Page 8 - W M Donald Newsletter - Edition Eleven

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It is simple, report and address the near misses to prevent injuries and fatalities!
Reporting near misses using
the SAFE ERIC report card
During the COVID pandemic, people around the world have changed their behaviours in response to the crisis. They have learnt to wear uncomfortable face coverings and followed rules set up to protect everyone for the greater good.
Our focus on safety at W M Donald has to be just as focussed. A collective determination to meet the highest standards of safety; to ensure no one gets hurt or made unwell by what we do. To achieve this, everyone must play their part: no exceptions, no excuses, Focus on Safety!
The reporting and trend analysis of HSEQ near miss events is a tried and tested method of identifying hazards that were potentially unforeseen during the risk assessment process. They are effectively a ‘free lesson’. We can look at what could have happened and, through ERIC, we can develop plans to Eliminate, Reduce, Isolate or Control the risk.
It is simple – report and address the near misses to prevent injuries and fatalities!
Near miss reporting is about continuous HSEQ improvement; it is not about blame. Often, a near miss can be resolved very quickly on site. However, that does not help us to share the lesson learnt across the business to avoid it happening again. A few years ago, when quick hitches on excavators were new to our industry, there were a number of incidents where they became detached when in use. If these near misses had not been reported, changes would not have been made. Changes that have made quick hitches much safer today.
Craig Hunter – HSEQ Manager
Suction Excavator
In September, W M Donald will take delivery of what is believed to be the most powerful suction excavator in Scotland.
The MTS Dino Triple Fan delivers 45,000m3/hour of airflow and 50,000Pa of vacuum. As its name implies, there are three fans working in tandem to deliver this power.
In addition to everyday suction excavation activities on construction sites, this suction power enables the machine to operate effectively in situations requiring extended suction hose lengths (or depths) and in very heavy ground conditions. The new suction excavator will have a power arm to provide operators with fingertip control of the nozzle.
The Triple Fan unit will be mounted on a new generation Volvo FMX13 chassis supplied by Volvo Truck & Bus in Aberdeen. The chassis has a rear-end tag axle to improve manoeuvrability, a feature which can be particularly important on housing development sites where space is often at a premium.