Why we choose Safety First

We are on a mission to Create Safe and Compliant Places to Live and Work.

So at Lustre Consulting we choose to make safety a top priority. We have an obligation to our staff, subcontractors and the public to ensure that all our work is carried out safely. Choosing to put safety first prevents accidents from causing delays to your project.

Our commitment to health and safety is endorsed as a registered member of CHAS, a SSIP approved Health and Safety scheme and also a member of Constructionline.

One of biggest dangers encountered during site investigation work is the striking of live underground services.  It is important to remember that you can never remove the risk entirely. Anyone working on-site must always remain on guard, but you can lessen the risk significantly by being diligent and introducing a safe systems of work. Mistakes can be avoided if the correct information is gathered before work begins.

The construction industry has good guidance, tools and specialist contractors who are available to lessen the risk. It is the responsibility of clients, their agents and the property and construction industry as a whole to ensure that that work is being undertaken as safe as possible. It is important to remember as a legal requirement under the Construction (Design and Management Regulations) 2015 that even greater emphasis has been placed on everyone, including Clients, both commercial and domestic, Principal Designers, Designers and Contractors to pull together pre-commencement information, including information on services.

In essence, the HSE Guidance (HSG47) Avoiding Danger from Underground Services explains the three basic elements of a safe system of work during any intrusive works:

• Planning the work
• Locating and identifying buried services
• Safe excavation

At Lustre, we consider safety from the beginning of every project, normally when we are preparing a quotation. We always ask for available plans and any anecdotal evidence of services. We always remind clients of their duties to notify us and an allowance is included for specialist service clearance contractors.

Before a site investigation is carried out a bespoke Health and Safety plan is created for your project. If up to date survey plans are available our experienced Environmental Consultants can use the plans to help clear the services. Our consultants also use a Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT), visual inspection and if required by careful hand dig pitting. We would always recommend the services of a specialist service clearance contractors, even if limited service plans are available as it not only best lessens the risk, but may also reduce potential for significant damage costs and delays to projects.  Service identification can often be tied up with a site topographic survey and sometimes, they may unearth hidden gems such as historic underground tanks or structures which can be valuable information.

We believe our commitment to safety will not only save Clients from incurring needless time, cost and stress, but will ensure that their sites get approved and built.

Contact us today so that we can prepare your bespoke proposal.