New Protecting Your Workforce guidance has been released for the highways sector on Local Highways Safe Operating Procedure.
It is based on the Construction Leadership Council site operating procedures Volume 5, published in July and has been adapted for the local highways sector where appropriate. The Construction Leadership Council Use of Face Coverings in Construction during COVID is also used.
These Local Highways Safe Operating Procedures (SOP) are based on Government guidance on Working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19) – Construction and other outdoor work; other restrictions and advice may apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For further guidance, please refer to HSE COVID-19 web page HSE COVID-19 Latest Advice. Note: COVID-19 has been classified as a Notifiable Disease under RIDDOR
Maintenance and repair depots and sites operating during the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic need to ensure they are protecting their workforce and the general public, as well as minimising the risk of spread of infection. This includes considering how personnel travel to and from site.
This guidance is intended to introduce consistent measures in depots and on sites of all sizes in line with the Government’s recommendations on social distancing and ensure employers and individuals make every effort to comply.
Government guidance for employers in England states “where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to continue to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission between staff”.
The guidance also reminds workers that emergency services are also under great pressure and may not be able to respond as quickly as usual. “Please ensure first-aid requirements in the depots or on site are not compromised and be aware of the location of your local automatic emergency defibrillator (AED locations) if not on site/ in your depot / in your vehicle (Resuscitation Council UK Statement on COVID-19 in relation to CPR and resuscitation in first aid and community settings)”
Supervisory personnel at depots and work sites should remind the workforce before work commences every day and at all break times of these Local Highways Safe Operating Procedures which are aimed at protecting them, their colleagues, their families and the UK population.
“The health and safety requirements of any construction activity, depot or site based, must not be compromised at any time. If an activity cannot be undertaken safely and by consistently implementing these measures, it should not take place.”
For a full version of the guidance please see the following link:
