Hinkley Zero Harm Week: Promoting Safety on Site and Lifting

The Hinkley Zero Harm Week safety event was organised by Nuclear New Build (NNB), the principal contractors at Hinkley Point C. The aim of the event was to promote safety on site, particularly for lifting operations. Organised by Lifting Engineers and the health & safety teams, the event took place on the 11th and 12th October 2022 and attracted a diverse range of stakeholders, from project managers and Appointed People for Lifting (Aps), to site engineers and equipment manufacturers.

Conquip was proud to be part of the event alongside other industry experts including GGR and SafeSmart Access. It provided us with the platform to highlight how our products can improve lifting methodologies and enhance safety for personnel on construction sites.

THE EVOLUTION OF SAFETY IN LIFTING

Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant shift in the approach to safety in lifting operations. Previously, safety was often reactive, with little emphasis placed on planning, risk assessment, and equipment maintenance.

However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need for a more proactive and comprehensive approach to lifting safety.

One major change has been the development and implementation of international standards and guidelines for lifting operations. These have provided a framework for managing lifting operations safely, covering everything from planning and risk assessment to equipment inspection and maintenance.

Another significant change has been the increasing use of technology in lifting operations. This includes the development of new lifting equipment and machinery with advanced safety features, such as, automatic cut-off switches and load monitoring systems. Digital tools and software have become more common, such as computer-aided lifting plans, to help plan and manage lifting operations more effectively.

Finally, there has been a greater emphasis on training and education for personnel involved in lifting procedures. This includes training operatives in in risk assessments, planning, and communication, in addition to the safe use of equipment. There is now a greater recognition that lifting safety is not just the responsibility of the equipment operator but of everyone involved in the operation.

That’s why events such as Zero Harm Week are key to improving on-site safety.

Zero Harm week has been an important time for us to consolidate lessons learned but also an opportunity for the workforce to be involved and engaged with our senior leaders but also with our suppliers and that’s what this plant and equipment exhibition brings.James Thieme | H&S Lead NNB

HOW DID THE EVENT GO?

It was as a ‘drop-in’ style event, allowing attendees to come and go as they pleased. This approach enabled us to interact with different groups of people at their convenience, which helped attendees experience what we had to offer and provided us with more opportunities to speak to a larger scope of people.

We scheduled product demonstrations and safety talks each day to showcase our innovative products and solutions that have been developed in response to safety incidents, site inefficiencies and end-user feedback.

It is really important that we go to the sites like this one today and speak to the people on-site that are using our products, so that we can learn and innovate from feedback.Abigail Workman | Event Coordinator, Conquip

The event was invaluable, allowing us to speak directly to users of our products, train them on the best ways to use them, and demonstrate other applications they could be used for. We also collected valuable feedback from site operatives, which will help us become even more innovative in future product development.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

At Conquip, we believe that promoting safety is a shared responsibility and we are committed to playing our part. We are continually innovating, developing new products and solutions to help our customers work more safely and efficiently.

The Zero Harm Week is here to promote safe work and practices across the site and we’re here to demonstrate how our lifting products fit into that programme.Wayne Beaufoy | Area Sales Manager, Conquip

We would like to thank the organisers and attendees of the Hinkley Zero Harm Week event for creating a platform for promoting site safety and allowing us to participate. We look forward to more opportunities to collaborate on events like this one and will continue working hard to create safer working environments for everyone in construction.