| Working at height: fall from the scaffold (edges, bay gaps, ladder access bays, work above the first lift) | The four operatives, from falls that could cause fatal or life-changing injury | Independent tied scaffold erected by a competent scaffold contractor with guardrails, mid rails, toe boards and ladder bays. Handover certificate and inspection tag. IPAF and CSCS carded operatives. | 3×5=15 | Avoid work at height where possible by pre-assembling panel sets and doing cutting at ground level. Check the scaffold handover certificate and the weekly inspection before the first shift and after high winds. Keep all guardrails and toe boards in place. If a guardrail has to be removed to fit cladding, the scaffold contractor agrees a safe method first, and it is put back straight away. Keep boards clear and loading within the scaffold's rated class. Never climb on guardrails or brackets. Stop work if the scaffold is damaged, a tie is missing or boards are loose. Work to the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Safety footwear and gloves worn as the last line of defence. | Medium |
| MEWP use for restricted elevations: overturning, entrapment against the structure, ejection from the platform, collision, failure of the ground | The MEWP operative and anyone working at ground level or in the path of the machine | IPAF 3a/3b trained operatives and a MEWP permit to work. | 3×5=15 | Only trained and authorised operatives use the MEWP, with the supplier's familiarisation done before first use. Do the daily pre-use check and record it. Confirm the ground is firm and level and there are no voids or drains within the working area. Check the wind speed limit in the manufacturer's manual before use. Keep the MEWP away from overhead obstructions and use a ground person with a rescue plan and a means of emergency lowering. Keep all others out of the working radius. Operate in line with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and PUWER 1998. Harness with a short lanyard clipped to the anchor point as a restraint. | Medium |
| Scaffold ties and components interfering with the cladding fixing positions, so ties get removed or altered | Operatives on the scaffold and anyone below if the scaffold fails | Scaffold supplied and inspected by others. Handover certificate. | 3×5=15 | Plan tie positions with the scaffold contractor before starting so cladding can be fixed around them. Never remove, loosen or move a tie, brace or guardrail. If a tie must move, ask the scaffold contractor to move it and re-inspect before work resumes. Report any scaffold damage to R. Osei straight away, and do not use that bay until it is fixed. Do not store or stack materials on the scaffold above its loading class. Display a scaffold tag on the base and check it is current. | Medium |
| Falling objects: tools, fixings, panels, offcuts and render dropping from the scaffold, MEWP or hoist | Operatives, other trades, visitors and members of the public below, who could suffer head and other serious injuries | Toe boards on the scaffold. Exclusion zone planned. | 3×4=12 | Set a controlled exclusion zone under all work areas with barriers and signs. Keep it clear of other trades while work is overhead. Use tool lanyards, buckets and a tidy deck. Do not stack loose materials near the edge. Use brick guards or debris netting where the scaffold edge is above a walkway or access route. Lift materials by hoist or gin wheel only, with the area below cleared. Report any dropped item at once. Hard hats worn by all, as a last line of defence. | Low |
| Public and other trades nearby: pedestrians, vehicles, deliveries and other contractors on the business park entering the work zone or the MEWP path | Members of the public, visitors to the units, Kestrel Construction staff, other trades and delivery drivers, who could be struck by objects, vehicles or the MEWP | Principal Contractor site rules and site induction. | 3×4=12 | Agree the exclusion zone and the pedestrian and vehicle routes with Kestrel Construction at the pre-start walk. Use fixed barriers, signs and a banksman at access gaps while overhead work or MEWP movement is going on. Schedule deliveries at quiet times, away from the work area. Brief other trades on the exclusion zone and the dust and noise they may notice. Do not leave the MEWP or any tool unattended outside the zone. Contractors in the zone wear hi-vis and hard hats. | Low |
| Manual handling of cladding panels, carrier rails, insulation, carrier board, render bags and tools | Operatives, from back, shoulder and hand injuries, and from dropping loads on others | Two-person lifts for long or heavy items. Manufacturer system training. | 4×3=12 | Eliminate carrying where possible by using the hoist or gin wheel, trolleys and the MEWP to move materials up. Order panels and render in manageable sizes and pack weights. Store materials close to the work area. Use two-person lifts for panels and long rails, and mechanical aids for loads above the safe lifting weight. Plan lifts to Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, with rotation of tasks to avoid repeated reaching and lifting above shoulder height. Gloves worn for grip and protection. | Medium |
| Lifting with the hoist or gin wheel: overload, failure of rope or fixing, load swinging, loads dropped or trapping hands | The operative lifting, others below and anyone near the landing point | Hoist or gin wheel supplied and checked before use. Trained operatives. | 2×5=10 | Check the safe working load, thorough examination certificate and fixing before each shift. Fix the gin wheel to a bracket designed for the load, never to a scaffold guardrail unless the scaffold contractor agrees in writing. Keep the landing and the area below clear. Use a tag line, a banksman and tidy rope. Never lift people. Operate in line with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). Gloves and hard hats worn. | Medium |
| Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust from drilling fixings and cutting or chasing masonry, block, concrete, mortar, render or carrier board | The operatives doing the work and anyone nearby, such as other trades or the public, breathing the dust. Long-term exposure can cause silicosis, lung cancer and other lung disease | Circular saw with dust extraction. Cordless drills. | 4×4=16 | Plan the work to reduce cutting and drilling by using pre-cut panels, set fixing positions and the manufacturer's system. Fit on-tool extraction (M-class or H-class vacuum) or use water suppression on every drill, chaser and saw used on these materials. Keep others away from the dust while work is going on and clean up with an H-class or M-class vacuum, never dry sweeping or compressed air. Work to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 and HSE Construction Information Sheet CIS36 Construction dust. The workplace exposure limit for RCS is 0.1 mg/m3 (8-hour TWA) in HSE EH40/2005. Respiratory protective equipment with an assigned protection factor of at least 20 (FFP3 disposable or equivalent), face-fit tested and worn clean shaven, as the last line of defence. | Medium |
| Disturbing unidentified asbestos-containing materials when drilling into, cutting or removing existing walls, soffits, textured coatings or boxing (building age to be confirmed) | Operatives, other trades, building users and the public, from asbestos fibres that can cause serious lung disease years later | Principal Contractor site induction and any asbestos information held by the client. | 2×5=10 | Before any drilling or removal, R. Osei checks the client's asbestos register or management survey for each elevation and the fixing zones. If the register does not cover the area, a refurbishment and demolition survey of that area is needed first. This is the check required by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Regulation 5, identifying asbestos before work). Do not start until the check is signed off. Stop-work rule: if suspect material is found, stop, keep people away, and report it to R. Osei and Kestrel Construction before work carries on. Do not try to sample or clean it up. Brief all operatives on this stop-work rule at the start of the job. | Medium |
| Irritant dust and fibres from mineral wool insulation, carrier board and render cutting | Operatives, causing skin, eye and throat irritation, and others nearby who may breathe the dust | Circular saw with dust extraction. Manufacturer system training. | 4×2=8 | Use pre-cut insulation and board sizes where possible, and cut with on-tool extraction in a defined cutting area. Do not cut in the wind where the dust blows onto others. Keep the product in its packaging until it is used and bag the offcuts. Vacuum up with an M-class or H-class vacuum, never brush or blow. Wash hands and face before eating. Long sleeves, gloves, goggles and a dust mask as the last line of defence. Follow the product Safety Data Sheets and COSHH 2002. | Low |
| Wet cement-based basecoat and topcoat render: skin burns, dermatitis, eye splashes | Operatives mixing and applying render, with the risk of chemical burns and long-term skin disease | Welfare with washing facilities. Manufacturer system training. | 3×3=9 | Use ready-mixed or pre-bagged products where possible to cut mixing and dust. Mix in a designated area with an eye wash and clean water. Do not let render sit on skin. Wash off at once and use barrier cream if specified in the Safety Data Sheet. Check the skin of the hands and forearms for early signs of dermatitis and report it. Gauntlet gloves, waterproof sleeves, goggles and wellington boots to the specification in the Safety Data Sheet, as the last line of defence. Work to COSHH 2002. | Low |
| Noise and hand-arm vibration from cordless drills, circular saw and hammer action drilling | Operatives, from hearing damage and vibration white finger, and others nearby from noise | Cordless drills with cordless power. Tools in good order. | 4×3=12 | Choose low-vibration and low-noise tools and keep them maintained, with sharp bits and blades. Limit time on the highest vibration tasks and rotate operatives. Use anvil or rotary action rather than percussion drilling where the substrate allows. Warn others nearby of noisy work and ask Kestrel Construction to agree the times. Track trigger times against the exposure action values in the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Hearing protection to BS EN 352 worn where noise is high, as a last line of defence. Report numbness or tingling in the hands. | Medium |
| Circular saw and sharp aluminium cladding edges: cuts, kickback, blade contact, flying fragments | Operatives using the saw and handling panels, rails and brackets, and others nearby | Circular saw with dust extraction and guard. Trained operatives. | 3×4=12 | Use a designated cutting station with a stable bench or clamps. Keep guards fitted and use the correct blade for the material. Deburr and file edges after cutting before fixing. Disconnect or remove the battery when changing blades. Keep the cutting area tidy and away from walkways. Use tools in line with PUWER 1998. Cut-resistant gloves, safety glasses and safety footwear as a back-up. | Low |
| Weather and wind: high wind catching panels and sheeting like a sail, rain and cold making surfaces slippery, render drying or washing out, sun and heat | Operatives on the scaffold and MEWP, and people below, from falls, loss of control of loads or impact | Forecast checked on the day. Principal Contractor weather rules. | 4×4=16 | Check the forecast the day before and each morning. Stop work at height and lay panels flat when the wind exceeds the limit in the MEWP manual or the scaffold sheeting design, or when it is too strong to hold panels safely. Do not use the MEWP in high wind, and park it safely. Secure stored panels. Do not apply render in rain, frost or strong sun unless the manufacturer allows it. Use the drying room and take breaks in cold and wet weather. Wear waterproofs and warm layers as last line of defence. | Medium |
| Electricity from temporary supplies, extension leads, battery chargers and 110V tools used outside in wet weather | Operatives, from electric shock, burns or fire | Cordless tools used where possible. Tools checked before use. | 2×4=8 | Use battery tools where possible to avoid mains leads. For any mains supply use 110V centre-tapped earth supplies with a transformer and RCD protection, kept off the ground and away from water. Check cables and plugs by visual inspection before use and keep up-to-date PAT labels. Charge batteries in a dry, ventilated area, not on the scaffold. Do not use damaged equipment, and tag it out. Work in line with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Rubber-soled footwear and insulated gloves where specified. | Low |
| Slips, trips and housekeeping: offcuts, packaging, cables, wet render and rain on scaffold boards and at ground level | Operatives and others, from falls on the same level and falls from the scaffold | Tidy working practice. Site waste area. | 4×2=8 | Set up waste bins and tidy as you go, with a clean-down at the end of every shift. Keep boards, stairs and ladder bays clear. Route cables away from walkways and use hooks. Clean up spilled render straight away. Keep the ground-level exclusion zone free of clutter. Use anti-slip footwear as a last line of defence. | Low |