Construction union Unite is raising safety concerns after it claims a spate of serious accidents have hit the HS2 section being delivered by the Skanska/Costain/ Strabag (SCS) joint venture in London.

The union has been involved in a long running dispute with the contractors over worker representation on the job where it said Unite officials are not allowed “to freely speak to workers during their breaks in its welfare facilities.”

Recent alleged accidents include a worker suffering arm injuries after clay fell from height onto them, a lorry overturning into a ditch, a skill saw blade came off its mooring, a hammer breaking a worker’s wrist and a digger bucket hitting a worker’s foot.

Unite national officer for construction Jerry Swain said“Workers operating on the Costain/Skanska/Strabag joint venture, will be rightly worried and concerned for their safety.

“This project is crying out for union safety reps who play a unique role in protecting workers and preventing accidents.”

An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said:“The safety of our workforce and the public is HS2’s number one priority. We have an open and transparent reporting culture, and all health and safety incidents are fully investigated, key learnings and actions for HS2 and our contractors identified, and these are then shared across the project.

“All those who work on HS2 have the right to go home unharmed, and we continue to work with and challenge our contractors to provide the highest levels of health and safety standards.”

An SCS JV spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our teams and the public is always SCS’s first priority and we have offered Unite access to our sites, which exceeds levels usually seen across the industry.

“This enables them to meet our team at inductions, work sites and our welfare area. We first offered this to Unite in 2018 and on numerous occasions since.

“We continue to make contact with them to reiterate this offer as we seek to maintain an open dialogue with Unite and to allow them to carry out their activities.  To date they have not taken up this offer, however it remains open to them.”

Two track workers had a near miss from a passenger train following a mix-up over line possession.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch report into the incident in July detailed the circumstances behind the near miss at Eccles station.

The workers were on the westbound track in the early hours under the protection of a line blockage organised by the Controller of Site Safety (COSS).

The pair had been standing on the track to paint a white line along the edge of Platform 2 and had just been told to stop work and were preparing to leave the track when an empty passenger train approached on its way to the depot.

The driver spotted their reflective clothing and sounded his horn. They jumped clear with seconds to spare as the train passed at 69 mph.

The incident occurred because the COSS had given up the line blockage before informing the track workers that they had to move clear of the line and making sure that they had done so.

The work on the platform was being undertaken on behalf of Northern Trains Ltd, the operator of Eccles station. It was contracted to TMT Commercial Contractors Ltd, who planned the white-lining task and employed the track workers.

TMT Commercial Contractors Ltd subcontracted the provision of safety-critical staff and the planning of the safe system of work to Trackwork Ltd. The COSS was a contractor who was supplied to Trackwork Ltd by an agency, Spectrum Rail Ltd. He had been certified as competent to undertake the role of COSS for approximately ten years and regularly acted in the role.

The COSS was also the nominated Person In Charge and therefore had overall responsibility for safely delivering the work.

For a full report into the incident click here.

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https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=631

HS2’s first TBM drive has passed the one-mile mark cutting through a mix of chalk and flint beneath the Chiltern hills just outside London.

Launched in May, TBM Florence is one of two identical machines excavating the twin 10-mile-long tunnels.

During her first mile, Florence and her crew have installed more than 5,500 separate segments, each weighing around 8.5 tonnes.

A second machine, named ‘Cecilia’ is a short way behind, with both TBMs expected to break out in around three years’ time.

Both TBMs are operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick.

Align Project Director Daniel Altier said: “I am delighted with the progress that Florence has made since its launch in May, with Cecilia not far behind.

“All the spoil from the TBMs is converted into slurry before being pumped back to our South Portal site, just inside the M25, where it is processed and used for landscaping on site. This is, and will continue to be, a huge logistical challenge, as Florence and Cecilia continue their journey through the Chilterns.

“Florence reaching the 1 mile point is a great achievement, however we still have a long way to go.”

Each of the separate northbound and southbound tunnels will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced concrete wall segments – which are all being made at the south portal of the tunnel, next to the M25.

Approximately 2.7 million cubic metres of material will be excavated during the construction of the tunnels and used for landscaping around the south portal site.

Once construction is complete, this will help create around 90 hectares of wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats.

New Government measures come into force today requiring contractors bidding for government contracts to have committed to their own plan to achieve net zero emissions.

The new rules apply to all firms bidding for government work worth more than £5m a year, not just those who are successful.

A carbon reduction plan sets out where a firm’s emissions come from and the environmental management measures that they have in place.

Many large contractors already self-report parts of their carbon emissions, known as Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect owned) emissions as part of the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting regulations published in 2018.

The new rules go further, requiring a commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050 at the latest, and the reporting of some Scope 3 emissions.

These Scope 3 emissions represent a significant proportion of a firm’s carbon footprint and include business travel, employee commuting, transportation, distribution and waste for the first time.

The Government argues reporting and reducing these emissions will play a substantial role in decarbonising its supply chain, and the UK economy as a whole.

The measures will apply to all central government departments as well as their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Andrew Griffith, UK Net Zero Business COP Champion, said the new rules will drive forward the government’s green agenda while also striking a balance to not overly burden and potentially exclude small and medium sized enterprises from bidding for government work.

“The message to businesses is clear – engaging on net zero is no longer an option but a necessity from today, with businesses large and small now needing firm climate plans and commitments in place to supply major government contracts.

“As we prepare to host the UN COP26 Summit this is exactly the type of leadership and collaboration required from government and business to show the world that we are serious about investing in a greener, more prosperous future.”