The report which you should submit to me should include:
- A brief analysis of the control systems required for the health and safety of operatives and others who may be affected by each operation.
- Details of any pertinent legislation, regulation or codes of practice.
- A brief analysis of the consequences of failure of any of the control systems
- Samples of documentation you will have designed for the control system.
The report should be well structured and include simplified brief explanations of the rationale underpinning your decisions with regard to the selection of your chosen control systems. The law recognises that supervisors are not Health and Safety experts and to address this difficulty Health and Safety legislation requires that all organisations appoint a qualified Health and Safety adviser to assist managers with respect to their statutory and civil obligations.
Your tutor will be your Health and Safety adviser for the purposes of this assignment and will direct you to sources of relevant legislation, regulation and Codes of Practice and explain where appropriate, Health and Safety principles. However, you must bear in mind that in law Health and Safety advisers bear no responsibility for the practical implementation of control systems, these are the sole preserve of the manager/supervisor and as such you are responsible for the final selection and design of suitable systems.
Operation 1
- A main junction in a sewer system (a subterranean chamber) has developed cracks in its walls which must be sealed by painting on a sealant with a spray gun.
- The sewer chamber is accessed via a manhole cover at ground level in the middle of a field.
- There is a stepladder leading down from the manhole entrance to the bottom of the chamber
- The field is located at the top of a farmer's private lane 1 mile from the main road. The internal dimensions of the chamber are as follows; 2.5 metres long, 2 metres wide, 4 metres deep.
- The sealant fumes are known to cause drowsiness. In addition they are known to be heavier than air, toxic and highly inflammable.
- The field is used by the farmer to graze cattle and sheep.
- This operation is scheduled to take place sometime between November and June.
Operation 2
- An employee of the parks department of a local council is tasked to cut the grass verge, tidy up hedgerows, and trim tree branches adjacent to a highway and in the vicinity of a junior school in the suburbs of a small town. In addition he is to bag up and remove any litter which is present at the location.
- The council depot is 2 miles from the site to be tidied up.
- The grass cutter is a ride-on mower which has to be driven to the site on the public highway as it is too large and heavy to be transported with the vehicles available.
- If necessary a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) is available to enable the gardener to reach high tree branches.
- The mower is equipped with a detachable trailer.
- The highway adjacent to the site is a main commuter route.
- The grass verge is lined with trees around which the tractor will have to be negotiated during the grass cutting operation.
- There is no kerb separating the grass verge from the highway.
- To trim the hedgerows the gardener will have to use a chainsaw.
- This operation is repeated at monthly intervals throughout the year.
- The local police suspect that drug traders have been operating in the area.
Operation 3
- Cleaning staff have been allocated a secondary school to clean after school hours on a daily basis in term time.
- The school is located in an area of known social deprivation.
- The cleaning staffs are all women.
- The cleaners must remove bagged waste from the premises and place it in wheelie bins in the school playground
- The school comprises several separate multi-storey buildings.
- The school has Chemistry. Physics and Biology laboratories in addition to a metalworking area equipped with lathes, milling machines and other manufacturing paraphernalia.