Site Safety

The health and safety of all personnel should be a key consideration at every stage of the design and construction process. The design should ensure that a safe working environment is created both during construction and into the future. It is against the law to allow people to work unsafely and the cost of failure in this area can be very high both in terms of casualties and financial penalties imposed. Here, specific good practice information is provided for the safe handling, cutting and installation of pre-finished steel roof and wall cladding systems and safe working on roofs. It is vitally important that all personnel carrying out site work have been properly trained, are familiar with the relevant codes of practice and are competent.

Health and Safety Executive Statement 2004

It is against the law to allow people to work unsafely. Unsafe is a broad definition and covers health as well as safety. Specifically associated with installing profiled sheets, unsafe could relate to the following:

• Handling sheets – delivery, storage and transportation to the point of laying.
• Making provisions for protecting the worker from the hazards of falls from height.
• The working environment, i.e. wind, sun etc.
• Working adjacent to or on potentially fragile areas.