Tall work

By - , Build 141

Since established homebuilders Breen Homes introduced new guidelines for working at height, they’ve noticed improvements in financial and business results and the company’s health and safety culture.

LAST YEAR, BREEN HOMES, a division of Breen Construction, introduced new height safety systems and policies in response to the push by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to improve safety when working at height.

With inspectors actively watching for sites with no or inadequate precautions to prevent falls from or through single-storey roofs and other structures, Breen successfully implement their best-practice procedures on managing and appropriately controlling height hazards with their team of employees and contractors.

Solution – platform or edge scaffolding

Breen Homes is now using a working platform or edge protection scaffolding system on all residential builds.

The company negotiated a set rate with their scaffolding supplier for the erection and dismantling of this scaffolding for a 3-week period from the time the frames are stood on the slab.

Project managers must then ensure that all contractors get their portion of the work at height completed within this 3-week period so no extra rental costs are incurred.

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With some safety mesh

Breen has also adopted the use of safety mesh on top of the rafters or trusses that goes up as the purlins go on, thus creating a complete fall prevention system for contractors and workers alike.

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Work finished quicker

Breen’s staff and contactors have found that the time to erect roof structures and cladding systems – including metal fascia and spouting systems – has decreased because the scaffolding is in place, and there are fewer concerns about falling while working at height.

Using the height safety practices of working platform/edge protection scaffolding combined with the roofing safety mesh, Breen estimates they have been able to make productivity gains and cost savings of around 10–15% on the working at height building process.

The roofing safety mesh fitted to the top of the truss or rafters has also reduced the number of broken and damaged nail guns and impact driving tools that would otherwise have hit the concrete slab when dropped while working up on the roof structure.

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Practices embraced by employees

Breen workers and contractors no longer view these height safety practices as a health and safety compliance issue but rather a commitment to working at height best practice.

Breen hopes their experience sheds a positive light on the adoption of a safe working practice.

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