Guidance

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has issued a safety bulletin on the use of dangerously weighted heaving lines that could of relevance to any operator with a wharf or operating vessels.

This issue has also been highlighted in a BMAPA alert in January 2021 and the MCA has issued a policy on reporting and management of inappropriately weighted heaving lines.

The Port of London Authority reports all instances of dangerously weighted heaving lines to the MCA. This may result in enforcement action being taken against the vessel.

Occasionally, a bitumen delivery which has commenced cannot be completed for a number of reasons. When this happens, the weight of the remaining bitumen in the truck trailer puts pressure on the hose and this poses a safety risk for uncoupling.

Eurobitume has developed a new guidance document, ‘Recommendations to disconnect hoses in case still under pressure’, which shares good industry practises about how to safely disconnect hoses when a delivery is incomplete.

This new guidance document is available in English, German and French

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) is naturally present in crude oils and can be formed during refining and when hot bitumen is in storage and transportation tanks.

To help people throughout the bitumen supply chain safely manage the risks associated with handling bitumen in the presence of H2S, Eurobitume has updated its comprehensive guidance document, ‘Potential risks of Hydrogen Sulphide through the manufacture and delivery process’, to incorporate the latest industry information.

Updated H2S Cards

In addition to the guidance, handy ‘H2S in Bitumen Emissions’ cards, available in multiple languages, can be downloaded from the PUBLICATIONS / Documents page of the Eurobitume website.

The cards identify and summarise the main hazards associated with H2S in bitumen emissions, the likely exposure scenarios and potential risks.

These resources help organisations and individuals comply with their responsibilities during the loading, delivery, storage, transport and use of bitumen products.

This guidance is designed to assist quarry operators and appointed persons understand some of the rules regarding the use of drones, help them understand some of the terminology around drone flights and associated risk assessments provided by drone contractors.

Use this guidance to inform your policies and procedures with dealing with drone related activities.

You can refer to this guidance should you need to induct a drone contractor onto your site to carry out drone related activities.

Edition 4 of the MPA Driver’s Handbook, published in November 2023, provides a comprehensive summary of all aspects good practice and is part of MPA’s drive towards Vision Zero.

Designed for easy reference, the handbook has been jointly developed by the members of the Mineral Products Association (MPA) Transport Committee and Health and Safety Committee, as a tool for working drivers to help them understand and manage the risks that they face and create when driving and operating vehicles for work.

A new edition of the Code of Practice for Safe Stressing of Prestressed Concrete Products has been developed by MPA Precast to communicate good practice in the management of health and safety when manufacturing prestressed concrete products.

Prepared in collaboration with the membership of MPA Precast and with the support of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Code of Practice (CoP) applies to all companies with prestressing activity on their sites. The aim is for the CoP to be shared at all levels within the precast industry.

A method used for cleaning many static concrete mixers in the United Kingdom involves workers entering the mixer to remove hardened concrete residue with hand-held power tools. Some of these workers have developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome, an occupational disease that is caused by regular use of these tools. Other health and safety risks, such as exposure to noise and entry into the confined space of the mixer, require duty holders to apply suitable controls for these residue cleaning operations.

Please see HSE research on alternative cleaning processes.

Rail Freight Operations Group - Code of Practice

Loading of Bulk Wagons - Version 2

The purpose of this approved code of practice is to offer guidance to parties engaged in the process and management of loading bulk products onto rail wagons, such that the risks associated with the transportation of wagons are minimised. Included is the management of risk associated with residual / incomplete loading and unloading events.

This new guidance document is the primary output from an MPA Asphalt Contract Surfacing Working Group in relation to Mechanical Road Sweeper and Spray Tanker operations, in particular within the highways construction and maintenance environment.

The document has been developed to give Members, their clients and specifiers, and other stakeholders a focused approach to considering the requirements of operating in this sector, through the adoption of its recommendations.