Page 896 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive
P. 896
Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 333
6 December 2012
Hazard alert – the importance of ‘safety walks’
When conducting ‘safety walks’ (or site surveys), especially when assessing something that has been
reported as being unsafe, it is important to consider the safety of those who are not directly using the
site, but may be in the surrounding area.
Potential hazards are not restricted to your work area just because they happen to fall within the
commercial boundaries of the site. This is highlighted clearly in a recent near miss shared with Xmo
Strata – described below.
Not only were members of the public at risk (thankfully none were harmed), but a member of the
emergency services also sustained an injury which required medical attention. Whilst this was not an
Xmo Strata job, there are valuable lessons to be learned and we thank ExxonMobil for allowing us to
share them in this bulletin.
Wind-damaged acrylic canopy
A canopy fascia unit came loose from its fixture due to high winds, causing it to start flapping in the air
and pose a hazard to those using the service area. A bus stop was also located in close proximity to the
site, meaning members of the public were also at risk if the sign were to fall.
The site was coned off and the emergency services were immediately called.
When the fire brigade arrived on-site, they used their own ladder (propped up against the canopy) to
remove the affected acrylic panels. While removing these, the panels snapped and fell to the ground,
leaving debris on the forecourt. It is understood that a fireman was injured by one of the falling sign
panels and received 19 stitches for a cut to his cheek.
