BCD 2017

T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 1 7 67 BUILDING CONTRACTORS 2 ACCESS SPECIALISTS Paramount Platforms Ltd, The Rough Hill Complex, The Tye, East Hanningfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8BY 01245 401110 Out of hours (24/7) 07754 162878 ❑ Specialist powered access hire 4m–100m. ❑ Expert practitioners, experienced, certificated operators or self drive. ❑ Sophisticated, modern equipment. Compact, lightweight. Ability to pass through personnel doorway (0.8 x 1.9m). Heights to over 50m. ❑ Electric and battery powered for emission free, quiet operation. ❑ Interior and exterior applications. Wheeled and tracked equipment. ❑ Sympathetic care of property fabric and flooring. Protection of flooring and ground surfaces. ❑ Free and friendly advice by phone or at site. ❑ UK National Coverage. ❑ Day/night/weekend, all hours and fast response. www.paramountplatforms.com Paramount Ac c e s s P l a t f o rms Silent battery power to 42 metres height with max. 230 Kgs SWL Lime Lime is a highly caustic product. Splashes of lime can burn and the dust can be highly irritating to eyes and skin. Suitable PPE should be worn at all times when working with lime. In addition to gloves, breathing apparatus/masks and goggles should be used when powdered lime dust may become air-borne and eye wash should always be available on site. This is particularly important when slaking quicklime as temperatures can reach 300ºC, and it is recommended that the slaking of quicklime and the mixing of dry powdered lime should be carried out in a well- ventilated area. Risk assessments should be carried out prior to starting work on site and measures taken to eliminate and/or reduce the exposure to any risks identified. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) guidelines should be followed when using potentially harmful substances such as lime. Hot works Hot works associated with lead working present significant live and latent risks and the works need to be managed. Where there is to be any welding/hot working, only experienced personnel are to be used and site fire precautions are to be maintained in place throughout. A hot works permit regime should be established and enforced. Work at height Work should comply with The Work at Height Regulations 2005 . The regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. The regulations bring together all the existing work at height regulations and state the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment. The principal contractor has a duty to ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner that is safe. Duty holders must also ensure that those involved in working at height are competent and that the equipment they use is appropriate, well maintained and regularly inspected. Apart from falls at roof edges there are significant risks from falls through fragile surfaces that may have been assumed to be safe, which the duty holder must also consider. Falls through fragile roofs and fragile roof lights account for almost a fifth of all the fatal accidents which result from a fall from height in the construction industry. Deaths caused by falls through fragile surfaces occur mainly to those working in the building maintenance sector when carrying out small, short-term maintenance and cleaning jobs. On average seven people are killed each year after falling through a fragile roof or fragile roof light. Many others suffer permanent disabling injury. Surfaces that present a particular risk include old roof lights, old liner panels on built-up sheeted roofs, non-reinforced fibre cement sheets, corroded metal sheets, glass (including wired glass), rotted chipboard, slates and tiles. Fragile roof incidents are not inevitable. They can be prevented by careful planning, using trained and experienced workers with suitable equipment and employing a high level of supervision. The HSE’s Fragile Roofs leaflet (see Further Information) includes guidance for building owners and occupiers as well as for construction businesses and their employees. Further Information Asbestos Removal Contractors Association www.arca.org.uk British Coatings Federation www.coatings.org.uk Health & Safety Executive (HSE) asbestos information www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos HSE, Fragile Roofs: Safe Working Practices , www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis5.pdf HSE/Loughborough University, ‘Avoiding Structural Collapses in Refurbishment: A Decision Support System’, 2006 (www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr463.pdf ) Lead Paint Safety Association www.lipsa.org.uk CHRIS BOWES founded McGregor Bowes in 2010. He is a chartered architect with over 30 years’ experience working in architectural practice. He has also been a planning supervisor, CDM co-ordinator and principal designer since 2002. He has particular expertise and interest in the care, restoration and sensitive adaptation of historic buildings.