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Interest group
Plant Safety Group (Construction Industry)
The aim of the Construction Industry’s Plant Safety Group is to bring about a continuous reduction in the rate of injuries and ill-health caused through the operation and installation of plant in the construction industry by the development and production of specific guidance documents.
The Group is managed and administered by CPA with the HSE being key participants. Industry organisations that contribute include Build UK, CECA, HBF, CEA, TWF, SAFED, FPS and others, and certification bodies such as CPCS, ALLMI, IPAF and NPORS. There is also a seperate group focussed on MEWP safety, led jointly by IPAF and CPA.
Interest group
New publication on the Use of Machine-mounted HFRS
Following a request from industry to seek consistency for human form recognition systems (HFRS), as these are becoming increasingly used in construction, the Construction Industry Plant Safety Group have since devised and launched a good practice guide on the use of HFRS.
Being struck by a moving vehicle still accounts for many workplace fatalities, for which HFRS is being increasingly used as an aid to minimising contact between workers and others when in the vicinity of active plant. Although segregation control measures remain the main action of keeping workers and others away from active plant, some still may be deliberately or inadvertently be within the danger area of a machine and their presence not always evident to the operator due to the configuration or design build of the machine.
With being more common-place and as the technology continually develops, a consistent approach to HFSR fitment and use was needed, from which a large
working group, consisting of plant owners, construction contractors, OEM/equipment suppliers and others came together to devise this guidance. It aims to advise and inform owners, users, operators, managers. OEMs and third-party suppliers on the considerations for the fitment, use and management of HFRS installed on plant to detect and warn of human presence in defined danger zones.
This comprehensive guidance consists of some fifty pages covering the topics such as; HFRS types, function and fitment requirements; how systems should be managed on-site; the requirements for data collection, monitoring and ownership; the specific responsibilities to the fitment and use of HFRS and factors on education and behaviours.
The guidance is both comprehensive and technical in nature, but for which the Plant Safety Group will be producing a companion summary publication that outlines the key points of HFRS use. With the technology
fast-moving, they intend to undertake a review programme of the publication in approximately one-year’s time”
The Plant Safety Group’s HFRS guidance can be downloaded free of charge below.
Plant Safety Interest group
Document Library.
| Image | Title | Summary | Categories | Link | hf:doc_categories | hf:doc_tags | hf:file_type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Good Practice Guidance for use of Machine-mounted Human Form Recognition System | This new publication is to inform owners, users, operators, managers. OEMs and third-party suppliers on the considerations for the fitment, use and management of HFRS installed on plant to detect and warn of human presence in defined danger zones. The guidance covers topics such as; HFRS types, function and fitment; management of systems on-site; data collection, monitoring; responsibilities to fitment and use; education and behaviours. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Safe Use of Quick Hitches on Excavators – Best Practice Guidance | Guidance on the factors of incorrect fitment of attachments using a quick-hitch coupler. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Ground Conditions for Construction Plant – A Brief Guide | Guidance in a short-form version that supplements the ground conditions full guidance document. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Ground Conditions for Construction Plant | Guidance on factors and considerations when determining ground conditions for plant operations. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Competence to Operate Construction Plant | Guidance on determining training and competence requirements for plant operators. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Medical Fitness to Operate Construction Plant | Guidance on factors around medical fitness requirements for plant operators. Persons who operate construction plant need to be physically and mentally capable of operating plant in a safe and efficient manner and employers have a duty to ensure that their employees have the required level of fitness. This document provides guidance to employers on how to carry out these duties and contains guidance on indicative levels of fitness, choosing an occupational health service provider, and managing issues around fitness for task. It includes Data Protection Act 2018 requirements and those involving employers’ duties for the collection and use of employees’ health information. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Lifting and Travelling with Suspended Loads using Telehandlers | Guidance on factors to take into account when planning and executing suspended load operations. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Safe Use of Telehandlers – Second Revision | Guidance on planning, preparation and carrying out of safe operations using telehandlers. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | MEWP Safety Alert Protocol | Guidance on creating a safety alert around MEWP operations using a common process. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Managing the Safe Condition of MEWPS | Guidance on inspections, maintenance and examinations of MEWPs. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Reducing Unintended Movement of Plant | Guidance on the issues, factors and consequences of unintentional movement of plant. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Rescue of Persons from MEWPS | Guidance on factors to take into account for people in MEWPs trapped at height. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Lifting Operations with 180 – 360 Excavators | Guidance on planning and executing lifting operations using excavators. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Safe Use of Dumpers | Guidance on considerations and measures to tackle dumper safety and operational issues. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Safe Use of Dumpers Supplement Rotating Seat Dumpers Protocol | A number of manufacturers are now supplying a variant of forward tipping dumper but where the operator’s seating position can be rotated through 180 degrees, allowing the operator to travel the machine either facing the skip or with the skip behind them. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups | |||
 | Reducing Trapping/Crushing Injuries to People in MEWPs | This guidance, updated in January 2023, is intended to help to reduce risks of trapping and crushing injuries to people working in platforms and has been produced in two parts. Part 1 is aimed at planners, managers, and trainers and provides information on hazards, risk assessment, controls and responsibilities. Part 2 is aimed at those using and supervising MEWPs, as well as for training bodies, and responsible for rescuing anyone trapped on a MEWP platform and also designed to be used in briefings or toolbox talks for supervisors and MEWP operators. | Health and Safety, Plant Safety Group | health-and-safety plant-safety-group special-interest-groups |