Health & Safety At Work
Our company is required by law to consider all aspects of its work in terms of the effects that such work has on its employees, its customers and anyone else (including animals) that might be affected by what we do.
For example, during the course of our inspections a preliminary risk assessment is made in accordance with The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act (COSHH) 1988 regulations. This relates to the condition of the building at the time of our inspection. This means that the chemicals and other materials chosen to provide treatments (if necessary) are those of low hazard to occupants, third parties and our technicians.
We are also required to have written policy statements and comprehensive health and safety systems available for inspection at our office.
These detail how health and safety is dealt with in the company and who is primarily the responsible person or persons. We have carried out risk assessments of the hazards that might result from the chemicals we use and in the way in which we use them.
These are supported by documents (Material Health and Safety Data Sheets) provided by our chemical suppliers. This in turn leads us to provide our technicians with personal protection equipment (e.g. gloves, goggles, safety footwear, etc.) and to provide health and safety information to our customers when required.
The company is required to monitor its health and safety performance and to review this from time to time, thus improvements to our health and safety regime are always ongoing.
Management of our health and safety systems is carried out by our appointed consultants RBS Mentor Services
Damp Proofing Products
Chemicals used for remedial damp proof course installations are covered by a BBA British Board of Agrement Certificate for that product. The water based siliconate damp-proofing material is corrosive, but is non-flammable and can be regarded as being virtually odourless.
The diffusion cream type damp proofing material has a similar classification to that of the fluids.
Injection mortar is a cementitious based compound, which is non-flammable and odourless, as it is a cement based product; injection mortar has the same health and safety classification as cement.
Timber Treatment Products
All treatment chemicals we use are approved under The Control of Pesticides Regulations, 1986.
The timber treatment products used will be low odour formulations of permetherin (insecticide) or boron (fungicide and insecticide), either separately or together depending on the treatments requirements.
These treatment products are health & safety executive approved for 8 (or 1 – depending on the product) hour re-entry, this means that re-entry into a treated area may be made safely when 8 (or 1) hours has passed since the completion of the treatment and when the treated surfaces are dry.
Some of the timber treatment products we use have a one hour re-entry classification – dependant on treated surfaces being dry, as drying out is less likely in an hour, we usually apply the 8 hour rule, and err on the side of caution.
Structural Waterproofing Materials
Cement based tanking compounds have the same classification as cement.
Materials used for structural water proofing, using cavity drainage systems or dry-lining systems, have no health and safety classification.
This indicates that such materials form no health and safety hazard in their use.
The cavity drain membranes we use have a BBA British Board of Agrement Certificate.
Summary
We strive to use only the safest products available, however, any working environment has an element of risk and, therefore, we would ask you to read and adhere to any safety precautions or warning notices that will be left on site, upon completion of our works and to observe the following:
- Do not enter any areas where our treatment work is in progress
- People who suffer from allergies, asthma or other respiratory problems (our office should be notified in writing prior to the treatments being undertaken of any health issue) should vacate the building whilst our treatments are in progress
- Pets, fish, plants, food and drink etc, should be removed from any work areas
- Do not smoke
- Naked lights, fires and heating appliances should not be used in treated areas
- Provide good ventilation to treated areas
Thank you for reading our Health & Safety section and we trust you will comply fully with them, as appropriate, should you have any questions or wish to view our Health & Safety Management System then please contact our office on 0161 425 7595.
