Designing for safety

ABB has a positive health & safety culture and is working hard to achieve zero injuries, zero work-related ill-health, and zero environmental issues. One of the main drivers for this emphasis on the design aspects of construction projects is the latest version of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations, which comes into force next year.

So now we are taking the next step with a fresh look at designing for safety, not only to improve safety during the construction phase, but also throughout the whole asset life-time. This approach fits in neatly with National Grid’s ‘Road to Zero’ programme which has eight ‘Golden Rules’ for on-site working. The current CDM regulations place specific duties on customers, designers, planning supervisors, principal contractors, contractors and employees to eliminate (if not reduce) risks to anyone constructing, cleaning or maintaining and using the structure and anyone else affected. The main reasons for the emphasis on design can be found in HSE report 156 – Causal factors in construction accidents – which identified four ways that better design could reduce risk:
· Equipment designers (tools, plant and equipment) ‘could have reduced the risk in 60 of the 100 accidents’
· Temporary works designers (scaffolding/formwork/falsework, etc.) ‘could have reduced the risk of more than a third of the accidents’
· Materials designers (materials, their packaging, delivery methods) ‘could have reduced the risk of more than a third of the accidents’
· Permanent works designers (architects/civil & structural, mechanical & electrical engineers, etc.) ‘could have reduced the risk in almost half of the accidents’.

The definitions of designers include ‘those who analyse, calculate, do preparatory design work, design, draw, specify, prepare bills of quantities’ as well as ‘those who arrange for their employees (or others under their control) to do design’.

In view of the CDM regulations, ABB now demands that our designers deliver more health & safety features by designing-out hazards during the design phase. So we are implementing new processes to enable our design teams to identify, assess and manage risks logically.

Some practical examples show how some simple changes that ABB is already making can make a big impact. For example, oil sampling points on transformers are often placed in difficult to reach positions, close to the ground. But with a little thought there is no reason they cannot be re-sited for ease of access. Similarly, SF6 pressure gauges on GIS switchgear were typically placed at a high level. New technology now allows sensors to be used in place of gauges with signals sent to a VDU at ground level. The cooling radiators for power transformers now have integral access platforms available to aid routine maintenance activities. Or, the whole business of servicing GIS equipment is made far easier and safer by construction of an inbuilt mezzanine floor. GIS maintenance is now based on the number of operations not time. This should mean that intrusive maintenance is not required for the lifetime of the plant.

On a larger scale, a change in technology offers improved safety. So for a project that involves the construction of overhead live busbars - requiring the erection of steelwork and working at height as well as the need for traffic management, underground cables could represent a more elegant, safer solution with less disruption.

In essence, what we are challenging our designers to do is to think a little different, and step back to see the bigger picture. So that instead of the immediate traditional answer, they can develop a solution that contributes to improving the safety of the whole project – not just for those constructing it, but also for those using and maintaining the facility years from now.