Posted By Davelfc
Martin,
I may be wrong, and please correct me if this is so.
You seem to want definitive statue, before you will act on this important problem.
H&S is all our business and morally we should do all we can to assist others. Supply chain and manufacturers are no different.
Whether legally or not we should be providing information on weights of items to give end users at least a fighting chance of assessment for moving loads, and then we plan our lifting.
I work work for a high rise construction company design and build. We signed up to the better backs campaign last year to make a difference for our direct staff supply chain and sub contractors.
I have insisted our buying department find out the weights of all items over 20Kg, from manufacturers and suppliers, we don't always get it right but the will is there, throughout our organisation backed from the top, and checked by me.
I then insist that these items are labelled so if anyone does have to lift they know what they are lifting, with the weights and listed in our Construction Phase Plan from info supplied by buying, if we find anything them turns up that is not listed we update. we conduct and assessment on each of these items and mechanically lift where practical to the nearest part of the job for storage and onward handling to final position.
Mots items a mechanically lifted, by FLT then Hoist and other mechanical lift equipment.
We have spent time and correspondence training and briefings and review, this is just one of our man initiatives to strive to look after others health.
I have not always been H&S so know how it feels to be abused by having to lift for a living, heavier weights than I ought to have. I was lucky I have been very well trained in lifting techniques, and in my forties still have a very strong back. Some people are not so lucky!
Think about what happens when your window comes of the production line and how many people lift that window before it arrives fitted and for use.
I watched in horror just a few weeks ago after all the controls we have in place a chap lifting a double glazed unit up 7 floors by hand. he was a young lad the same age as my son, just doing his job, I asked him why he was hand balling the glazed unit when there was hoist near by? he replied the Hoist was being maintained and was out of use for at least an hour. The weight was on the window it was 32Kg I asked him politely to put the unit down while we discussed why he hadn't waited fro the hoist and what prompted him to carry he said my foreman told me with two other guys to carry them up from the unloading area, I walked the route with him to the unloading area which was further away than you would expect on the way we picked up his other two operatives who again rested their loads and went back to the wagon, there where 60 plus windows 3 men they where actually going to the 10th 11th and 12th floors, I found the supervisor at the loading area having a smoke.
I asked him to come with me we retraced our steps with his team, asked him to carry the three windows in succession he decided they would go to the 10th floor being a bright lad when he had lifted the last one the 3rd he needed a break he had had enough and in a red face apologised to his lads, on site there was forklift telehandler to take equipment from the wagon to the hoist, motorised trolleys for the remainder of the journey.
I digress the moral don't have others lift what you are not prepared to yourself, supply information and we will use you in the future fail to supply info and my form won't use you if my buyers or I find you don't supply information.
Wake up and smell the coffee, it doesn't need to be the law for you to be a nice chap and how long does it take to put a label on something.
One day you will fall foul and lose business for not doing the right thing. If you are not already
When I visit sites on my inspections after i have had a chat with the management and check the welfare facilities, I head straight for our loading and unloading areas and check materials for weight labels. If I ever find your windows in my loading area unlabelled, my company won't be using you there you go you are back at the top of the forum again
Remember the old saying H&S is everyone's business, call me old fashioned.
Dave