Page 1323 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive

Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 491

26 November 2015

Weather Related Risk Preparation

As you will be fully aware, the weather in the UK is becoming more inclement and unpredictable with
gale force winds and flooding more widespread.

As we enter the grip of winter, we need to be vigilant when planning our work activities, ensuring that
we consider the risks that heavy rain, snow, ice, cold temperatures and strong/gusting winds bring.

Our focus is and must be on the safety of our employees, subcontractors and the site patrons and staff
at all times.

We are very fortunate in that when weather chaos does strike, our customers understand that we are
unable to work at height when windspeeds exceed 17mph on a mobile scaffold tower or 24mph on a
MEWP and we have to prioritise emergency work – particularly work which involves removing the
potential for injury or death. It’s at this time when Management of Change is critical for our planning
team, project team and site teams, who need to make informed decisions about risk when under
pressure and working in difficult conditions.

Our objective is to minimise site downtime and/or closures, but we will always assess the risks before
asking our teams to travel to sites where the wind is too strong to work at height because travelling
(falling trees, high sided vehicles blowing over etc) is an unnecessary risk.

Wind damage can cause major disruption and opportunity loss to filling stations and we are
extremely aware of the financial costs which customers can face as a result.

I will be assuring our customers that Xmo Strata crews will be on full standby to react to this and that
if their site is badly affected we will do everything possible to get their operation up and running
again safely in the event of damage occurring.

All our crews are fully trained in and conversant with issues relating to wind speed, including the
Working at Height regulations – so we will be make sure that we won’t compound problems by
causing more risk once we’ve arrived on site!

Guidance will be reinforced about detailing weather related risks on clearance certificates, ongoing
Last Minute Risk Assessments, consideration of wind direction and lifting of sign panels to avoid
creating a sail effect.

We will be asking our project team to review clearance certificates to see if weather conditions were
taken into account, control measures put in place and documented on our clearance certificates.