| Falls from height: leaning ladder used to reach external window frames | Operatives using the ladder, with the risk of fractures, head injury or death from a fall or the ladder slipping | Operatives trained, ladder in good condition, tower available for longer tasks | 3×5=15 | Use the mobile tower for any sustained work. Use the ladder only for short-duration light tasks (Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 6): check it before use, set at 1 in 4 on firm level ground, tie at the top and both stiles, or footed by a second operative if it cannot be tied. Keep three points of contact, no overreaching, no carrying paint pots up (use a hook or bucket on a line). Permit to work for external work at height completed before use. Safety footwear with good grip as a last line of defence. | Medium |
| Mobile access tower collapse, overturning or fall from the platform when redecorating external window frames | Operatives on the tower and anyone below or beside it, with the risk of serious injury or death | PASMA-trained operatives, manufacturer's guide | 3×5=15 | Check the ground and level before erecting. Erect to the manufacturer's instructions in the PASMA method with outriggers or stabilisers fully extended, castors locked and braked, full guardrails, mid-rails and toe boards, platform fully boarded and a safe internal access ladder. Never move with people or materials on it. Inspect before first use, after any move, and after weather that could affect it, and keep a record, in line with the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Stop work above the manufacturer's stated wind limit. Do not use the tower where it may be struck by vehicles unless protected by barriers. | Medium |
| Falling tools, materials and paint onto people below the external work | Members of the public, office staff and other trades passing below, with the risk of head injury or bruising from falling objects | Cordoned pavement and car park area | 3×4=12 | Keep the cordon wide enough for the working height and keep it in place whenever work is overhead. Fit toe boards, use a tool tray, tethers and lanyards on tools, and use a hoist line for materials. No throwing items. Nobody enters the cordon unless authorised. Hard hats worn by anyone in the cordon or at the base of the tower as a last line of defence (BS EN 397). | Low |
| Public nearby: pedestrians and vehicles using the pavement and car park around the external work | Members of the public, visitors and drivers; operatives at the tower base, with the risk of being struck by vehicles or tripping over equipment | Cordon on the pavement and car park area | 3×5=15 | Set up barriers, signage and a clear, safe pedestrian route past the work, away from vehicle routes. Agree with the client which car park bays are closed and how vehicles are managed. Confirm who gives permission before any public footway is obstructed. Check the cordon at the start of each shift and after any wind or vehicle movement. Position the tower and equipment away from vehicle routes, and use a second person to watch the cordon while moving equipment. Hi-vis clothing worn as a last line of defence (BS EN ISO 20471). | Medium |
| Occupied site: staff, visitors, cleaners and other trades in the offices working near the decorating | Office staff, visitors, cleaners, other trades and FM contractors, from dust, vapours, wet surfaces, trailing cables, ladders and equipment | Area handover with the client, work in occupied offices by arrangement | 3×3=9 | Work in agreed rooms and zones one at a time, with signed handover and hand back. Segregate each work area with barriers, closed doors and signs. Agree out-of-hours working for solvent-based and two-pack coatings. Keep corridors, stairs and fire exits clear at all times. Wet paint signs where needed. Brief client staff on the day. Keep all materials locked away when not in use. No unauthorised people in work areas. Daily liaison with the client. | Medium |
| Disturbing asbestos-containing materials (asbestos likely present): sanding, scraping or making good existing walls, ceilings, boxing, textured coatings or window panels | Operatives, office staff and visitors, from breathing in asbestos fibres, which can cause fatal lung disease long after exposure | Operatives have asbestos awareness training | 2×5=10 | Treat asbestos as likely present. Check the client's asbestos register or management survey for each work area before starting, as required by Regulation 5 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. If the register does not cover an area where fabric will be disturbed, a refurbishment and demolition survey of that area is needed first. Operatives do not drill, cut, scrape or sand any material the register does not clear. Stop-work rule: if any suspect material is found or damaged, stop, keep people away, close the area, report to the supervisor and client, and do not restart until cleared in writing. Keep asbestos awareness training in date. | Medium |
| Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust | The operatives doing the work and anyone nearby breathing the dust, with the risk of silicosis, lung cancer and other long-term lung disease | Sanders with on-tool extraction | 3×4=12 | Plan the work to reduce sanding and any cutting or drilling of plaster, render, masonry or cement-based filler, for example by washing down and scraping rather than sanding. Use on-tool extraction (M-class or H-class vacuum) or water suppression on every sander or other tool used on these materials. Keep others away and clean up with an H-class or M-class vacuum, never dry sweeping or compressed air. Then RPE with an assigned protection factor of at least 20 (FFP3 disposable or equivalent), face-fit tested and worn clean shaven. Comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 and HSE Construction Information Sheet CIS36 'Construction dust'. The RCS workplace exposure limit of 0.1 mg/m3 (8-hour TWA) is in HSE EH40/2005. | Medium |
| Solvent vapours from solvent-based gloss, eggshell, primers and white spirit | Operatives and office occupants, from headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and irritation to the nose, throat and eyes | Ventilation of rooms, products kept with lids on | 3×3=9 | Under COSHH 2002, first see if water-based products can be used instead. Limit quantities taken into each room, open windows and use mechanical ventilation where possible, close off the work area, and apply solvent-based products out of hours where the client agrees. Keep lids on, clean brushes in a ventilated space. Allow ventilation time before staff return. Check section 2 and 8 of each Safety Data Sheet for the hazards and PPE. RPE to the Safety Data Sheet specification as a last line of defence. | Medium |
| Isocyanate-containing two-pack coatings: breathing in vapour or mist | Operatives applying the coating, and anyone who enters the area afterwards, with the risk of occupational asthma and other respiratory sensitisation, which is serious and can be permanent | Training and competence of operatives | 3×4=12 | Under COSHH 2002, ask the client if an isocyanate-free or water-based alternative can be used. If they cannot, only trained operatives mix and apply, by brush or roller only, with no spraying. Do the work in a segregated room, out of hours, with ventilation or extraction, and nobody else present. No re-entry until the clearance time in the Safety Data Sheet. Health surveillance for respiratory health for anyone who works with isocyanates, arranged through an occupational health provider. RPE and gloves to the Safety Data Sheet specification, face-fit tested, as a last line of defence. | Medium |
| Skin and eye contact with paints, primers, fillers and thinners | Operatives, from dermatitis, skin irritation, and splashes to the eyes, especially when painting ceilings | Gloves and glasses available | 3×2=6 | Use low-splash rollers and brush for cutting in, keep lids on, decant away from other people, and use a pole or extension for ceilings. Provide an eyewash station and handwashing with soap and water. No solvent to be used to clean skin. Check Safety Data Sheets for hazards. Nitrile gloves to BS EN ISO 374 and safety glasses to BS EN 166 as a last line of defence. | Low |
| Dust from sanding old paint, including possible lead-based paint where the building age is not confirmed | Operatives and others in the building, who may breathe in or swallow dust containing lead, with the risk of long-term harm to health | Sanders with on-tool extraction | 2×4=8 | Confirm the building age and ask the client if any lead paint is known. Where doubt remains, use a lead test kit before sanding. Prefer wet methods or chemical stripping to dry sanding, and always use on-tool extraction. Segregate the area and clean up with an H-class or M-class vacuum and damp wipes. Apply COSHH 2002, and the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 if lead paint is confirmed. Disposable overalls (Type 5) and FFP3 RPE as a last line of defence. No eating, drinking or smoking in the work area. | Low |
| Fire from flammable solvent-based products, white spirit and solvent-soaked rags in an occupied building | Operatives, office staff, visitors and other trades, with the risk of burns, smoke inhalation and death | Client fire alarm, evacuation routes and extinguishers | 2×5=10 | Under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, keep only the day's quantity in the work area. Keep containers closed, store overnight in a locked, ventilated metal store agreed with the client, and put used rags in a lidded metal bin that is removed from the building daily. No ignition sources, no smoking, no hot works. Keep escape routes, fire doors and alarm points clear. Check the fire alarm and the evacuation routes at the handover. Fit-for-purpose extinguisher in the work area. | Medium |
| Slips, trips and falls from dust sheets, trailing cables, wet floors, stairs and tools | Operatives, office staff and visitors, from sprains, fractures and bruises | Dust sheets and housekeeping | 3×3=9 | Use non-slip or taped-down dust sheets, route cables overhead or along the wall and cover them where they cross routes, and keep stairs, corridors and exits clear. Wet paint signs and warning cones on wet floors. Tidy at the end of each shift. Keep the stairwell free of stored materials. Slip-resistant safety footwear as a last line of defence (BS EN ISO 20345). | Low |
| Manual handling of paint tins, tower components, ladder and equipment | Operatives, from back, shoulder and arm injuries | Operatives trained | 3×3=9 | Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, avoid lifting where possible: order smaller containers, use trolleys, decant at the point of use, and use two people for tower parts and long ladders. Plan routes and use lifts where available. Keep loads close to the body, with rest breaks and rotation of tasks. Gloves with good grip as a last line of defence. | Low |
| Electric shock or fire from sanders, extractors, leads and sockets in the offices | Operatives and office staff, from electric shock, burns and fire | Tools PAT tested | 2×5=10 | Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and PUWER 1998, use 110V tools or 230V tools through an RCD, check that tools and leads are in date for testing and undamaged before every use, route leads out of walkways, and keep leads away from wet areas. Do not paint over or around live fittings unless the client confirms they are isolated or protected. No repairs to electrical equipment by operatives. Faulty equipment is tagged and removed from use. | Medium |
| Noise and hand-arm vibration from sanders and extraction units | Operatives and office staff nearby, from annoyance, hearing damage and vibration-related injury with frequent use | Sanders with on-tool extraction, short use in each area | 2×2=4 | Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, schedule noisy sanding away from occupied rooms where possible, rotate tasks to limit time on tools, and use well-maintained tools. Check the tool's noise level and vibration level from its handbook. Hearing protection to BS EN 352 if the noise level makes it necessary. | Low |
| Weather during external work on the tower and ladder: wind, rain and cold | Operatives on the tower or ladder and people below, from slips, loss of balance and falling objects | Permit to work for external work at height | 3×4=12 | Check the forecast before each shift and stop external work if wind, rain, ice or poor light make the work unsafe, or if the tower's wind limit is reached. Do not paint in wet or damp conditions. Re-inspect the tower after storms. Plan external frames for the best weather days and reschedule internal work if needed. Warm and waterproof clothing as a last line of defence. | Low |
| Working at height inside: ceilings and stairwell walls reached from steps or low-level platforms | Operatives, from falls from steps, platforms or stairs, with the risk of fractures and head injury | Operatives trained, tower available | 3×4=12 | Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, use a podium, hop-up or low-level platform for ceilings in preference to stepladders. Use the mobile tower with guardrails in the stairwell where the height needs it, not a ladder. Keep the base clear of people and furniture, keep floors clean and dry and work with the area closed off. Use stepladders only for light, short tasks. Check equipment before each use. Slip-resistant footwear as a last line of defence. | Medium |