7 WAYS TO CREATE A SAFE BUILDING SITE
If you’re self-managing your build make sure you plan a safe site with these helpful tips from self-build expert Mark Stevenson
Mark Stevenson’s advice on health and safety when self-managing a project
1 PLAN THE LAYOUT
A well thought through site plan to comply with health and safety requirements and deal with the endless deliveries that will descend as your project progresses, is a good place to start. Mark up a plan showing where everything will go, leaving enough space to access the building, carry out construction work and store materials safely.
2 BE AWARE OF CDM REGULATIONS
Since April 2015, the Construction, Design and Management (CDM) Regulations have been in force. These are intended to ensure health and safety issues are properly considered through the life of a project and reduce the risk of harm to those who build, use and maintain the building. As a self-managing self-builder you will in effect become a contractor and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will expect you to demonstrate sufficient health and safety capability to meet the requirements of CDM. Visit www.hse.gov.uk for full details and download the CDM Wizard app from www.citb.co.uk.
3 PROMOTE SAFE WORKING AROUND COVID-19
The Trustmark booklet Work safe, Safe work is available to download (www.worksafesafework.info) and details how to keep trades working on a site safe during the pandemic. Split into three easy to read sections, focused on what happens before, during and after a project, it offers tips on sanitising, distancing and keeping day-to-day interactions safe.
4 CONTAIN THE SITE
Securing a site is more than just preventing theft. From the HSE’S point of view, it’s about protecting the general public — preventing unauthorised access stops intruders, such as children who want to explore, from getting injured. Anti-climb fencing is around £10/m and easy to erect. Install permanent boundary fencing at the start of the build and secure the gates with a combination padlock to allow trades to let themselves in and out.
5 ARRANGE INSURANCE
You’ll need site insurance to cover damage from incidents such as flood, fire and theft during the construction phase. Site insurance will provide financial recompense if the worst does happen, with the cost of the premium usually calculated based on how much it would cost to rebuild.
6 CHECK FOR HAZARDS
Existing services present a significant risk to safety, not to mention that they will prove expensive to repair if struck. Take the time to search existing services’ records and identify the location of infrastructure that should be avoided.
7 PLAN EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS
Think about what you will do in an emergency. Hopefully nothing will go wrong, but if it does, you should be able to deal with it quickly and effectively before things escalate. Display emergency contacts somewhere prominent, make sure fire-fighting equipment isn’t obstructed and put the first aid kit where everyone can find it.