Innovative new safety equipment boosts CCS score

An innovation in safety equipment on the Costain-Laing O’Rourke Bond Street Station upgrade has boosted the project’s Considerate Constructors’ Scheme (CCS) score.

The project is taking place in Central London and includes major refurbishment and improvements to the London Tube station by the Costain-Laing O’Rourke JV, who are working with London underground.

On their first official CCS inspection, the project scored 43 out of 50 points, with all sections of the CCS checklist scoring as excellent (eight points) or exceptional (nine points).

Costain have achieved the full ten points in the “valuing the workplace” section, after introducing an innovation that goes above and beyond the standards. The JV and the US-based 3M got together to introduce a new type of innovative protective respiratory equipment.

The original type of respiratory mask fits closely to the face, but does not provide adequate protection for those who have beards as the facial hair prevents a good seal from the mask to the face.

The JV has adopted a respiratory hood available from 3M which works by maintaining a positive air pressure, covering the head and keeping fumes and smoke from entering the hood.

The hood is inflated by a battery powered fan which maintains positive air pressure. It is fitted with an alarm which is activated when the batteries need to be replaced.

Feedback from the trials of the new device have declared it to be very comfortable.

Other recent workforce benefits to be noted included considerable work that had been done to raise the profile of mental health issues, with visits to the site planned by charities MIND and Samaritans. The latter was one of the four organisations for which Costain last year raised more than £1 million to mark its 150th anniversary.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme focuses on any areas of construction that may have an impact on the image of the industry as a whole, with the main areas being the general public, the workforce and the environment.

The Scheme is open to construction sites, companies and suppliers of all types and size and for every type of construction activity, with many construction companies and clients automatically registering all their work as company policy.

 

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