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Posted By EdwinaTS
I feel that construction workers are often exposing themselves to risks which are uneccessary and avoidable through passive acceptance, ignorance or lacking in motivation, so they are not vocal about it.
Therefore, I am eager to raise an issue to people who can do something about it - in relation to ever bigger brick sizes which I believe would create an army of fit brick layers into crippled pensioners.
During the high unemployment period of the Thatcher error, I started noticing one graduate who was exavating in a road dig was wearing an ear defender - wow, I thought at the time, at last someone is getting sensible about his own health!
Typically, when I pointed out a health or safety problem to a worker, I get mild appreciation of my concern, but the person concerned is totally accepting of the working condition without the slightess acknowledgement that something should be changed.
I visited a site building a medical center 2 years ago, and talked to a brick layer who was laying gigantic concrete blocks, and learnt that they are getting bigger & bigger over the years. Back problem is a serious problem for brick layers, and the guy fully accepted that the problem is the size of the bricks. Some brick layers wear boxer belts, but I've never seen one who does.
Today, the brick layer building my wall is down with a bad back because, I believe it is because of the brick size my contractor is using.
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So, can someone enlighten me about the issue of brick size and bad backs?
- Is there general agreement that large bricks are causing bad backs?
- Is this already recognised as an important issue in professional institutions?
- To whom and how should I raise the issue?
- To attract more female extrants into construction, clearly, the size of bricks and other components would be an issue. Again, to whom should I raise the issue?
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Posted By jayjay
Edwina,
Have you an email address ?
Regards, JJ
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Posted By Kevin Brown
Thatcher error? Not what they called it at Orgreave in the 80s. Nonetheless, thanks for the (unintended) giggle.
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Posted By Kevin Brown
A good indication of the likely impact of increasing the size of blocks would be the Manual Handling Operations Regs 1992. Bearing in mind the repetitive nature of the task and the risk assessment filter guidelines in the Regs the likely consequences should be predictable. For instance, the guidance suggests that the maximum weight that a male should lift to shoulder height with arms extended is 5 kg. If the activity is repeated once or twice a minute, the maximum weight should be reduced by 30%. Five to eight times a minute should see a 50% reduction in weight, and more than twelve times a minute by 80%. For a female the starting point is 3 kg instead of 5. Depending on your findings, you could make a case against working with larger blocks on H & S grounds, or that they discriminated against female workers. It would be hard to argue that any ill effects suffered were unforeseeable, but in a lot of cases managers are undoubtedly suffering from the Nelson touch.
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Posted By jayjay
Take it thats a no to the email address then !!
Regards, JJ
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Posted By IOSH Moderator
Edwina's e-mail address is visible if you are logged in. Her name is highlighted in red instead of gray.
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Posted By Adam Worth
JJ if you login you can see his emai address by hovering pointer over his name. (Click to send mail)
I agree with the above - see http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/
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Posted By Mark Eden
Edwina
Block sizes have remained relatively the same for many years, what makes them heavy is their density, what they are made of and what their use is.
Some designers specify high density blocks for weight bearing structures, these tend to be specially made and can weight over 20 Kgs, if this is the case it tends to be a two man lifting job.
On small sites there tends to be poor access and inadequate scaffold for building walls and little attention paid to manual handling issues.
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Posted By jayjay
My computer system at work will not allow me to switch to the email link on the IOSH web page otherwise i would have done it. Sorry.I've got some information from Construction News regarding the use of high density blocks and an improvement notice that the HSE issued regarding there use and thats what i wanted to send.
Regards, JJ
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Posted By EdwinaTS
Hello Jayjay,
Thanks. I'm not on the computer all day.
Please send the report.
edwinapl@gmail.com.
Edwina xx
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Edwina
Please bear in mid that Mark's reference to high density blocks is not a carte blanche for their use. The HSE closely question any design specifying the use of blocks >20kg weight. There are half blocks to allow them to be specified and these are around 15kg in weight.
Bob
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Posted By EdwinaTS
Many thanks fellows: {Robert K Lewis, JJ, Mark Edwn, Adam Worth, Kevin Brown}
I'm glad to know that one day of too heavy brick laying should not lead to a permanent injury, in fact my brick layer is expected to return tomorrow :)
He will get help to move bricks.
The solution to the issue is not changing the manufacturers' brick sizes, but to ensure that the specialist workman (i.e. brick layer) should become knowledgeable about the health & safety aspects of their work, as they cannot rely on all employers to know & enforce on their behalf.
So working professionals need to be in touch with the HSE recommendations, and brick laying courses should ensure that their student understands & willing to assert that working with heavy bricks need a helper to move the bricks.
Many thanks,
Edwina xx
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Edwina
Please feel free to give the designers bad ears for producing a design utilising 20+kg blocks. Do not accept any mere assertion that there was no other method - ask for the design risk assessment and do not give them time to produce one in hindsight. There have been prosecutions of and notices to designers on this topic.
You should be reviewing any tender documents to check they are not being specified.
Bob
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