TASK 4: ASSESSING AND REDUCING THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO VIBRATION

4

(Question 1): Suggest a range of measures that F&D could put in place to get a more accurate assessment of vibration exposure of workers carrying out similar work to that at Marshes Road.

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. (3 marks)

(Question 2): Suggest a range of measures that F&D could put in place to reduce the risks to their workers from vibration. (20 marks)

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

SCENARIO

Water Wise Analytics (WWA) is a successful and growing organisation carrying out water quality testing and analysis. WWA is based at a purpose-built facility within an industrial unit, on the edge of a large town with good access to main roads. There are 30 workers at WWA, mainly consisting of scientists and technicians working in four different labs. In addition, the organisation has a fieldwork team. Most days the fieldwork team are out at various sites. Their role is to inspect water sources and take water samples from numerous locations, bringing these back to the labs for testing.

Fieldwork manager

The FWM is pleased that fieldworker A can take the samples today, as the FWM needs to speak to the contractors, Find & Dig (F&D), about a large job starting next week. F&D are contracted by WWA when an excavation is needed in order to locate, inspect, and sample water sources. The job next week is at Marshes Road, and once excavated, the FWM will go out to inspect and take samples along with a colleague.

Find & Dig (F&D)

A week later, November 6 is a very cold morning, 8:00 am when F&Ds workers arrive at the site on Marshes Road. Worker X is going to begin with operating the hand-held percussive breaker (vibration magnitude for this breaker is 7m/s2), so they put on the required PPE including hearing protection and eye protection, as well as steel toe-capped boots. Meanwhile, worker Y is unloading the breaker and setting it up ready for worker X. Workers X and Y are concerned that worker Z will be absent this morning, as worker Z is the most experienced member of the team, having spent many years working for several organisations that do this type of work. Workers X and Y feel under pressure as they know that workers from WWA will be coming to the site soon. Workers X and Y will share the use of the breaker equally to remove as much of the road material as possible. After this, they will change to hand digging as they get close to the water pipe. Around 11:15 the WFM from WWA arrives on site and has to wait for the digging to be completed before they can inspect the water pipe and take samples back to the lab for testing.