HSE Research Report on Temporary Demountable Structures

[John Diamond]

Identification of safety good practice in the construction and deconstruction of temporary demountable structures

 

As I read through the report, many things jumped out at me where, if I replaced any mention of TDS with 'the event industry', the same comment, observation and opinion of the HSE given could easily reflect how things really are when view from the shop floor.

 

As indicated in the report, the HSE found many examples of good practice employed at the sites they visited for the research. They have also identified many instances where the fluidity of management structures and role responsibilities across different sites combined with the lack of 'toolbox talks' or site briefings quantifiably increases the risks to workers and the general public.

 

For me, what it all boils down to is that the HSE now have a research document telling us that they now have a good idea of how we operate, where industry have made improvements for themselves but also where we are lacking and our comittment to the cultural 'whatever it takes' attitude to getting the show on. The areas where we are lacking, eg: defined management structures, cultural/historic relationships, industry wide measurements of competency and skills base, are not localised issues and apply across the industry.

 

The big question is - What are the HSE going to do with this research and what are the wider implications for the industry if they decide to pursue further lines of investigation? Are we strong enough to stand up on our own two feet or will the HSE be forced to deal with the problems they have identified. Remembering rule No. 1 of risk assessment: where a hazard is identified - it must be assessed!

 

I know there are numerous suppliers out there who do work to good practice, it is often demonstrated by the bigger organisations who employ safety managers as a specific role and not as an additional responsibility of a project manager, for example where their focus is on delievring the show for the client. As a large part of the industry is made up independent contractors, sole traders and freelance staff, how are we as an industry going to develop standards that apply to all suppliers in the industry, large and small, unless there is regulation to make people do it.

[kerry davies]

John, I know that you know this stuff but as an introduction to those who do not.

AGOTS, the Advisory Group on Temporary (demountable) Structures has been reporting to the HSE since 1999. It reports to JACE, the Joint Advisory Committee on Entertainment and has been discussing regulatory regimes and standards of construction for a long time.

 

Local Authorities do not have the expertise to oversee events production and HSE do not have the remit because TDS are currently exempt from CDM 2007 Regs (Construction Design and Maintenance). This has resulted in the dozens of crew building a three storey marquee complex being less regulated than two guys digging a drainage ditch. The simplest way round this might be to drop the exemption for marquees in the regs. I couldn't possibly comment.

 

The PSA decided that some form of self-regulation would be better than imposed regulation and introduced the Safety Passport, which the document rates "a good thing". The proposed re-issue of HSG 195, the Event Safety Guide, might have been partly suggested by moves to self regulation, another "a good thing."

Having read the document some might come to the conclusion that we are about to see some form of CDM brought into our game but I couldn't possibly comment.

Some might read the conclusions to Item 32 in References and think that even small firms would be affected, but again I couldn't possibly comment.

 

You and I know that the bigger companies are already set up and have adopted 99% of CDM as part of their existing safety practices but what you imply in your last paragraph is that the smaller companies have some way to go if they do introduce CDM regulation to Temporary Demountable Structures.

 

Your suggestion that the whole of the Live Events industry might eventually be subject to regulation is patently outrageous....or is it?

I couldn't possibly comment but having seen the look on the face of the chair of JACE as a major West End theatre technical director said it took him 11 prosecutions before he became safety conscious, the live events field is not the only one that needs to get busy.

[DSA]

That is a very interesting document indeed - thank you for posting.

 

Kerry: Just to point out that CDM stands for Construction (Design and Management), but I'm sure you know what you meant! I'm not sure that TDS are specifically exempt from CDM (I'll check the wording and definitions), but the linked document certainly discusses the issue.

 

David

[kerry davies]

Doh! Thanks David, if you go to the CDM list of exemptions the first thing up is marquees and tents (from memory) and taken individually stages and the like do not take 500 plus manhours or 30 days.

 

My suspicion, and it is only suspicion based on talking to people over a few years, is that the simplest amendment to the regs would be to include marquees and add the words "...and other Temporary Demountable Structures." This is mainly because, as you know, the biggest TDS nowadays are the hospitality complexes at racecourses and Grands Prix.

 

Do check out Roger Barrett's document as well, copy the title under Reference 32 and Google will find it. Otherwise it is in the Star Events website downloads area which you have to register for.

 

To add; this report is why I was on about the culture of the industry in the other thread.

[cfmonk]

Just finished this. Very interesting indeed and there's a couple of points in there that are going to change the way we do some minor things. It will be interesting to see what comes out of it. The danger from where I see it would be an insensitive blanket approach to regulation (e.g. Insisting on CSCS cards for anybody who lays hands on a small tent in somebody's back garden) which would lead to a culture of avoiding rather than embracing the rules from some less responsible people.

 

Chris

[cfmonk]

I was out with the St John Medical Response Team at the Southall Vaisakhi yesterday and it's a bit of a running joke that I am asked my opinion on any marquee we see at any event. Yesterday the ones on the street I saw were provided by a well known company and my only opinion of them (apart from the Yellow and white stripieness!) was that they were all held down by a combination of hopes and prayers and not much else.

 

How is it possible that a street festival which attracts over 100,000 people can have such a lax local authority that this can happen? What can one do about it?

 

Chris

[kerry davies]

Councils often ask for a minimum of four GCSE's at grade C/3 or above, including English and Maths,

 

Though they have been known to accept Licensing Officers with English and Maths at C grade and then;

 

They must have or acquire a thorough knowledge of various local government acts and of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

Which could be difficult for someone with a reading age of 12.

 

I have seen LA adverts at £8 an hour or £14,500 a year for beginners. What do your labourers earn in a season of half a year?

 

What can you do, eh? These are the enforcement officers that you are dealing with, be gentle with them, events scare the pants off 90% of them.

[cfmonk]

I do sympathise with them Kerry. It's a tough job. It's just that old frustration that myself and almost everybody on this board spend a lot of our effort and, more importantly, profit, on ensuring we do things as safely as possible. It makes me want to jump up and down when you see people literally not giving a s**t about the possibility of even a moderate breeze! There was a 9 x 21 which at one point had 400 people under it which another company had tied down with cord which I would not trust to hold up my trousers! It beggars belief!

[Pete McCrea]

Recently in a marquee at a well known animal racing event held fairly locally. Double decker supplied by a well known Astronomically named company. However big they are, and however much investment they'd just made recently, they still cant send out the right bits to ensure that the cross bracing wires are fixed properly to the frames - the eyes were missing the bolt, so they'd stuck the D Shackle pin through the hole, and taken the steel of parallel to the pin, so loading the shackle 90 degrees off the designed axis...