recorded to be the highest complaint in scaffolding from workers during the summer months. Even if you are not visibly burnt, the suns UV rays can damage the skin without you realising, causing a lifetime of unhealthy skin and can result to serious consequences in the future with the possibility of skin cancer. Here at Safeway Scaffolding, we will always advise construction workers during the summer months to always wear sun cream containing at least SPF15-SPF30 that has UVB protection.

We would also advise that you wear a comfortable scaffolding helmet whilst you are working. This helps by safeguarding the head and skin as well as providing cooling protection with a breathable material that is comfortable enough to wear all day. We also provide and encourage that you wear UV eye-protection and loose-fitting clothes that can protect you as well as keeping you cool.

Hydration

Working within the scaffolding industry during the summer months can often lead to dehydration, especially on the unbearably hot and sticky days. The NHS recommends you should be drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. However, when you’re working in the heat, we would recommend drinking up to at least 2 litres of water per day. Your construction site should be able to store bottled water, and plenty of it on the long and hot days over the summer months. Make sure you are taking regular breaks from the sun and into the shade is equally as important to avoid dehydration and headaches occurring. For more advice, read the NHS article on sunburn for more assistance.

Hand Protection

The inevitability of clammy, sweaty hands in the summer and working in scaffolding construction tends to go hand in hand with an accident. Make sure you are prepared for the sweat by wearing scaffolding protection gloves that can keep your hands cool, as well as providing protection and safety when handling tools and equipment that can slip easily. These gloves will help to provide a strong grip and are made from a lightweight material that is breathable and comfortable to wear.

Look Out For Your Team

Finally, it is important as an employer, to look out for your workers and other colleagues within your team. Make sure you all have a fair work router so the hottest point of the day is equally spread out. You need to make sure you all understand the early signs of sunstroke and be vigilant of colleagues that might be showing them as they work. Actively practising these simple and effective steps will help you and your workers to stay safe over the summer. If you think you have any other helpful suggestions, we would love to hear from you!

Contact

We hope that this has helped you understand some of the dangers and construction hazards the summer months can have on your safety when working in the scaffolding industry, and that this information has been useful. For more information on this, or our services, please call us today on 01675 465593 or fill out our simple contact form.

Health and Safety for Scaffolders

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It goes without saying that health and safety is extremely important when working as a scaffolder. Thankfully, years of working at height have taught us the best ways to ensure we remain safe in our working environments. Here, we’ve put together a list of the most important considerations from a safety point of view.

Necessary training

The most important aspect of scaffolding health and safety is arguably the training that the workers in question have had. Without the necessary experience and knowledge, workers should never attempt to assemble or use scaffolds of any kind; it is absolutely essential that only qualified people attempt to put together scaffolding. The structural integrity of these constructions is the difference between remaining safe and not. If you’re in any doubt as to whether a scaffolder is qualified or not, see whether they’re accredited by organisations such as CHAS and NASC. If they are, you can be more confident they’ll do things properly.

Safety equipment

There are a number of PPE items that every scaffolder needs to ensure they wear while working on any job:

    • An approved hard hat
      Hand protection, such as thick gloves
      Protective, steel-toe-capped boots. Must also be anti-slip
      Safety harness (necessary for any workers functioning 6 feet above the ground)

    • Code of practice

    For a full overview of everything health and safety-related, you can read the Health and Safety Authority’s code of practice. That document provides a full overview of the appropriate (and safe) conduct on a scaffolding site.

    Obviously if you’re a scaffolder yourself, these are all basic points that you should already know. If, however, you’re keen to know more about the industry then we hope we’ve given you an overview of what’s required.

    Why Bespoke Scaffolding Is so Important

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    An image showing scaffolding assembled up a muddy hill, providing stairs up the steep slope
     

    We offer bespoke scaffolding as one of our core services here at Safeway Scaffolding Limited, but why? In our latest blog post, we explain why bespoke scaffolding is so important, and why it’s necessary.

    One size does not fit all

    Scaffolding is tailored. It has to be. Every project is unique and, therefore, requires a unique scaffold to be assembled alongside it. Rather than trying to apply a formulaic approach to different scaffolding projects, a more tailored, considered assembly is often required.

    Sure, you can use standard scaffolds for a number of residential and commercial properties, but often the shape, size, and circumstances of scaffolding projects mean that you need to adapt. Doing so can often be difficult, too. In one of our previous blog posts, we discussed the challenges of bespoke scaffolding, which really helps to underline just how different every project is.

    What can go wrong

    Having established that different projects require different scaffolds, it’s also important to point out what can go wrong if bespoke scaffolding isn’t used. It’s pretty obvious, but using a scaffold that isn’t right for any given structure or property will compromise its structural integrity. Doing so causes serious health and safety risks to anyone working on the site, but also threatens to damage the building itself immeasurably.

    Our bespoke solutions

    We pride ourselves on our bespoke scaffolding solutions here at Safeway Scaffolding Limited. We’re adept at tailoring our work to suit the unique requirements of all our customers, while our experience over many years on a great number of projects means we’re perfectly placed to deliver what’s needed.

    Give us a call on 01675 465593 or fill out one of our online contact forms to find out more about our services.

    3 of the World’s Biggest Scaffolds

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    At Safeway Scaffolding, we take pride in our ability to provide bespoke scaffolds to our customers. What we can’t do, however, is replicate any of the world’s biggest scaffolds (although we’d definitely give it a crack if required).

    Here, we’re taking a look at 3 of the world’s most striking scaffolding projects.

    Burj Khalifa

    This is the tallest building in the world. The Burj Khalifa is a staggering 2 717 feet high, and has been the world’s tallest building since 2008. Need we say much more? The scaffolding required to assemble this absurdly large structure was pretty much unprecedented. In a bid to keep the world guessing when it came to the building’s final dimensions or design, the scaffolding was actually assembled as the tower grew.

    The Eden Project

    You want truly bespoke scaffolding? You’ve got it. In 1998, the Eden Project was constructed to help educate the public about conservation, sustainability, and how to make our world greener. To do so, 230 miles of scaffolding was required, and it wasn’t your average shape or design, either.

    The nature of the construction, featuring two huge biomes, meant that an abnormal amount of reinforced scaffolding was required for the project to be successful.

    Statue of Liberty

    One of America’s most iconic landmarks, the Statue of LIberty was renovated in 1984. Approximately $2 million was required to assemble what was, at the time, the world’s biggest free-standing scaffold. Wrapped in this aluminium maze from head to toe, the statue’s restoration was considered a great success. Take a look for yourself at the pictures, too, as they’re pretty impressive.

    Safeway Scaffolding

    As we’ve said, the sort of work we carry out doesn’t really compare to that undertaken on the Burj Khalifa. It does, however, still cater to our customers’ every requirement. For more information on our bespoke scaffolding solutions, call us on 01675 465 593 or fill out one of our online contact forms.

    How Does Scaffolding Work?

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    Scaffolding is, as you’ll know by now if you’ve read many of our blogs, a very useful process. It’s got an interesting history, and it can be used in a number of ways for a variety of different projects.

    How, though, does scaffolding actually work? How do all of those metal poles and wooden boards stay together, and not simple collapse? To answer that, we’ve put together a basic guide to some of the principles of scaffolding. Hopefully, we can go some way to explaining the process in our latest blog.

    As a quick disclaimer, this is not a blog intended to inspire any old person to go home and erect a scaffold. You’ve got to be trained if you’re actually going to apply these principles; we’re only intending to shed some light on the matter purely for your interest!

    The physics

    Surprise, surprise. It isn’t really possible to explain how scaffolding works without talking about physics (well, not if you’re going to do it properly, anyway).

    Pretty much the whole concept is tied up intrinsically with science, so for those of you who didn’t pay much attention in your physics GCSE classes, we’ll try and keep it pretty basic and explain everything as thoroughly as possible.

    Euler

    Leonhard Euler is the first notable theorist we need to mention when it comes to the principles of scaffolding. Effectively, he worked out that there was a “critical load”, under which the scaffold would begin to buckle. Keep the load, or weight being supported, lower than that amount, and you’d be absolutely fine.

    To work out the critical load, a number of factors need to be considered:

    • The material of the supports
    • Shape of the supports
    • The length of the supports
    • Distance between the supports

    Variation

    It is important to remember that the critical load will vary, depending on the type of scaffold in question. Depending on the type of scaffolding you’re assembling, different support points will be required.

    For example, a traditional tube scaffold will require support points to be assembled 6’ 6” apart, while system scaffold take support points at intervals of 6’ 6” – 7’ 0”.

    Safeway Scaffolding

    We’ve tried to give you a brief introduction into the world of scaffolding physics here. As we’ve said already, though, when it comes to your own scaffolding you need to use a professional.

    To enquire about our services, get in touch via our online contact form or give us a call on 01675 465 593.

    The Differences Between Commercial Scaffolding and Domestic Scaffolding

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    The Differences Between Commercial Scaffolding and Domestic Scaffolding

    domestic scaffolding

    Scaffolding is a staple part of architectural construction and renovation. Despite being one of the most common aspects of development, the methods of scaffolding often vary depending on the size and shape of a building. As specialists of both commercial scaffolding and domestic scaffolding, Safeway Scaffolding Limited outline the most notable differences between these two different types of scaffolding in their latest blog post.

    [Read more…] about The Differences Between Commercial Scaffolding and Domestic Scaffolding