This document discusses health and safety procedures for handling materials and equipment in construction. It covers requirements for welfare facilities as defined by the Construction Design and Management regulations (CDM). These include facilities for washing, drinking water, toilets and secure storage. The document also discusses risks from noise, proper lifting techniques to prevent injury, and the importance of only operating lifting equipment if qualified to do so. Manual handling procedures emphasize assessing the task, individual ability, load weight and size, and the work environment.

1. City & Guilds Construction
pProewseenrPtaotiionnt
Unit 201: Health safety and welfare in construction
How to handle materials and equipment safely
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2. City & Guilds Construction
Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:
• Identify requirements for welfare facilities in the workplace as per CDM
• State the health effects of noise and precautions that can be taken
• State the risks associated with drugs, alcohol and medication on site
• Identify the legislation in relation to safe handling of materials and equipment
• State the importance of manual handling
• State the importance of using lifting aids when handling materials and equipment
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3. City & Guilds Construction
Welfare facilities in the workplace
All construction sites must have adequate welfare facilities which must
meet the minimum requirements of Construction design management
(CDM).
The minimum requirements are:
• Hot and cold running water washing facilitates with soap and driers
• Drinking water
• Toilets
• Canteen facilities with chairs and tables and means of boiling water
• Secure locker / storerooms
• Drying rooms
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Welfare facilities in the workplace
Examples of acceptable facilities:
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Noise in the workplace
What is noise ?
Is any sound but especially harsh, loud or disagreeable
How do we measure noise ?
In Decibels
How can noise damage our hearing?
Our hearing is very sensitive, when sound levels are too high or
constant it will slowly damage our hearing
When can noise damage our hearing ?
Constant noise
Loud noise over a period of time
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Noise in the workplace
How can we stop reduce the noise in the workplace ?
• Reduce the noise
• Dampen noise with absorbers and maintain tools
• Isolate the noise
• Use sound barriers, insulation of rooms
• Eliminate the noise
• Use different types of materials and tools
• Control the noise
• Work during quiet hours
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7. City & Guilds Construction
Noise in the workplace
Activity
Which activity has the highest noise level? Put them in order
Use Activity sheet 8 to complete the exercise.
Noise Level 1-6 (1 being loudest)
Carrying out the role of a Joiner
Using portable power tools
Using a pneumatic drill
Using a bench saw
Using portable power tools
Carrying out roles as a bricklayer
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Noise in the workplace
Remember its your health!
Employers should ensure risk assessments are in place and warning
signs are visible where protection should be worn.
The HSE recommend the following safe guidelines:
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Drugs and Alcohol
Excessive drinking and the use of drugs by employees is of serious concern to
employers, given the risk of the employee under-performing, and putting their own
health and safety, and that of others, at risk.
Alcohol-related problems can be detrimental to the individual and the smooth running of
the site, and can also result in waste and inefficiency. However, it is well known that such
problems can be effectively treated.
In groups explain the definitions of the following using Activity sheet 9
• Alcoholic
• Alcoholism
• Drug (or drugs)
• Drug abuse
• Substance abuse.
• Under the influence
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Drugs and Alcohol
It is important to know that alcohol or drugs affect sensory perception
and reaction times.
Construction workers whose work involves driving or the use of hand
tools or machinery should be very careful of their intake of alcohol.
Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offence.
Penalties range from a fine, with or without disqualification, to a term of
imprisonment.
The current legal limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (or 35mg
per 100ml in the breath
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Drugs and Alcohol
Approximate detection times of commonly used drugs when tested for in urine
What is the detection times of the commonly used drugs below?
Drugs Approximate detection time
Methadone 1 day – 1 week
Cocaine 1-4 days
Dihydrocodeine 1-2 days
Heroine detected as Morphine 1-2 days
Lysergide (LSD) 8 hours
Barbiturates 2-10 days
Alcohol 6-10 hours
Cannabis 1 day-5 weeks
Amphetamine 1-2 days
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12. City & Guilds Construction
Safe Handling of Materials And Equipment
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 2002 places the following duties
on employers and employees:
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Safe Handling of Materials And Equipment
Employees duties
1 Employees are responsible for complying with the
safe systems of work enforced by their employer
2 Use the equipment provided by the employer
3 Report hazards encountered
4 Make sure that their activities do not endanger others
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Manual Handling
What is Manual Handling?
The definition of manual handling:
The transportation or movement of a load (including person, animal or
object) from one place to another by lifting, handling, pushing, pulling or
bodily force.
FACTS
• Lifting and moving loads manually is one of the most common
causes of injury at work.
• 56,000 Work Related MSD cases in construction per year
• There is no truly ‘safe’ weight limit for manual handling operations
so try to find alternatives.
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Manual Handling
When you have to manually handle loads consider: TILE
Task - how often, how much twisting or bending is needed?
Individual capability, male or female, old or young, experienced or inexperienced?
Load - how heavy? Good grip? Bulky? Heavier at one end?
Environment - hot, cold, uneven floor, windy, stairs?
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Manual Handling
Kinetic lifting
• The correct posture before lifting
• The correct techniques when lifting
• When lowering a load
you must adopt the
correct posture and
technique
See activity sheet 10 on the
step by step guide to lifting
correctly
The most
common injury
when lifting
incorrectly is
Spinal Injury
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The use of lifting aids when handling materials and
equipment
Lifting Gear
There are numerous items of small lifting equipment available to assist
with handling materials on site and in the workshop. Only use these if
you are qualified to use them.
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Manual Handling
Are you making the best use of lifting and handling aids?
Many materials are delivered to the site on lorries equipped with
mechanical off loaders. Once off-loaded, it is the employer’s
responsibility to move the materials to a safe place until required for
use.
What lifting aids would you use with the following materials ?
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19. City & Guilds Construction
Summary / Recap
• What is CDM ?
• Name one of the minimum requirements of CDM ?
• How do we measure noise ?
• What is manual handling?
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Any questions?
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