Fabricating large steel structures across various sectors in the UK is a heavy responsibility. When working on projects for rail networks, highway bridges, and energy plants, the stakes and risks are high.
Success within these industries isn’t just about managing the logistics, designs, and specialist fabrication. A large part of these projects is actually in mitigating the risks that come with them for our team, for our partners, and for the general public.
In this article, we’ll explore why steel fabrication safety isn’t just a checkbox activity, but a crucial aspect of our business. And, as such, how it’s built into our workplace culture to ensure we deliver quality projects safely, every time.
The importance of metal fabrication health and safety
Adhering to strict health and safety precautions in our welding and fabrication workshop is business critical, and is a crucial foundation for every project and structure that we work on.
At our dedicated Doncaster facility, the use of heavy materials and tooling is a given. From massive, multi-tonne steel parts to complex welding and lifting equipment, there are many potential hazards.
The risks of working with large, heavy steel materials and complex equipment are vast, and can occur anywhere from our workshop to on project sites, resulting in serious injuries. The nature of our work means that workers will be in challenging situations and face a range of hazards, such as:
- Handling heavy and sharp materials
- Operating heavy machinery or lifting equipment
- Hot works, such as welding and cutting
- Interaction with moving equipment
- Falling objects
- Working at height
- Moving parts
To mitigate these potential hazards and reduce incidents within the workplace, it’s crucial to instil a culture of safety. By enforcing protective measures and mindsets within our team from day one, we can help to lower the risk of any injuries or serious harm.
It is vital that this safeguarding mindset is embedded within our team from day one and applied across our dedicated workshop and on external project sites.
Health and safety in fabrication workshops
No work ever begins in our facility without health and safety precautionary works. In this environment, the risks of injuries and harm must be vigorously managed everyday.
Risk assessment and compliance
A full suite of risk assessments are undertaken for every task our employees perform on a daily basis. These assessments are reinforced by specific job safety analysis to ensure that our employees’ safety is at the forefront of all our business operations. Identifying the hazards in each steel fabrication project ensures that workers are aware of any dangers in order to suitably avoid them.
Our team also conducts regular inspections to assess the safety and suitability of our equipment, power tools, and systems. It’s also crucial for us to confirm that all materials and tools comply with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulations for workplace safety. This helps to ensure the success and integrity of the project, too.
Safe workshop coordination
We also determine the hierarchy of controls for each member of the project team. While every member of our team, no matter their position within our organisation, is highly trained for our steel fabrication capabilities, we must ensure that tasks are appropriately delegated by skillset to ensure risks are avoided.
When using particularly heavy materials and tooling, the first safety measure is to automate the task or use our specialist handling equipment, such as forklifts or overhead cranes. In each case, they may only be operated by employees who have been trained in the safe use and operation of the machinery.
When moving complex or heavy structures, anyone who is not directly involved with the task are excluded from the area the operation is being conducted in.
Emergency responses
Finally, we maintain a robust on-site safety net. We have five fire marshalls and five colleagues who are first aid trained for immediate first responders on our workshop floor. PPE is a mandatory requirement throughout the workshop for another line of protection. Extraction systems are also in place throughout the facility to reduce harm from welding fumes.
On-site fabrication safety precautions
On external site operations, additional evaluations and protocols are carried out. This includes:
- Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) must be provided before any work is carried out, ensuring that everyone working on the site is aware of what will be happening beforehand in order to avoid any hazards.
- Written guidelines for safety and accident precautions, and emergency response plans. Workers should be familiar with and strictly adhere to these guidelines.
- Maintaining a clean site to keep all equipment organised and out of harm’s way throughout the project will help to reduce accidents by keeping the site low-risk.
- Every worker should ensure they follow the correct safety guidelines and wear suitable protective clothing.
Preparation and planning
Proper preparation and planning before the start of the on-site project work ensures that accidents and harmful incidents can be avoided. There are many simple best practices we carry out and factor into the planning and arranging of the sequence of movement for both equipment and workers.
We take care to highlight guidelines around exclusion zones, including not lifting over others and only allowing competent, skilled workers to handle lifting operations. Regular checks and assessments should be factored into sequences to ensure stability and integrity throughout.
Careful forward-planning of your project and erection sequence can help to keep disruption and safety risks to a minimum, as workers will be aware of the process and where they need to be to avoid harm. This is particularly important for complex highway and railway projects where coordination with external parties and authorities like Network Rail can help with project scheduling.
Industry standards for safe fabrication works
Adhering to strict industry guidelines is vital to maintain high safety and quality standards in every fabrication project.
We’re proud to hold many accreditations and ISO standards for health and safety works. These certifications highlight our continued commitment to safeguarding protocols in the workplace and on-site.
ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety)
This internationally recognised accreditation emphasises our culture of continuous safety improvement, managing risks, reducing accidents, and protecting our workers while maintaining efficient operations.
ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 3834 (Quality Requirements for Fusion Welding) and SCCS NHSS (Quality Management in Highway Works)
Holding these ISO standards emphasises our dedication to better quality works which result in a safer final product. These accreditations assure that our welding, fabrication, and steel erections are done to international best practices, guaranteeing their reliability as a safe, long-lasting structure.
SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement)
Holding this certification is a testament to our consistently high health and safety standards within our workforce.
How we support mental and physical health
While technical standards and thorough assessments provide the frameworks for a safe working environment, the heart of our operations is our people. At Carver, we truly believe that a safe workplace is one where employees are supported both physically and mentally.
We operate a full health surveillance programme throughout our organisation. This is provided by two qualified, third-party Occupational Health service companies. They provide specialist oversight and proactive health monitoring for our team members, making sure they are in a healthy position to carry out the tough work we do both on-site and at our facility.
To support a healthy, focused mindset for all of our employees, our HSE manager serves as a dedicated Mental Health champion. They are fully trained to provide confidential support and direct them to relevant support networks. By integrating mental health into our core safety strategy, we ensure that our team remains supported in every aspect of their work.
Delivering certainty in our high-risk industry
The work we do at Carver, from precision welding and cutting in our facility to on-site steel erections, is highly complex and technical. Successful project completion is dependent on strict adherence to safety protocols, thorough forward-planning and risk assessments, and ensuring the protection of our team when working with hazardous materials and equipment.
Safety is an area of our business where we never compromise or cut corners. With our combination of ISO standards, specialist handling, and a culture of care embedded throughout our on-site and facility operations, we are an ideal partner for many sectors’ fabrication projects. If you’re looking for an experienced fabrication engineer who safely delivers reliability, durability and quality outcomes in steel structures, get in touch with our team today to discuss your next project.
