Worksite Security and Protection from Hazardous Areas

Worksites are a big temptation for most children, and I speak from experience when as a youngster, I would regularly climb through, under or over construction site fences to climb the nearest scaffold or attempt to drive the machinery. It’s one big playground!!
 
Construction sites are dynamic environments filled with heavy machinery, hazardous materials, and various personnel, making them inherently risky places. With this complexity comes the critical need for robust health and safety protocols, and one of the most essential yet often overlooked aspects is construction site security. Effective security measures not only protect the site but also play a vital role in ensuring the health and safety of workers and the surrounding community.
 
Workers on any site can be unaware of potential hazards in the workplace if they are not told of them so children stand very little chance of understanding the risks in which they are facing on their latest adventure.
 
IOSH Magazine released an article in 2022 about the tragic accident in the UK where a 7-year-old boy lost his life due to a number of Health & Safety breaches. The child had made his way onto a site through inadequate site perimeter fencing and got stuck inside a drain line where he sadly suffocated. He was not found until the next day when construction workers started their shift.
 
The safety watchdog found that there was insufficient fencing in place to prevent unauthorised persons from accessing the construction site due to a combination of poor planning, management and monitoring of the site and its perimeter. The Contractor admitted breaching regulation 13(4)(b) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. As well as the £600,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay £42,952.
 
Another similar tragic case in 2023 was reported in Scotland where a Contractor was fined £800,000 after a 10-year-old boy died after falling down a manhole following a series of inadequate site safety measures
 
Unfortunately, this is a hazard that we observe quite regularly. Contractors and any PCBU’s in control of a workplace should ensure that these hazards are controlled appropriately and in proportion to the risks present as a result of the ongoing works. Controls to consider could be.

• Ensuring that the fencing selected is robust enough for the duration of the project
• Ensuring that the fence line is secure with minimal gaps for little bodies to climb through
• If using temporary fence panels, ensure that fence panels are always clamped/clipped top and bottom
• Ensure that appropriate propping is installed that is suitable for the environment that it is in. Consider additional or more robust fencing for open, coastal, or elevated areas more vulnerable to high winds.

Extreme areas may need an engineered temporary works design to account for maximum wind loading

• Display signage at regular intervals along the fence advising on the hazards within the site
• Consider installation of CCTV or deployment of a security guard
• Worksite managers to complete regular checks of perimeter fencing to ensure it remains in suitable condition
• Regular site inspections to ensure that worksite hazards are kept to a minimum and appropriately controlled
• Install edge protection around any excavations or fall hazards within the site
• Install robust covers and hazard signage over all open manholes or drains
• Install ladder guards on all access points to scaffolding

These safeguards are not just to prevent access to curious children but a safeguard to the general public for the duration of the project. These measures not only benefit public safety but also the financial and operational integrity of the project.
 
Additionally, good, sound security would act as a deterrent for any potential thefts