Quantifying risk hours to assess safe working systems

Published on 8 October 2021 Print this document

An approach to quantifying risk savings made in the risk review process has helped demonstrate safer methods working on the High Speed Two (HS2) Enabling Works Contract South. By quantifying the hours of persons who were undertaking high risk activities, it could be seen if alternative methods of working were safer. This approach fundamentally changed many methodologies for safer alternatives. One example was the use of a demolition curtain at Regent’s Park Estate that removes the requirement for work at height erecting scaffolding which has saved to date approximately 125k hours where persons would have been put at risk.

This learning legacy shares a video which outlines the methodology and the outcomes achieved and will be of interest to future projects considering their approach to health and safety risk management.

See linked video

Introduction

This learning is shared as part of the works to deliver the Enabling Works Contract (EWC) on the southern section of High Speed Two (HS2) phase one which includes demolition of buildings within the wider Euston area, utility diversions, environmental and ecological monitoring and a programme of historic environment and archaeological activities, delivered by the Costain Skansja joint venture (CSjv).

In January 2019, CSjv designed an approach to quantifying risk savings made in the risk review process to help demonstrate safer methods working. By quantifying the hours of persons who were undertaking high risk activities, it could be seen if alternative methods of working were safer. This approach fundamentally has changed many methodologies for safer alternatives. One example was the use of a demolition curtain at Regent’s Park Estate that removes the requirement for work at height erecting scaffolding. To date, this new approach has saved approximately 125k hours where persons would have been put at risk.

The video outlines the methodology and the outcomes achieved related to three key examples. The examples used are detailed in papers:

<ID4269 An alternative approach to demolition screens at Regent’s Park Estate> where the team deployed a hanging a demolition curtain, which shrouded the building complete with an integrated dust suppression system, to remove the need for scaffolding erection and minimising impact to local residents.
<ID4268 Innovative use of drone technology for enabling works surveys > outlines examples where unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with the latest engineering surveying technology entered hazardous environments, avoiding risks associated with working at height and exposure to asbestos.
<ID4359 Reducing the risk of falls from height through design and selection of demolition methodologies> showcases alternatives to traditional top-down demolition methods to minimise the workforce’s exposure to dangerous environments.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all those who have contributed to the successful implementation of CSjv’s Risk Hours initiative. These include:

Neal Carter (formally PMO Director CSjv)
Des Roy (formerly CSjv Systems Manager)
Sandra Winters (Occupational Health & Wellbeing Manager CSjv)
Leanne Murray (SHWE System Manager CSjv)
Rob Wrightam (SHE Manager CSjv)
Greg Lewis (Environmental Manager CSjv)
Sean Lang (formerly Project Manager CSjv)
Thomas Cleary (Project Manager CSjv)
Daniel Brown (Works Package Manager CSjv)
Richard Bath (Senior Engineering Surveyor CSjv)
Saul Willoughby (Senior Survey Technician CSjv)
Keltbray Group
JH Hunt Ltd
Clifford Devlin