The Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) believes it has achieved an industry first with the publication of a voluntary code of practice produced in close collaboration with and endorsed by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
The product datasheet, entitled “Health and Safety policy for the loading, haulage, delivery and erection of trussed rafters on site – a definition of responsibilities”, was published at the end of 2005 after months of consultation between the TRA and HSE.
TRA members were constantly being asked to advise on safe working practices for operations over which they had no control – or where they had no knowledge of the handling aids or methods of erection available.
And at last year’s TRA annual general meeting, members were warned by the HSE that someone could be killed unless more care was taken over the collection and delivery of roof trusses. They were also told that everyone in the chain, including the supplier, the carrier and the recipient, could be asked to prove they had taken reasonable steps to achieve safety.
This prompted the TRA to call for more unification within the HSE as the loading, transporting and unloading of roof trusses was handled by three different sectors of the organisation.
Code of practice
The new datasheet sets out, in the form of a short code of practice, the responsibility accepted when a TRA member enters into a supply only contract. It covers loading trusses, haulage of trusses, unloading on site, storage and construction of roofs, including clarifying the truss supplier position under Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations.
TRA members are advised to send a copy to their insurers or brokers to ensure that their activities are covered under the terms of existing policies – and to inform insurers in writing if they undertake any activities which further extend their responsibilities.
With regard to loading trusses, the code states that fabricators will either be responsible for in-house haulage or for selecting a competent haulier. Trailers adapted for the safe delivery of truss rafters must be used.
Fabricators will have to provide the contractor with details of the weight, dimensions, configuration and layout of the trusses in advance of delivery. Details concerning weights of bundles of trusses and their banding will be provided by the fabricator on delivery.
Haulage responsibilities include ensuring the haulier is competent, complies with all legislation and provides drivers with both general and product-related training. Truss fabricators will ensure that all drivers have received health and safety training before they are allowed to leave the truss fabrication yard.
As far as the unloading, transport on site and storage of truss rafters is concerned, the contractor is responsible for preparing a safe working method.
If anything unusual is required to achieve that, the fabricator should be informed before delivery.
The contractor is responsible for the provision of appropriate equipment and labour to comply with the safe working method, and for training the manpower and maintaining the equipment. The contractor is also responsible for suitable access for the truss delivery lorry, a level hardstanding for unloading, and pedestrian safety. Delivery drivers can refuse to off-load if all the health and safety requirements are not met.
With regard to the construction of roofs, fabricators can offer information on aspects such as truss weights, dimensions, configurations and the layout and erection sequence for trusses, but the building designer is responsible for ensuring the truss scheme proposed satisfies CDM requirements.
Safe working methods
Unless the contract is for supply and erect, the fabricator’s responsibility in the development of safe working methods relating to truss erection is limited to providing information and assistance in development of the safe working plan. However, if the fabricator spots something which would not be obvious to a contractor, the fabricator has a duty of care to relay that information.
Patrick Martin, managing director of Alpine Automation and chairman of the TRA’s health and safety committee, said: “TRA members take health and safety very seriously. Three years ago the TRA management committee decided to establish a health and safety sub- committee. Its first and most valuable decision was to invite the HSE to take part in its meetings. The objective of this was to establish health and safety standards that can be applied across the industry that both the truss producer and the HSE could accept as being reasonable.
“In the three years the TRA has produced risk assessments for the machinery and practices used in manufacturing trusses. The latest information, developed with the endorsement of the HSE, is a statement of truss manufacturers’ responsibilities for the design of buildings under CDM regulations and for the delivery and off-loading of trusses on site.”
