MJ Quinn’s Cooling Team were visited on site this week by Contractor Safety and Environment Manager for BT, Christopher Robertson. What was a routine site inspection quickly became a great example of our core values; Partnership, Integrity and Excellence and our Company Mission to ‘be right when it matters’.

The team were tasked with the delivery of a new adiabatic unit to Milton Keynes exchange. Due to the size and location the unit needed to be delivered to the first floor via Hiab Crane

Stormy conditions has been present overnight and strong winds had continued to build throughout the morning. The team, from contractors SG Haulage and Holdsworths, along with the support of MJ Quinn Health and Safety Manager Brad Sturrock, evaluated the risk, ensuring the task was properly assessed before and throughout.

The unit was to be delivered via an external platform. Due to high winds the team decided against opening the platform gates and employed an up and over technique to reach the specialist ‘barn doors’.

The key to this install was the dynamic point of work risk assessment. Twice during the install the lift was paused whilst the crane operator checked the effect the wind was having and conferred with the team to agree actions before proceeding. It was made clear that at any point during the lift the decision could be taken to abort.

Despite the challenging environment, the unit was delivered safely providing a fantastic example of a dynamic risk assessment in action. Thus showing the importance of risk assessing throughout your activity, to allow for changes to the situation or risk

“I was impressed with Brad, the HV chaps and the crane operator you engaged. Everyone performed in an exemplary fashion. The subtext in my post is that although it might be easy to cancel works because of the wind, or for people to fear risk, you made the right decision.

You assessed the risk, using the expert (crane operator) knowledge and input from others on site and agreed a tentative way forward under the proviso that it could be aborted at any stage if the people involved felt it was unsafe.

This sets a good example, not for risky behaviour, but in assessing and managing the risk to ensure the work can go ahead safely.” 

Christopher Robinson – Contractor Safety and Environment Manager, BT