ISSUE 3

|

  16 JUNE 2014
Latest HSE Statistics YTD 15 June
 
2013
2014
Workplace fatalities
1
1
Non-work related fatalities
3
0
Non-accidental deaths (NADs)
3
10
Lost Time Injuries (LTIs)
16
22
All injuries (excluding First Aid Cases)
65
74
Motor Vehicle Incidents (MVIs)
37
39
Roll overs - MVIs
11
13
Serious MVIs
NA
16
Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF)
0.29
0.32
Life Saving Rules Violations YTD 15 June
Journey Management
37
Latest Class A/B Violations YTD 15 June
Class A
107
Class B
2010
HSE TIP
 
Use the Accredited scaffold training companies in Oman and ensure your staff have the competence to deliver!
 
         
 

Important News

     
         
 

PDO has recently recorded a number of serious incidents related to slips, trips and falls. The competence of workers, engaged in working at height activities, particularly on scaffolding, has been a challenge for many years.

Since the introduction of the PDO Specification SP1257 in 2002 PDO has strived to improve the industry standard. The Company has worked closely with local and international training providers to develop more competent workers. PDO continues to promote safer methods. The launch of the Life Saving Rules in 2009, which incorporate rules on working near open edges and fall protection equipment, further underlines the commitment to achieve improved working conditions.

PDO has now begun to witness a step change in the standards of scaffolding and other working-at-height activities. This change, as the delivery dates suggest, has not been easy. 

 

PDO has supported safe scaffold erection and inspection training for a long period of time. However, contractors were unable to meet expectations of the challenging accredited training requirements

Nevertheless, PDO has stuck to the industry standards and through many months of re-writing of specifications, industry and other stakeholder engagement workshops and visits to training sites, PDO has arrived at a new specification. However, it is not just the re-write of the specification that has driven the change. The document, simplified with many pictorials to assist the reader, has been just the ‘kick-start’ to underwrite the implementation of the new working at height standards to ensure it does not stall again. In summary, the accredited training has not changed and the fundamentals for safe scaffold working are the same. However, we have provided options for accredited training and this has been developed hand-in-hand with contractors and training providers.

 
         
 

What You Need to Know

 
   
 
The road to delivery timeline:

Aug 2000

1st guidance GU363 issued on scaffolding

Jul 2002

1st  issue of SP1257 scaffolding and working at heights

Jan 2011

re-write of SP1257 and GU363

2011 to 2012

visit all Oman based-scaffolding training sites and third party review of scaffold documents

2012

Contractor engagement period and document approval

Feb 2013

all ‘homemade’ wooden access tables banned from sites and new ‘step-up’ methods promoted

May 2014

scaffolder competence card system introduced

May 2014

first accredited training cards observed in RAH project

Jun 2014

proposal through ICV panel to accept the SP1257 as the industry standard

Training:

PDO has changed it focus in this particular area. The training is specialised and Company believes that the accredited training is the key to sustained competence. PDO will no longer approve this training but will formerly recognise training companies who achieve the training requirement stated in the SP1257 and guidance GU363

Upcoming Events:
  • Tell a Friend Campaign - Four films launched
  • 2015 Corporate HSE Plan kick-off
 
 














ISSUE 3

|

  16 JUNE 2014
             
 

Way Forward

We are working with PDO’s In-Country Value (ICV) team to support current Oman-based scaffolding manufacturers and to further assist establish others. We are supporting scaffold hire, and other working-at-height equipment providers. More importantly, we are assisting in the development of Omani scaffolding workers. Scaffolding is now an ICV target for 2014/15 with the plan to provide about 400 jobs for working- at-height activities. This includes scaffolding workers as well as those for some other areas of WAH activities, such as operators for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). We are also working closely with our ICV oil and gas partners with the possibility of agreeing the new standard across the Oman oil and gas industry.

 

 

The PDO specification also promotes other working at height activities such as using rope access (rope climbing). Major projects work will call for different types of working at height methods. In all cases it will present other stimulating work opportunities for national staff and expatriates alike.

Overall, we have waited a long time to get to where we are today. We are confident that we have provided the tools, the training opportunities and the drive to enable even better working-at-height standards.

 

 

What can you do?

As a professional in construction areas, continue to challenge and be consistent in all aspects of  working-at--height activities including requesting to see competence cards. As a lay person, if you see something that doesn’t look safe, such as scaffolding at your PDO house, then question it and report to the HSE department if in doubt.

With your help we can further promote and maintain safe working at height!

 

 

     
       
     

For more information or back issues, please access www.pdo.co.om/hseforcontractors or email Nasra Maamery (MSE/51)