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Covering your back
Page 49
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Busy operators may not have the time to scrutinise every potential hazard in their workshops and, even if they do, it may beneficial for a fresh, impartial pair of ey to look over your maintenance facility Gary Spooner worked for 20 years for large regional operator. He has experier as a transport manager. Today, he is a freelance road transport health and safE adviser. He takes us through the danger workshop life.
"Open pits pose one of the biggest riE to mechanics and members of the publ he says. Pits should be clearly marked. "Workshops can contain dangerous substances so ft is advisable to carry or. a risk assessment. All sorts of risks are attached to welding, too-you have to b wary of flashbacks."
A health and safety practitioner charc around £300 a day to assess a workshe Spooner charges £220 for an eight-hou day to scrutinise a maintenance facility. get the ball rolling, he holds an introduci meeting with an operator. Then, he carri out a full workshop survey, after which h draws up a list outlining exactly what thE operator should do to meet health and safety regulations.
"Operators can be blinkered by their operational responsibilities, so it's impoi that they get an outside independent vii he advises.