The following article originally appeared in issue 7236 of Construction News
Much has been documented about the risks posed by Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) and similarly the importance of proper dust extraction and control in small tool use, and these rightly remain very high on our industry’s agenda. However, the less discussed and often overlooked need to properly test, maintain and repair small tools plays as much of a role in preventing more immediate health issues.
A Which? Magazine article of April 1st last year highlighted the need for increased consistency throughout the hire industry to help avoid unnecessary accidents. In their damning exposé, stories of damaged cables, missing fuses or fuses replaced with tin foil highlighted the frightening state of tools provided by some of the leading firms in our industry. Only last month a timber frame company was fined by the HSE after a guard was removed from a table mounted circular saw which led to a 20-year old production worker losing a thumb. These examples only serve to reinforce the need for basic tool care, including visual checks and Portable Appliance Tests (PAT), both on and off site, to ensure that accidents like this are avoided.
The Hireman’s MD Neil Graham recommends that “the first step to safe tool use is to make sure that you buy correctly... we buy only recognised brands of tools and equipment and rigorously check that they conform to the required safety standards. This includes buying all of our electrical supply equipment; generators, transformers, leads, junction boxes and RCD’s from the very best manufacturers. British manufacturers such as Blakley and ArcGen-Hilta certainly aren’t the cheapest but the quality is second to none and frankly it seems pointless to spend £1,000 on a Hilti breaker and then supply a cheap transformer and extension lead which reduce the benefits of using high quality tools”. No stranger to the importance of stringent quality control David Miller, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Blakley, says “with customers such as London Underground, Network Rail and The MoD we have a high standard to achieve, which our engineering expertise allows us to do”. This attention to detail shows in the quality of their electrical supply equipment and gives our customers confidence in the safety, reliability and performance of our tools.
Of equal importance is a regular and rigorous maintenance procedure. Compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR) requires that a PAT be completed at least every three months and must include a thorough visual inspection as well as a host of electrical safety tests, the responsibility for which must be borne by both the hire supplier and end user.
These basics protect the reputation of our industry, those who work in it and the training and development aspirations of young people looking for a career in construction
