| Fall from height from the mobile access tower and working platform while laying brick and block up to first-floor level | Bricklayers and labourers working on the tower or platform, who could suffer serious head, spinal or fatal injuries | PASMA-trained operatives, proprietary tower and platform | 3×5=15 | Avoid work at height where possible by building the lower lifts from ground level. Erect and use the tower strictly to the manufacturer's assembly guide with full guardrails, toe boards, braces and a fully boarded platform, and only on firm level ground. Fit stabilisers or outriggers and lock castors before use. A competent person inspects the tower before first use, after any change or adverse weather, and at least weekly, and records it as required by the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Access only by the internal ladder or stair, no climbing the frame, no leaning out, no stepping onto the wall or using stepladders or bricks to gain extra height. Keep the platform clear of excess materials. Safety footwear with good grip as the last line of defence. | Medium |
| Tower instability or overturning due to soft or uneven ground, wind, overloading or moving the tower with people or materials on it | Operatives on the tower, occupants and others near the base, who could be struck or crushed | PASMA-trained erectors, manufacturer's guide | 3×5=15 | Check the ground where the tower will stand and put down spreader boards on soft or uneven surfaces. Keep to the permitted height-to-base ratio, tie or ballast as the manufacturer says, and fit all outriggers. Set a safe working load for the platform and brief it to all operatives, with no stockpiling on the platform. Never move the tower with people or materials on it. Stop work and clear the tower in high or gusty wind, and tie the tower to the structure if the manual allows. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply. | Medium |
| Falling bricks, blocks, tools, mortar and debris from the platform or wall, striking people below | Operatives and occupants, including children, in the garden or passing the work area, who could suffer head and other injuries | Platform toe boards | 3×4=12 | Keep the exclusion zone fenced beneath and around the tower so nobody can walk under it. Keep the toe boards in place and do not stack materials above their height. Tether or bag tools, pass materials up by hand or hoist rather than throwing, and clear the platform at every break and end of the day. Schedule overhead work when the occupants are not near the work area. Safety helmets worn by those in the work area as backup. | Medium |
| Occupied site: the household, visitors, children, pets and delivery drivers moving around the work area, rear garden and side gate access route | Mr & Mrs Ellison, any children or vulnerable relatives, visitors and delivery drivers, who could be struck by materials, trip over tools or hoses or enter the work area | Side gate access, occupants' routes kept clear | 3×4=12 | Fence off the whole work area with robust fencing and signs, and lock the side gate when no one is on site. Agree with Mr & Mrs Ellison a separate safe route for any access to the garden, shed or house, and brief them at the pre-start walk. Keep tools, cables and chemicals out of reach of children and pets at all times, and never leave the work area unattended without the fencing intact. Do not allow occupants into the work area, and stop work if anyone enters it. Keep noise and dust away from windows and doors by positioning the mixer and saw well clear of them. | Medium |
| Manual handling of bricks, blocks, mortar boards, cement and sand bags, and insulation, including lifting up to the platform | All operatives, from back, shoulder, hand and arm strain and musculoskeletal injury | Experienced bricklayers | 4×3=12 | Plan the work to reduce lifting: use lighter blocks where the specification allows, have material delivered close to the work area, and use a hoist or wheelbarrow rather than carrying where practical. Keep loads at a weight each operative can lift safely under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, use mechanical handling for heavy dense blocks rather than relying on two-person lifts, and keep materials at waist height on stands or boards. Rotate tasks between operatives, take regular breaks and stack materials to avoid stooping. Report aches early. Gloves for grip as backup. | Medium |
| Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust from cutting bricks, blocks and mortar, mixing sand and cement, and any drilling or fixing into existing masonry | Operatives doing the work and anyone nearby, including the household, breathing the dust, risking long-term lung disease such as silicosis, lung cancer and COPD | Water-fed saw available | 4×4=16 | Plan the work to reduce cutting and drilling, for example by using whole bricks and blocks and planning coursing. Use the water-fed saw on every cut and keep the water on, and fit on-tool extraction (M-class or H-class vacuum) or water suppression on any drill, chaser or other saw used on masonry. Cut outdoors in the designated area, away from windows and doors, and keep others away while cutting. Clean up with an H-class or M-class vacuum, never dry sweeping or compressed air. Wet down dry cement and sand spills. Then RPE with an assigned protection factor of at least 20 (FFP3 disposable or equivalent), face-fit tested and worn clean shaven. This follows the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 and HSE Construction Information Sheet CIS36 'Construction dust'. The RCS workplace exposure limit is 0.1 mg/m3 (8-hour TWA) in HSE EH40/2005. | Medium |
| Wet cement and mortar contacting skin and eyes, and dry cement dust | Bricklayers and labourers, who could suffer chemical burns, dermatitis and eye injury | Gloves and washing facilities | 3×3=9 | Use pre-bagged or ready-mixed mortar where practical to cut dust and handling. Mix with water first and add cement gently to keep dust down, and keep the mixing area away from the household. Keep a wash station with clean water and an eye wash bottle at the mixing point, wash skin promptly after contact and at breaks, and use barrier cream. Provide skin checks, and report any redness or soreness early. Follow COSHH 2002 and the supplier's Safety Data Sheet. Nitrile-coated or waterproof gauntlet gloves, long sleeves, eye protection and waterproof boots as backup. | Low |
| Noise from the water-fed saw, cement mixer and hand tools | Operatives and the household, who could suffer hearing damage or distress | None specific | 3×3=9 | Choose the quietest suitable equipment and keep it maintained, locate the mixer and saw as far from the house and neighbours as practical, and limit the time of use. Limit noisy tasks to normal working hours and agree the times with Mr & Mrs Ellison. Rotate operatives on noisy tasks. Assess noise levels against the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 action values, and provide hearing protection where the saw is used, to a suitable BS EN 352 specification. | Low |
| Contact with the saw blade and cement mixer moving parts, and electric shock from the power supply, cables and water used near electrical equipment | Operatives using the equipment, and anyone nearby, who could be cut, entangled, electrocuted or burned | Trained operatives | 3×5=15 | Use equipment that is in good order, fitted with guards, and used only by trained operatives under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. Use 110V equipment through a transformer and RCD, or battery tools where possible. Check cables and plugs before use, route cables off the ground and away from water, and keep connections out of wet areas. Isolate the power before clearing blockages or changing blades and keep guards in place. Stop and report damaged equipment. Follow the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Eye protection and gloves suitable for the task as backup. | Medium |
| Slips, trips and falls at ground level from mortar, water, loose bricks, cables, hoses and uneven ground in the rear garden | Operatives and occupants, who could suffer sprains, fractures and cuts | Operatives' good housekeeping | 4×3=12 | Plan storage so materials and equipment have set areas away from walkways. Lay boards or hardcore over soft or muddy ground, keep the side gate route clear, and keep cables and hoses lifted or in covers. Clear debris and mortar droppings regularly and at the end of each day, and control water from the saw so it does not pool. Maintain adequate lighting. Safety boots with good grip as backup. | Low |
| Freshly built wall collapsing or being blown over in wind, or being struck by materials or the tower before the mortar has gained strength | Operatives, the household and others close to the wall, who could be struck or crushed | Experienced bricklayers | 2×5=10 | Limit the height of each day's lift to what the supervisor judges safe for the wall length, wind exposure and mortar strength, and do not build faster than the mortar sets. Brace or prop unrestrained wall ends and tall freestanding sections, and cover the top of the wall at the end of each day and in rain. Keep people outside the fall zone of the wall in high wind and do not stack materials against fresh work. Stop work in strong gusts. Safety helmets and boots as backup. | Medium |
| Disturbing unidentified asbestos-containing materials when the new wall is tied, toothed or fixed into the existing house, or when existing walls, soffits or textured coatings are drilled, cut or chased | Operatives, the household and anyone nearby, who could breathe in fibres and develop serious lung disease later | None until the check is made | 2×5=10 | Before work starts, check the client's asbestos register or management survey for the work area, as required by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Regulation 5, identifying asbestos before work). If the building was built before 2000 or its age is not confirmed, and the register does not cover the area, a refurbishment and demolition survey of that area is needed first. Brief all operatives. Stop-work rule: if suspect material is found, stop, keep people away, do not disturb it, and report it to the supervisor and Mr & Mrs Ellison before work carries on. This is a check to be made, not a finding that asbestos is present. | Medium |
| Cuts, abrasions and eye injuries from bricks, blocks, wall ties, trowels, cut edges, and flying fragments from cutting and bolstering | Operatives, who could suffer hand cuts, lacerations and eye injuries | Gloves and eye protection | 3×3=9 | Keep tools sharp, in good condition and stored safely, and cut with the water-fed saw instead of a hammer and bolster where possible. Position wall ties and offcuts so they do not stick out, keep waste in a skip or bag and clear it often, and make sure no one works below while others cut or trim. Cut-resistant gloves (BS EN 388) and safety glasses or goggles (BS EN 166) as backup. | Low |
| Adverse weather: wind, rain, cold, heat and strong sun while working on the tower and in the garden | Operatives, who could suffer slips, falls from the platform, cold or heat stress and sunburn | Operatives monitor conditions | 3×3=9 | Check the forecast daily and plan the work so exposed tower work happens in calmer weather. Stop tower work in high or gusty wind or lightning, rain that makes the platform slippery, or when visibility is poor. Cover the wall and materials overnight. Provide drinking water and shade, schedule breaks in heat and cold, and use sunscreen. Weatherproof and warm clothing as backup. | Low |
| Deliveries and unloading of bricks, blocks, sand and cement, including vehicle movements near the house and the occupants' routes | Operatives, the household, drivers and passers-by, who could be struck by vehicles or loads or suffer crush injuries | Delivery arranged in advance | 2×4=8 | Agree delivery times and the drop-off point at the pre-start walk, keep the household clear during unloading, and use a trained banksman for reversing. Do not stack pallets higher than the stable height, keep them level and out of walkways. If a lorry-mounted crane is used, the supplier's lifting operation must comply with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998, and nobody stands under the load. Hi-vis clothing and safety boots as backup. | Low |