Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty’s Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability Director has revealed how the company intends to eliminate HAV syndrome across all sites by 2020
In an interview with Construction Manager, Bryant discussed how the traditional measures to tackle Hand Arm Vibration (HAV), primarily using the Health & Safety Executive’s exposure points system to ensure that workers exposed to the side-effects of Hand Arm Vibration are below a ‘recommended level’, is not the right approach for the industry to adopt in isolation.
Discussing the various methods in place across Balfour Beatty sites, Heather provides alternative approaches and solutions already in use by the company. This includes replacing the requirement to drill for the installation of Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) elements with Unistrut channels into the underside of precast floor slabs.
This easy switch eliminates the need to drill on site, removes dust exposure, whilst also resulting in an estimated 75% reduction in working at height. Combined, this activity also yielded a one day a week saving on the traditional M&E programme of works.
Through this approach, Balfour Beatty is already operating sites where drilling is now no longer in use. Applying this approach across Balfour Beatty’s supply chain has enabled the company to engage with experts across the industry in identifying further opportunities to drive out Hand Arm Vibration in the construction industry.
