1.1, 1.2 Health & Safety Flashcards
Hazard
A Hazard is a potential source of danger, damage, harm or adverse health effect to Humans.
e.g Thorns, Deep Water, Electrical Cables
Risk
A risk is the probability of damage, danger, adverse health effects to humans if exposed to the specific hazard.
e.g Puncture from thorns if pruning Pyracantha hedges. Drowning in deep water, or electrocution if one comes into contact with live electrical cables.
Hazard: Site Access
Risk: Pathway dark and slippery, causing slips, trips and potential sprains and broken bones
Hazard: Overhead/Underground Electrical cables
Risk: Coming into contact with overhead electrical cables, with ladders or garden machinery, or cutting through underground cables not sufficiently buried or placed in a protective conduit. Causing electrocution.
Risk Reduction: Proper signage, Relocate overhead services, proper site survey to asses position and depth
Hazard: Unsafe Buildings, Rusty fitments, Lead paint, asbestos
Risk: Falling masonry, causing head damage. Broken glass causing cuts. Long term health damage if exposed to asbestos or lead paint
Risk Reduction: Refiting loose tiles, masonry, materials. Repair of damaged windows. Removal or health damaging materials, constructing building to correct buildings standards.
Hazard: Location of Garden Features
Risk: Large Urn may topple and cause injury. Water features may cause paths to become wet and slippery causing slips and trips.
Hazard: Trees (thorns, irritant sap, poisonous, falling leaves, limbs)
Risk: Falling limbs causing head damage, debris and other fallen branch/limbs/leaves may cause slips and trips.
Risk Reduction: Plants choice fitting for garden use and location, ongoing appropriate inspection for health and damage during design phase. Removal or overhanging limbs where leaves may causing slip hazard on floor or where crush hazard is identified, barriers.
Hazard: Topography (degree and extent of slope)
Risk: Slipping/falling on too steep ground or if ground is uneven to walk on, causing falls, bruises, sprains broken bones
Risk Reduction: Terracing or Ground levelling, non-slip surfaces, shallower winding paths during design phase, steps with rails and landings. Appropriate maintenance and inspection of paths specified during the design phase.
Hazard: Existing Features (Stairs, surfaces)
Risk: Too steep stairs may cause trips and falls causing injury
Hazard: Watercourses & Ponds
Deep Water, Ice, Spashes on Path
Risk: Slipping on water/ice around the surrounding surfaces, falling into the water causing drowning. Mosquito bites.
Risk Reduction: Use of barriers to prevent access to deep water, appropriate sinage warning or hazard, non-slip material around the water preventing slipping.
Risk Assessment
The process of identifying hazards and evaluating the potential risk associated with each one.
Eliminate hazards or minimise its risk by introducing control measures as necessary.
Emphasis is on sensibly eliminating avoidable risks, while minimising unavoidable risks.
Pyracantha coccinea - risk assessment
Hazard: Thorny Plants such as Pyracantha conccinea
Risk: Skin puncture from thorns while pruning or walking past the plant
Risk Assessment: High probability of damage but low risk. Can not be eliminated if the hedge must be worked on, but damage can be limited by wearing full protective clothing at all times during the works.
1.2 - Planning landscape works is necessary because
They are often complex and multidisciplinary and may involve integrating several trades and different points and times.
Certain stages of work cannot be started without the completion of others. e.g. installation of services or groundworks
Project may be more efficient, cheaper or completed more rapidly by having the various operations performed sequentially.
1.2 - Site/work restrictions include…
- Safe access to the site for people and machinery
- Financial constraints and availability of funds for the project. (Phasing work as and when money is available)
- Boundary issues, small entrance which could prove difficult for standard sized machinery. Also issues with neighbours on boundary lines.
- Slope and topography impacting work, may prove difficult to use heavy machinery on steep slopes.
- Unsafe structures already present
- Seasonality, weather, timing
- Siting/storage of materials, tools for use and re-use. Site offices, toilets, machinery (plant equipment)
- Waste material storage and disposal
1.2 - Site/work restrictions include… continued
- legal restrictions including wildlife, conservation zones, rights of way, bye-laws, rights to light
- on-site security, materials, site office, clients property
- Site-hygiene (transfer of disease, noxious weeds, fungus)
- Public nuisance (traffic management)
- Site drainage
- Groundworks and site conditions affected by seasonality
- TPO Tree Preservation Orders may halt work
