Health & Safety resource

Practical advice

This section of the site provides practical advice and guidance on the essential health and safety issues affecting the construction industry with the following aims to; 

• develop a positive health and safety culture;
• minimise health and safety risks and devise strategies to minimise risk;
• reduce accidents and ill health; and
• meet client demands and maintain credibility for the construction industry;

The Strategic Forum would like to thank the contributing companies and organisation for their support.

Management	Technical	General
Behavioural safety	Excavators	Considerate Constructors Scheme
	Site safety briefings	Qualifying the workforce
Employee involvement	Tower crane safety	Respect for People
Migrant workers
Risk assessment

 

 

Behavioural safety

The Achieving Behavioural Change programme which is available through the ConstructionSkills Site Safety Plus scheme and encourages operatives to think and behave safely towards others.

A website examining the relationship between people’s behaviour and their working environments to establish behavioural safety processes and a reduction in lost time and minor injuries.   

A paper on behavioural safety by the Health and Safety Policy Advisory Group of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

 

Considerate Constructors Scheme

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is the national initiative, set up by the construction industry, to improve its image.
Sites that register with the Scheme sign up and are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.  

 

Employee involvement

Guidance and case studies on methods of worker engagement.

UCATT – Worker engagement in the construction industry research publication

ConstructionSkills Worker Engagement toolkit

Excavators

Guide for excavators used as cranes, developed by the Construction Plant-Hire Association, the Construction Confederation and endorsed by the HSE

Safe use of quick hitch devices on excavators

Information note from the Construction Equipment Association on the loading control requirement of the EU’s 2003 Machinery Directive to excavators.

Advice on the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998.

 

Migrant workers

ConstructionSkills web based tool to assist and guide construction companies employing migrant workers.

TUC “Safety & migrant workers” practical guide for safety representatives

 

Qualifying the workforce

ConstructionSkills website showing what card schemes are in use by the construction industry, how they work and how to obtain them.

 

Respect for People

The Strategic Forum for Construction has drawn up the Respect for People Code of Good Working Health and Safety Practices

The people zone of Constructing Excellence’s website and provides easy links to other related areas on the site.

Risk assessment 

Practical guidance from the HSE on steps to protect people from the risks that cause real harm and suffering.

HSE guidance on sensible risk management.

 

Site safety briefings

Falls from height

HSE guidance showing  what happens when workers are put at risk and what you can do to stop falls from height in your workplace

Falls and trips in construction – real examples of good and bad practice from the HSE

Falls from vehicles

Case studies from the HSE showing how companies have tried to reduce injuries due to falls from vehicles through sensible management of health and safety risks in the workplace.

Slips and trips

HSE guidance on avoiding slips and trips in the workplace.  

Tower crane safety

HSE safety alert on tower cranes and provides links to a number of technical notes on tower crane safety.

Construction Plant-hire Association’s best practice guide on the safe use of top slew tower cranes. 

Construction Plant-hire Association’s best practice guide on the safe use of self erecting tower cranes.

Construction Plant-hire Association’s best practice guidance on the maintenance and thorough examination of tower cranes.  

Construction Plant-hire Association’s Tower Crane Technical Information Note series.

Construction Plant-hire Association’s tower crane operator’s handbook.

Construction Plant-hire Association’s best practice guidance on working at height on mobile cranes.

Working with Asbestos

Information website providing information on building materials, the process of exposure, and some specific cases.

• Electrical Engineers
• Construction Workers
• Plumbers

Working Hours

Information on the Working Time Regulations which came into effect in October 1998, including an update on the UK’s opt-out.

Information from the HSE giving the areas where HSE is responsible for enforcement as well as listing a series of useful reference documents.