Safety on site is absolutely essential, whether you’re out fitting and installing yourself or if you manage a team to do it. As part of our Safe in Stone campaign, we are dedicated to help improve safety standards within the stone industry with support, guidance and solutions.
We’ve picked out 5 most common risks you may come across, when working on site, and some of the ways in which you can prevent them.
Manual manoeuvring
Repetitively manoeuvring and lifting heavy stone slabs, like granite and quartz, can potentially lead to back injuries, and even result in Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Movements such as bending and crouching or lifting heavy loads and repetitive stretching or twisting, or manually lifting in the incorrect manner, are the main causes of MSDs in the workplace.
With proper lifting and handling equipment, manoeuvring stone around a job site or fabrication workshop removes both the manually aspect and makes it much safer process. Lifting and handling products are designed to minimise physical strain, while meeting HSE requirement. You could even make sure that you are always accompanied by an extra worker, to help with the safe transportation, lifting and moving of stone.
Using hand tools
Fitting kitchen worktops can often require this use of power tools on site, such as saws, grinders, and drills. You have to use them safely and correctly to avoid injuring yourself on the blade, but you are also at risk from other serious injuries, such as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVs). Using hand tools can also cause soreness, achiness and fatigue, if used incorrectly or overused.
Injuries can be avoided and minimised if the correct PPE is worn on site, like gloves, goggles, safety boots and aprons, whilst also making sure that the tools you are using are in a good, safe condition. You should also make sure you or your workers are setting the tools down at regular intervals. It is also important that hand tools are not used for extensive periods of time, to prevent HAVs, so you should factor this into your workload prior to beginning your jobs for the week.
Dust in confined spaces
On a customer’s site, you are generally confined to a small area. Cutting and grinding stone materials produces dust, which contains a harmful substances like respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Continuous exposure to silica dust is very dangerous, especially when in small spaces. Sometimes, the easiest option to stop dust from creating a mess in or outside a client’s property or over their vehicles, is to carry out any trim cuts in the back of your van. This is very dangerous and should never be undertaken, as there is insufficient ventilation in vans, which makes it a trap for the dust. Try and do as much cutting as possible in the workshop, and then speak to your customer in advance to ensure you have a clear, well-ventilated area available for trim cuts onsite.
Wearing correct protection masks, and having good ventilation is key. The Optrel Swiss Air masks provide a constant flow of clean air, and working in well-ventilated areas helps to minimise the risk of excessive exposure. You should also, where possible, use a cowl and powerful suction cleaner to immediately remove any dust from the surrounding environment.
Just because you are on site doesn’t mean you have to dry either. Working wet is always advised, to contain the dust and keep the fabricator safe from inhaling silica. Again, ensure you have access to a supply of water to enable you to suppress the dust created and also deliver a better finish to the stone.
Damage to property
When you’re working with big slabs of stone, or large tools and equipment, it can be easy to scratch, or chip appliances or furniture when fitting a worktop. This can lead to very costly repairs, and ultimately, customer dissatisfaction.
To avoid this risk, take extra care when fitting, use protective coverings and make sure you’re using the right handling equipment to ensure that stone is being moved safely, with no risk of damaging any of the customers belongings. This will have the added benefit of avoiding any manual lifting injuries.
Electrical and plumbing hazards
Every kitchen has electrical wires and plumbing fixtures. Drilling into walls or appliances could cause you to accidentally hit electrical cables or pipes, which could result in electric shocks, water leaks or even fires!
Before you fit any kitchen worktop, make sure you have carried out a full check of the kitchen to detect any hidden wires or plumbing, and turn off water and electrics to the relevant areas.
Staying Safe
For more information on how to work safely in the stone industry, check out our Safe In Stone page, which is a hive of information about safe practices, through all stages of the fabrication process.
Or book in to visit the Innovation Hub at Stonegate House, where we can organise a bespoke training session with our expert trainers on safe working practices in our live test workshop!
Otherwise, to hear more expert advice, contact us on +44 (0)1472 620400 or email [email protected]
