Being near to active plant equipment is one of the biggest hazards the construction industry faces.
Each year, there are a number of people killed or seriously injured due to being struck by moving machinery. In partnership with BAM Nuttall, Flannery have created a short film on a new Zonal Working process to show across working sites.
This initiative was produced after operational staff noticed the need for developing a standard that can be used by all to assist in producing a simple and effective safe system of work in order to mitigate the many risks associated with the people plant interface. This led to the induction of working zones across sites, with the aim of keeping workers and others on site safe and away from machinery in operation. The production of the ‘best practice’ short film demonstrates the simplicity of set up and deployment of Zonal Working on site, and is endorsed by National Highways.
Through creating this short, simple and easy to understand video, we were able to easily explain the implementation of three working zones:
The ‘Normal Zone’, which is the default zone identified by blue signage. This is where exclusions or restrictions are not in place. Normal site restrictions, such as mandatory PPE, still apply for this zone.
The ‘Restricted Zone’, which is identified by yellow signage (shown in the video) and is restricted for entry only by personnel who are authorised by the zone controller. All who enter must be briefed and competent for the task they are due to undertake, and have all the resources needed for the work.
Finally, there is the ‘Exclusion Zone’, which is identified by red signage. Nobody is permitted to enter these zones for any reason, as they are where plant equipment is operating.
Through this collaboration, we were able to identify key behavioural drivers that often contribute to people plant interface incidents that frequently occur on site. By utilising the controlled facilities available at the Operator Skills Hub at Flannery’s Birmingham depot, and using the experience of plant instructors, construction managers and safety professionals across both Flannery and BAM, we were able to develop a simplistic approach to segregation and the control of people and plant on live construction sites.
Watch the video below:
