Health and Safety in Builders Merchants

Want to make sure that your builders merchants offers a space and compliant space? Read our article to discover how to ensure that health and safety is at the forefront of your builder's merchant store.

Who is responsible for health and safety at work?

Employers and employees all have a responsibility for ensuring health and safety at work.

Though the primary duty for health and safety rests with the employer, workers also have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work, eg customers. Workers must cooperate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements.

What are the key health and safety risks for builders’ merchants?

For builders’ merchants – where vehicles and construction materials are in close proximity to workers and customers – there are a number of key health and safety risks.

1. Working at height

Working at height means working in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury; it is one of the biggest causes of death and serious injury at work.

Examples of working at height in builders’ merchants include loading materials on or off commercial vehicles, and using a ladder to reach high shelves.

All employers who require workers to work at height must comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The regulations require firms to:

• avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so.
• where work at height cannot be avoided, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment.
• minimise the distance and consequences of a fall by using the right type of equipment where the risk cannot be eliminated.

2. Manual handling

Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing or pulling. Injuries caused by manual handling account for more than a third of all work-related illnesses.

Examples of manual handling at builders’ merchants include moving timber, carrying brick blocks, and pulling loaded trolleys.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to manage the risks to their employees. They must:

• avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable, by redesigning the task to avoid moving the load or by automating or mechanising the process.
• make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operation that cannot be avoided.
• reduce the risk of injury from those operations so far as is reasonably practicable. Where possible, provide mechanical assistance.

3. Slips, trips and falls

Slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work, causing around 40% of all reported major injuries. They are also the most reported injury to members of the public.

Key to reducing slips and trips is to complete a detailed risk assessment to identify potential hazards and effective control methods.

Practical ways to reduce slips and trips in the workplace, include:

• stop floors becoming contaminated by using entrance matting, ensuring plant and equipment are maintained to minimise leaks, and planning pedestrian and vehicle routes to avoid contaminated areas.
• use the right cleaning methods, including having effective arrangements for routine cleaning and dealing with spills, drying floors thoroughly after cleaning or excluding people from the area until it is dry.
• getting the environment right, including repairing damaged floors, providing sufficient lighting and keeping walkways clear.

4. Workplace transport

Every year there are over 5000 accidents involving transport in the workplace. The main causes of injury are people falling off vehicles, or being struck or crushed by them.

In builders’ merchants, forklifts are regularly in close proximity to other workers and customers.

There are three key areas for employers to consider when carrying out a risk assessment for workplace transport:

• safe site – this includes both the design of the site (segregation of people and vehicles, safe traffic routes, the use of signs, visibility and lighting) and activity (removing or at least reducing reversing, using signallers, providing clear instructions on where and how to load and unload).
• safe vehicle – ensure that vehicles are properly maintained, and think about fitting additional safety measures to your fleet, such as reversing alarms and rotating beacons.
• safe driver – be sure to regularly assess driver competencies, training needs and fitness to operate.

What are the implications of health and safety failures?

Health and safety failures can lead to death or life-changing injuries for workers and customers. Even minor injuries can lead to sickness absence, costing employers many thousands of pounds.

But the implications go beyond the physical and emotional impact on the victim and his family, and beyond the impact on the employer in terms of lost work hours – breach of health and safety regulations is a criminal offence. It can result in the firm, or an individual manager, being prosecuted, fined, disqualified and even imprisoned. Effective health and safety management must be integral to your business.

For more information on managing your health and safety risks, visit www.hse.gov.uk.