How Outsourcing Safety Resources Can Work For Your Project
Outsourcing is a big deal in the corporate world because of the potential benefits it comes with. If outsourcing is…
In 2017, our Coyle Group consultant observed a safety risk at our client’s workplace, related to high voltage (HV) transformers whilst undertaking a site visit for a separate piece of work. Network Technicians were working on HV transformers without having the required control measures and were consequently exposed to a risk of falling from a height. Our consultant raised this risk with the local and senior managers at our client’s workplace.
Not only was this an unsafe practice, putting employees and contractors at risk, but additionally the ‘Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007, Part 4 – Work at Heights’ was at risk of being breached.
A high voltage working group was then established. A Coyle Group safety consultant was invited to join the group. The working group’s role was to develop solutions to mitigate or eliminate the falls from a height risk that had been identified with the older high voltage transformers. The Coyle Group consultant played a critical role in the group, acting as the health and safety specialist, providing risk assessments, legislations expertise and safety insight from other sectors and industries.
Finding the right solution
Over the next year, the working group trialled a few possible solutions to mitigate the risk. It was not an easy risk to address as there was no available solution specifically designed for these older transformers.
Additionally, constraints around the way these transformers work and have been designed, made it even more difficult. For example, because these transformers only have limited outage durations (1-2 days) it may not be practical to erect scaffolding around the whole perimeter of the transformer. Also, access to these transformers can be difficult, making other sorts of scaffolding impractical and anchor points for safety systems away from leading edges can be limited.
A lifeline anchor system, a type of fall arrest temporary horizontal lifeline system, that works by anchoring to existing lifting eyes on HV transformers, was eventually found to be the best solution.
Coyle Group was at the clients side throughout the development of the solution, attending site visits and trials across Ireland, assessing whether the proposed solution would sufficiently improve the safety of the sites and reduce exposure to breach of legislation.
Solution
Over the course of this work, Coyle Group played a pivotal role in the client’s working group to plan, implement and assure the following:
These actions reduce the risk of falling from a height and thus significantly improve the safety of Network Technicians working on high voltage transformers. It gives their staff and contractors the confidence that their safety is protected.
The client can now clearly demonstrate that they have put measures in place for their technicians to work safely and securely as per the general application regulations.
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Gavin Coyle offers a fresh pair of eyes: he will often spot the potential for hazard”
“Gavin Coyle and the team have given us valuable safety insight over the years, working mainly on our windfarms but also on conventional power station projects.
Power generation is an exciting, dynamic business, but it need not be a dangerous one. At Energia we are immensely proud of our safety record: our managers and workers are happy to share much of the credit with Gavin Coyle and his team”.
Gavin Coyle offers a fresh pair of eyes: he will often spot the potential for hazard”
“Gavin Coyle and the team have given us valuable safety insight over the years, working mainly on our windfarms but also on conventional power station projects.
Power generation is an exciting, dynamic business, but it need not be a dangerous one. At Energia we are immensely proud of our safety record: our managers and workers are happy to share much of the credit with Gavin Coyle and his team”.