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Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 117

S Martin – 4 December 2008

Near-misses don’t just happen on-site

Believe it or not, not all near-misses occur on-site!

A near-miss was recently reported by the Xmo Strata tender team while working on a client
proposal for site works.

Had the tender been submitted by us and accepted by our customer, it could have caused a
breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, potentially costing them and us over £7
million in fines.

Near-miss

Xmo Strata was asked as part of a client tender to quote for carrying out minor landscaping
work whilst on-site. It was suggested that this should include the trimming of shrubbery and
the application of weedkiller.

The tender team had recommended that we source an off-the-shelf weedkiller and provide
applicators to reduce the costs as far as possible for the client.

Identification / Investigation

Prior to the submission of the tender, the team carried out a safety ‘KEPT’ analysis to ensure
legislative compliance. This requires that we have Knowledge, Experience, Practical
experience and Training to carry out any work on client sites.

Through detailed investigation, we have discovered that the only suitable weedkiller for use
on petrol filling stations is a Glycosate Hormone based product. Applicators of this solution
must be accredited to C&G National Proficiency Council PA1 – safe handling of pesticides
(weedkiller), and PA6 – hand-held applicators. Best practice indicates that supervisors should
also be accredited to BASIS, an independent standards and certification scheme serving
pesticide, fertiliser and associated matters.