final-report-of-the-advisory-committee-on-falsework-bragg-report - Flipbook - Page 9
6 All falsework must be designed, even if on a small
job the design is only a simple sketch. The designer, especially if he is not on site, must have a
proper written brief which must include all the
factors which have to be allowed for.
7 Special attention must be paid to the design of
grillages. The designer must ensure that tendencies
for beams to overturn or webs to buckle under
load (particularly eccentric or lateral loads) are
resisted and that allowable bearing stresses are
not exceeded.
8 Work on the measurement of loads on actual
falsework in the field should be extended.
9 Theoretical and laboratory work on falsework
elements and systems should be extended and correlated with the measurements made under the
previous recommendation.
10 Suppliers of proprietary materials should be required to specify the conditions of test, the failure
loads and the mode of failure of each item of
equipment in addition to any recommendations
about safe working load.
11 Tests should be carried out on new materials to
check the validity of claims made for them and
on used materials to check the deterioration which
occurs in service.
12 The designer should assume that previously used
material will be incorporated in falsework and
must use appropriate stresses. If there are critical
areas where he has assumed the use of new
material these must be clearly indicated on the
drawings.
13 The initial design of any falsework other than
minor and any subsequent significant alterations
must be approved by a fully qualified engineer.
14 If a design contains novel features the contractor
should arrange for the design to be checked by
an independent assessor.
15 The falsework design and, if he requests them, the
calculations which were made must be submitted
to the designer of the permanent works for comment. If the person responsible for the permanent
works is an architect without engineering qualifications he must submit them to his consulting
engineer unless the building method is traditional
in all respects.
16 The philosophy of preparing and checking the
design, of not modifying it without assessing the
resulting effects and of having any doubtful points
checked must apply in all cases major and minor.
17 On all sites the contractor or construction
organisation must appoint a properly qualified
Temporary Works Co-ordinator whose duties are
to ensure that all procedures have been followed,
that all checks and inspections have been carried
out and that any modifications or changes have
been properly authorised. Falsework may not be
loaded or struck without the written permission
of the Temporary Works Co-ordinator.
18 Communication between designers and others on
and off site must be improved. Drawings must be
clear and loading diagrams must be provided.
19 Training in safe working procedures must be an
integral part of all courses in falsework technology
and practice, whether for skilled operatives or
professional engineers.
20 Instruction in the special features of falsework
should be included in all education courses in
civil engineering and architecture.
21 Professional institutions should require the design
of the relevant falsework to be included with any
permanent works design submitted as evidence of
professional competence. They should also commission case histories and suitable data for instructional purposes.
22 Short professional courses in falsework should be
provided for practising engineers and architects.
23 Practical training courses in falsework should be
provided for skilled operatives and first line
supervision. The performance of everyone attending such courses should be assessed and a certificate
awarded to those reaching an acceptable standard. Courses should be on such a scale that the
proportion of certificated operatives in the industry
should be 10 % at the end of the year in which
courses started and should continue at this rate.
24 The standard of the courses should be controlled
by the Health and Safety Executive and reviewed
regularly. Resources for such courses are already
available from the Construction Industry Training
Board. The Training Services Agency should
regard falsework as a key training area.
25 Contractors, sub-contractors and other construction organisations who are directly responsible for
falsework must keep a register of the number of
certificated operators they employ on each site.
26 The Government should insist that contractors
carrying out work for the public sector in which
falsework is a feature, provide a training record
and programme which will ensure that properly
trained operatives will be employed on that work.
27 A handbook on falsework and simple data sheets
for use by personnel on site should be commissioned by the Government. A textbook on falsework should also be commissioned.
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