Hi All Have just taken a position with a local maintenance company, who seemed to have upset the local authority who they have a contract with, Since it seems the local authority could not get rid of this contractor when bidding for the new contract, the contractor thinks they are now trying to finds ways on health and safety grounds to suspend them. My question is are they right. Sent of some method statements to the LA none are major works, just maintenance works, repairs etc. Most works are of a half day nature. Unlikely to get to a full days work, One was working on a scaffolding (Note to change some guttering and some roof tiles). Question from the LA is, I have not mentioned what the procedures are for rescuing an unconscious person on the scaffolding (In the Method statement they have an emergency section with numbers, plus the 999 set up). I'm not sure there is a budget to have a standby rescue team already to go. Another is for repair a broken mains pipe - The LA are asking that I have forgotten about portable toilets for the workforce, the work would not even take half the day, am I now to get them to travel around with a porta loo, they would use local amenities Another one was for working on a scaffolding again, on my procedure for working on scaffolding, yet again for minor works guttering repair, I always put, only take up the scaffolding what you need for the task, plus to keep the walking route and walkways clear and not to over load the work area etc. Even though they can see from the front page that the work is just a gutter repair, they are saying I have missed putting in swl for all materials used. Hmmm 1x Plastic gutter no idea how much that weighs and not mentioned the design element of the scaffolding to incorporate the extra weight of the materials. Another one again for a burst water pipe, where I have mentioned that we will refer to the LA buried services guide and where required they will inform us of any potential ground services (They do not, and have no idea if there would be any), I put in place that we will always CAT for buried services that might be located around the area we want to excavate. I got back that I have not mentioned what service providers I have contacted to check for buried, water, gas, electricity, BT, Virgin etc. (I'm starting to think the emergency response ops will have to go a bit slower, to give time for someone to ring all potential services, we can think of - also do you think the numbers will be a premium, oh the bill. The person who has sent the email knows the contractor and has been involved with their works as the clients H&S for over two years, do you think its because the LA H&S team have never really took an interest in the works (only the odd monthly PGI), that now they have a new Head H&S, who is kicking butt, they have just woken up to H&S and are just putting any old tosh down to try and look competent. Or is it that i had to send them my qualifications over to show my competence to work as a H&S advisor, they are reacting so. I have quite a lot of certs, but would never say i am an expert. Always learning. I have spent the last 18 years on the railways, and have never seen the like, where every question I ask is replied now, by It must be Suitable and Sufficient & Site specific and they will not give a clue to what they are aiming at. Yes i am wearing two hats in the fact i am writing the methods and doing the risks, plus acting as the H&S Advisor, yes i always get the relevant work information and how they work from the supervisors who carry out the work. There's no way i am going to write a different method statement just because at one burst water pipe, they might not need to lift a paving slab. I include that in the procedure, dig soil, where required, lift paving slabs, where required kango concrete path etc on all methods, my attitude is that how do we know until we find the leak, it might look like its coming out under the grass, but might not be. Any feedback would be great.

Whilst some may be over the top, how are you going to remove an unconscious casualty from the top of the scaffolding. All activities such as this require a formal rescue plan. 999 / 112 isn't a mitigation measure unfortunately. You must do the RA and deal with any required mitigation. As the HSE tell us " if you have special circumstances, YOU need to make the special arrangements " Phil

RLC I have had a couple of requests in a similar manner First underground services - refer your client to the CDM Regs and ask them to supply you with the relevant information for every job before you start on site - they should have records where services run on their property. if you are working inside a property ask them for the asbestos register and asbestos management plan As far as supplying a rescue plan for an unconscious person on a scaffold, state you will await the emergency services. First aid at work dictates you make safe (a scaffold is a safe place of work) make the casualty comfortable - do not move un-necessary and call emergency services, you don't employ a paramedic on each job do you? The purpose of a rescue plan is to rescue someone who is suspended and at risk of suffering from suspension trauma not someone lying on a safe platform. As far as working loads for scaffold, refer to your scaffold handover certificate, it should indicate what type of scaffold you have had build, this would indicate the safe loading. The HSE supply a guidance document on transient work places and what you can be expected to provide. I don't think you are being paranoid, just dealing with someone who doesn't know or understand reactive maintenance.

In my experience, many LA safety advisers are not clear what their role actually is with contracted work, they tend to get far too close to directing the contractor activities, and don't see the legal division (admittedly the line can be a bit vague) between client and contractor. What to do? I doubt this LA is picking on you - they are probably taking the same, over-pedantic line with everyone. I agree they seem to have nothing better to do. Their role is to support and advise the contract administrator, and to help manage the 'public interface' - where the work can affect either council staff or council customers / the public, not to police whether someone else's workers are wearing gloves etc.

A local authority inspector has recently been to a client of mine and gone thorugh the first aid kit chucking things out saying that they aren't required in a standard first aid kit (which was a brand new first aid kit) and wanted them to throw them away!! Do they have nothing better to do? Too much in their first aid kit? What is the world coming to? ...I nearly called them a (word beginning with p and ending in b) but I wouldn't want to be forced into resigning!! ;-)

My word, is it the "grouse season" already here, aka let's have a pop at "LA Safety Advisers" out there? Can I just clarify that the majority of LA's have at least two distinct safety functions, i.e. the EHO's who have similar statutory powers to the HSE & enforce legislation & the Safety Advisers who deal mainly with issues surrounding their Council's activities, both internally & externally. From such a large group of people you are always going to get the pedants, but this equally applies to most other areas of society. Having worked for two LA's, I can honestly say that the vast majority of these people work in a thoroughly professional & competent manner, so please don't tar everybody with the same generic brush. I am sure that we all have our own anecdotal "evidence" from other areas such as construction, waste, etc.