september 2016 - isslabour.b-cdn.net...lessons learnt: 1. always hold onto the handrail / question...

September 2016Safety First Briefing

Issue Date: 12th September 2016

East Kilbride . Carlisle . Manchester . Derby . Stafford . Newport . Caerphilly

• Accidents and Incidents• Close Call Reporting• Vehicle accidents• General Safety – Manual Handling• Safety Alerts from Around the Industry• Environmental - Pollution• Feedback

Safety First Briefing September 2016

Accidents and Incidents


RECENTLY, STAFF HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS AND NOT REPORTED THEM TO THE ISS ON-CALL PERSON. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IF YOU RECEIVE AN INJURY YOU REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY.

During August there were two accidents and one incident reported.

1. Accident Details

On 9th August at 01:45, the injured person was unclipping fast clip type clips using a bar to unclipthem. After he had unclipped one, he was standing in the 4 foot facing along the track when he felt asharp pain in his left side groin. He then felt something running down his leg and realised it wasblood. He was taken to the first aid room for treatment to stop the bleeding. He did not go tohospital immediately, however, he did attend the following day and had 1 stitch inserted and thenthe wound was glued

Investigation

• From the information given by the injured person, it is un-certain as to the immediate cause of the accident, however, there were other tasks being carried out in the area at the time of the accident which may have contributed to the injury.

Recommendations

• When working on or near the running line and other work is being carried out close to where you are, always be aware of your surroundings and do not put yourself in an area where injury could occur.

2. Accident Details

On 30th August at 00:30, the injured person had been shovelling ballast when he stood up tostraighten his back and felt his back click. After this, when he stood he could not put any pressure onhis legs as he was in agony from his back. He was assisted from the worksite.

Investigation

• The injured person had a history of back problems

• He had just returned from holiday, therefore, as a result of inactivity, he was more vulnerable to this type of injury.

Recommendations

• Refresh manual handling techniques

Accidents and Incidents


1. Incident Details

On August 8th the Protection Controller (PC) arrived on site at 22:00 and went to the signal box todiscuss the line blockage with the signaller.

At 23:30 the gang arrived and the COSS signed in with the PC.

At 00:30 the PC was given a line blockage on the up road and another on the down road at a differentlocation, he then informed the COSS’s that both lines were blocked.

At 01:00 the PC informed the COSS’s that the up-road will be open to traffic and at 01:02 he told thehand signaller to remove the protection from the down road, unfortunately, he told the COSS thewrong road, which led to a train approaching the workgroups on a line that they believed wasblocked.

Investigation

• The PC gave the COSS incorrect instruction

Recommendations

• The PC has been removed from all safety critical work pending the outcome of the on-going investigation by the client

If you get involved in any safety critical communications(SCC) you must follow these basic rules;

• Identify/know which role is lead within any SCC

• Confirm individuals involved in the SCC are the correct people

• Ensure key details are repeated back

• Question anything that was unclear

• Spell out names, signals IDs, Train codes etc using the phonetic alphabet

• Make appropriate written notes and use diagrams to help you with long or technical / detailed conversations

• Even if you know the person you are speaking to, keep SCCs professional, clear and concise.

?Issue Date: 1st April 2015

We have had 2 Close Calls reported since the last briefing:

Close Call Reporting


‘An event that had the potential to cause Injury or damage’

Seen it, report it... Call: 07870 842610 Or Hand this to your supervisor, local

office or SQE Department.

ISSLabour

Remember if you see an event which had the potential to cause any damage or injury then this should be reported.

Date Raised

Location DetailsRiskLevel

Comments/Findings Status

01.09.2016 DerbyPeople washing tools in the kitchen

sinkCare

• Sign to be put up in the kitcheninforming not to wash tools in sink

• Review possibility of installing a sink in the warehouse.

CLOSED

OPEN

05.09.2016 Derby

Vans being returned for unloading with F & L equipment having been loaded haphazardly and exceeding

the vehicles weight capacity

CautionReview loading method and vehicle capacity.

OPEN

Close Call Reporting is fundamental to preventing potential accidents and incidents.Let’s Not leave it till it’s too late

Reminder :

There are still incidents occurring in which individuals are not signing in or out when working on site. Not only can this have an effect on payroll, it is a safety issue as it is extremely important to know all individuals who are on site, at any given time in case of an accident or incident.

Please ensure that you sign in & out at the start and end of every shift. No exceptions!

?Issue Date: 1st April 2015


Vehicle Accidents

There have been occasions recently when staff have been involved in a vehicle accident and not informed anyone because there was no visible damage to the vehicle. We only find out when the 3rd party makes a claim against the company.

The Company Vehicle policy specifies:

If you are involved in an accident, regardless of if it may or may not have been your fault and regardless of what damage if any may have been caused, you must report it to the On Call Manager as soon as possible and at the latest within 24 hours of the accident. ISSL may incur penalties if 3rd party accidents are not reported promptly.

Action in the event of an accident:

The first priority in the event of any accident should always be the safety and wellbeing of all of the people involved. Your first action should be to call the emergency services if you think their attendance is required.

If you have any accident of any kind you are required to write down the following information:

Time, date and location of the incident.

Weather and lighting conditions at time of the incident.

Position of all vehicles involved - before and after the incident including their direction of travel at the time.

Make, model and registration number of all vehicles involved.

Damage to all vehicles involved.

Name and address of the driver of each vehicle involved.

Name and address of any witnesses to the incident.

Insurance details of all drivers involved.

Damage to any property – buildings, road signs, street furniture etc.

Name, number and telephone number of attending police officers.

If possible please take photographs of any damage caused to any vehicle or property, or of anything else that you think may be appropriate.

You should not under any circumstances admit any responsibility for the accident

You should give your name, address, company name and insurance details to any other person involved that requests them.

Accidents can happen to anyone at any time; however, driving of a vehicle in an inappropriate manner or with insufficient care or attention significantly increases this likelihood. ISSL will address with individual drivers their behaviour and accident record if it considers this to be inappropriate. If we deem this to be the case we may:

Instruct you to attend an approved driver training course as a condition of you remaining as a driver of ISSL

company vehicles.

Consider if the cause of any accidents is such that the company’s disciplinary procedure needs to be

implemented.

Decide that it is no longer appropriate for you to remain as a driver of ISSL company vehicles.

ISSL reserves the right to recoup from you by way of deduction from your wages, the cost of damage repairs or of our insurance policy excess (in part or in full), should we believe that you’re actions are responsible for the accident


Manual HandlingOver the last year, nearly 25% of ISSL accidents reported involved handling and lifting. These accidents resulted in a broken arm,broken ribs, cut hands, crushed fingers and back injuries. Other potential types of injury resulting in poor manual handlingtechniques are dislocations, amputation, strains, sprains, hernia, muscle stress, muscle tears, work related upper limb disordersand friction burns.

Manual Handling Definition:

The transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving) by hand or by bodily force.

With the type of work we carry out, we are more likely to have these types of injury, however, there are actions we can take to help eliminate injury.

Take a firm grip by using the palms of the hands and roots of fingers

Taking weight on finger tips will create pressure at the end of fingers and could strain muscles and tendons in the arms

A full palm grip will reduce muscle stress to the arms and decrease the possibility of the load slipping

Correct Positioning of Feet

Comfortably apart

One foot positioned in direction of movement

Other foot where it can give maximum thrust to the body

To maintain a good balance, feet should never be too close together

When lifting an object:

Lower the body by bending at the knees Keep your back straight (but not

vertical) Keep load close to body Keep chin in and head back

Straight Back If lifting from ground make

maximum use of legs

Keep back straight but inclined forward

As lift proceeds and the legs are straightened, the back returns to vertical position

Lifting

Positioning of feet and bending of knees are the key factors in maintaining a straight back

Make sure you can see where you are going

Avoid twisting the body – move your feet instead

If you need to change your grip – set the load down – not whilst walking

Setting the Load Down

Use the correct stance for lifting and set the load down gently

Carrying the Load

You will only protect your back and yourself if you use the above techniques when lifting and carrying

Manual handling affects your whole life at home, work or play.

Tandem Lift

When carrying out this type of lift, one person must be nominated to co-ordinate the lift so everyone will lift and set down at the same time.

SAFETY ALERTS FROM AROUND THE INDUSTRY


Babcock Rail:

Falls on Stairway

On 3rd August an employee fell whilst descending the stairway at the Milton Keynes Technical Academy injuring their hip and sustaining a significant blow to the head resulting in concussion. The stairway was in good repair and at this point the investigation into this incident is still underway, however, there are some important general learning points to communicate at this stage when using a stairway. Stairs present significant potential for harm to their users. A fall on stairs often leads to serious injury or even death. In the UK there is a fall on stairs every 90 seconds – HSE.

Lessons learnt:

1. Always hold onto the handrail / question others if they are not. 2. Don’t walk by if you see a hazard. 3. Look where you are going – check the steps for slip hazards. 4. Ensure there is good lighting on stairwells. 5. Regularly inspect stairways for slip or trip hazards. 6. Take one step at a time. 7. Do not rush. 8. Use lids/covers on food or drink items. 9. Consider the suitability of footwear for the environments you work within.

Thales GTS:

SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS

Following a recent incident where a colleague tripped falling onto the rails and sustaining an injury, which resulted in a RIDDOR reportable accident, it is absolutely essential that all staff, contractors and visitors are reminded of the hazards associated with our environment.

BE SAFE, REMEMBER

• Always use designated walkways whenever possible, and do not deviate from them or take shortcuts• Ensure you have suitable personal lighting – head torch and spare batteries• Take care on slopes such as embankments and uneven ballast, particularly in wet or icy conditions• Don’t walk on cables, tracks, sleepers and catch pit covers, instead walk on the ballast• Always walk around points and crossings, never walk through them or place feet or hands between the rails• If you see any hazards e.g. something protruding from the ground

o Inform your SPC/Supervisor and your teamo Warn any other teams in the vicinity so they are aware of this hazardo Report the hazard as soon as practicable to your Line Manager/Team Leader.

DON’T RUSH - LOOK WHERE YOUR ARE WALKING AND MOST OF ALL – STAY SAFE!

SAFETY ALERTS FROM AROUND THE INDUSTRY


Network Rail:

Reducing Risk of Collision within T3 possessions: 5/15mph Brief

In the past, numerous collisions have occurred on Network Rail Infrastructure within T3 possessions. It was found throughinvestigations, that excessive speed was a contributing factor. Currently the rule book states that a speed up to 40mph canbe authorised

As of 1st August, the LNW route has implement the 5mph/15mph limit in worksites/PICOP land respectively. The aspirationis to have these limits introduced into the Rule Book in the December 2016 roll–out but as the current rules dictate aMAXIMUM speed of up to 40 mph (depending on worksite conditions), lowering this maximum speed NOW can only havea positive effect on safety.

When working on the track and you notice a train exceeding the 5/15mph in the worksite/PICOP land, please raise a close call.

Environmental - Pollution


AIR

Road Vehicles:

Road transport accounts for 22% of total UK emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) a major contributor to climate change.

Air pollutants from transport include nitrogen oxides, particles, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. All have a damaging impacton the health of people, animals and vegetation locally. Air quality in the UK is slowly improving, but many areas still fail to meetthe health based national air quality objectives and European limit values – particularly for particles and nitrogen dioxide. In towncentres and alongside busy roads, vehicles are responsible for most local pollution. Vehicles tend to emit more pollution duringthe first few miles of journey when their engines are warming up. Although new technology and cleaner fuel formulations willcontinue to cut emissions of pollutants, the increasing number of vehicles on the road and miles driven is eroding these benefits.

NOISE

Noise from vehicle engines and shouting to each other, especially at night, will disturb the local residents, therefore, to cut downon the noise from cars and vans, please do not over rev the engines and also, make sure that engines are switched off and notleft idling, avoid opening and shutting doors excessively, turn the radio off or down to minimum level and when walking throughthe local streets, please do not shout.

LIGHT

As we approach autumn, and the hours of darkness becoming longer, please make sure that all temporary site lighting ispositioned away from local residents and in such a way that wherever possible, the lights themselves do not pose a nuisance.

If you are working on a site at night where the lighting is not adequate, please raise a close call to the supervisor.

Also, please make sure that when vehicles are parked at night, the headlights are turned off.

LAND

Always position generators on drip trays and have sufficient spill response kits available should a fuel spillage occur.

What can we do to reduce vehicle pollution?

Follow the checklist to make sure you minimise your impact:

• Avoid using cars for short journeys – combine trips or, alternatively, walk, cycle, or take a bus.• Care for your vehicle – check tyre pressure, brakes and fuel consumption – regular servicing helps keep your car efficient and

saves fuel.• Lighten up – roof racks add drag and other unnecessary weight increases fuel consumption.• Drive gently – racing starts and sudden stops increase fuel consumption. Use higher gears when traffic conditions allow.• Steady your speed – at around 50mph, emissions will be lowest, rising dramatically above 70mph.• Switch off when stationary – if stuck in traffic or stopping more than a minute. Idling engines make sitting in jams even more

unpleasant. Do not run the engine unnecessarily – drive off soon after starting (in some areas it may be an offence to leavethe engine running).

• Air conditioning and on board electrical devices increase fuel consumption – only use them when really necessary.• Share your journeys – go shopping with friends or neighbours, take a colleague to work, or join a car share club or liftshare.• Investigate alternatives – If you're looking for a new car there are a number of different technologies and fuels available;

existing cars can also be adapted to give off lower emissions.

We would like your feedback on any safety related issues that may help us improve the business and prevent further accidents and incidents.

We endeavour to minimise all foreseeable risks to you when you are at work. However you see what happens out there on a daily basis far more than we do, and will no doubt have some very valuable ideas or suggestions on how to make our industry a safer place for everyone.

We would like to hear from you but appreciate you may want to remain anonymous. We value your opinion and thus confidentiality will be guaranteed when receiving your comments. You can send us feedback in any of the following ways:

• Send an email to the SQE Team directly [email protected] use the hashtag #Feedback in the subject heading and someone will contact you within 24 hours to acknowledge receipt of your message

• Complete the slip at the bottom of this page and take it into your nearest ISSL depot

• Call or text any of the “On Call” phone numbers listed on the rear of your Authority To Work Card

• Go to any ISSL Depot to talk to a senior member of the team, who will welcome feedback and consider confidentiality at all times

• Speak to any of the senior team when you meet them on-site for briefings or safety related visits.

Feedback

Feedback Slip: Monthly BriefYour name or contact number is optional. The detail is the most important section to complete!

Name: Local Office: Date:

Contact Number: Subject:

Details:


mailto:[email protected]

september 2016 - isslabour.b-cdn.net...lessons learnt: 1. always hold onto the handrail / question...

Documents