Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Safety on site
•
Stepladders and scaffolding towers, etc.
should always have a firm footing.
The following basic guidelines will help to
ensure that nobody has an accident.
•
Hard hats should always be worn when
anyone is working overhead.
•
Every building site, even if it's your own
home, should have a first-aid kit available
and
everyone should know where it is!
•
Extra care should be taken when using
heat or open flames, e.g. when connect-
ing plumbing pipes together.
•
There should be no smoking anywhere
on site or around stored straw.
Tools for strawbale building
•
Always keep the site tidy. Scaffolding
and working areas should be cleared and
tidied each evening before finishing. It
is helpful to store materials and rubbish,
etc. in specific places to keep a sense of
order.
Strawbale building requires almost no
specialist tools. A basic toolkit of items can
often be found around the home, but if you
don't already have them, they are relatively
cheap to buy and not too difficult to find. As
you become familiar with using tools, you'll
find that particular ones suit you better than
others, and you'll develop favourites. This
may be because the handle is just the right
size, or it does its job well, or it's well balan-
ced, or because you like the look of it and
it's familiar.
Developing a feel for tools can
be one of the unexpected joys of working
with straw
.
•
Have a central place for tools so that any
that are not being used can be put back,
and can be found when needed.
•
Never leave tools lying around. Each
person should be responsible for the
tools that she or he is using, should
know where they are, and should put
them away when not in use.
•
Sharp tools should be sheathed or put
away when not in use.
As with most things, there are different
standards of quality available on the market.
On the whole, it is best to buy better-quality
tools even if they cost a bit more, because
poor-quality tools may be inaccurate, wear
out quickly, or stretch!
They will certainly
frustrate you and make you feel inadequate.
•
All electrical tools should be unplugged
when not in use.
•
Do not leave electrical leads trailing
across the site.
The following are some of the reasons for
investing in good tools.
•
All ladders must be securely tied.
•
Never move a ladder temporarily and
then leave it unattended.
•
You will be using them over a long time
period, so they need to last.
