Hoarding and Fencing Services Reading

HOARDING AND FENCING SERVICES READING

Installing hoarding and fencing for your Reading business is not just a matter of blocking an area or building off from the public, our hoarding and fencing services Reading are the leading contractor in our county.

There are 5 essential parts that you are legally obliged to follow when installing hoarding and fencing, as laid down by The Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM Regulations).

Any business using Site Hoarding and Fencing must take the correct and necessary steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site, this includes safety, signage and site access, this can include extra security access, such as guarding, roaming patrols or coded site access keycards or site key codes.

What You Must Consider When Installing Site Hoarding and Fencing

If you are responsible for a building or piece of land then you have to consider the following before you install your hoarding and fencing:

• Rights of way
• Work areas that are next to the site
• Houses nearby
• Children and/or vulnerable people who live in the surrounding areas
• Safety of material used
• Height of construction
• Safety of people and children

Most of our hoarding and fencing services Reading are close to residential areas, therefore as a hoarding and fencing contractor or business you need to take extra care because of the children and/or vulnerable people who are close to the work site that needs hoarding and fencing installed.

You need to think about:

• Placing additional barriers around excavations or pits
• Vehicles are immobilised and isolated if required
• Internal compounds are secured
• Additional building materials are stored and protected so they cannot fall or be tampered with
• Vulnerable areas like manhole rings, cement bags and exposed pipes are protected
• Any ladders that allow access to excavation areas and scaffolding are removed or protected
• Hazardous substances are secured and locked away in the correct manner (COSHH)
• Height of any hoarding and fencing is correct for the required needs
• Construction materials are not left in areas that can cause additional hazards

Most of the hoarding and fencing for building sites and old buildings being renovated need at least a 2 metre (6.5 feet) high fence or hoard with 2.4 metres (7.8 feet) being best practice. High-security fences or hoarding is 3 metres (9.8 feet).

For construction sites or protected areas in city centres or locations that have a higher risk of being tampered with due to children or adults attempting to gain access, a higher fence may be appropriate.

Internal fencing can be created using metal mesh with individual sections that are used to separate tools inside of the construction site. The perimeter fencing and hoarding should be made of steel or timber. Timber usually comes pre-set at around 2.4 metres. Often, the it is plywood or low density chipboard.

On some sites it may be advisable to use barbed wire, razor wire or electric fencing, however this needs to me higher to avoid accidental injury and other safety measures need to be considered.

Modern Designs in Hoarding

Professional hoarding and fencing suppliers often paint the hoarding in their businesses colours with their logo and branding to show who is working on the site.

The space available on the installed hoarding and fencing can be used to great effect to advertise and promote the work going on inside the construction site.  Doing this creates a very affordable form of advertising for the business.

Hoarding and Fencing Should Be Difficult to Climb

Any installed hoarding and fencing services for businesses in Reading should be difficult to climb with no handholds, footholds and no gaps underneath. Flat-sided hoardings are a lot more difficult to climb than mesh fences and stop people from seeing the work that is happening.

Due to the risk of tripping hazards any fence posts in pedestrian areas should be highlighted with warning or barricade tape, additional barricades or hazard cones.

If required, angled extensions, called ‘fans’, can be added to the top of hoarding and fencing that makes climbing far more difficult.

Intrusion and the Weather Protection for Hoarding and Fencing

Due to be very exposed for possibly a very long period, any hoarding and fencing needs to strong and secure to withstand wind, rain, snow and sun throughout the year. If the hoarding is to be installed around a very exposed site, then the wind load must be considered when choosing materials for hoarding and fencing.

If the construction site is very exposed to extremes of wind (wind loading), adequate bracing will need to be built into the hoarding and fencing structure.

At no point should extra weight loads be placed on the hoarding or fencing without re-assessing and determining the structural and stability of the hoarding and fencing construction first.

Mounted lighting systems, CCTV cameras, security equipment, debris netting and large signs will also create additional stress on any hoarding and fencing. This all needs to be considered to ensure that the hoarding and fencing for businesses in Maidenhead is strong enough to hold everything.

Any clips, bolts, links and locks should have tamper-proof fixings and only be available from inside of the hoarding and fencing

Any access or exit points should be secure and the same size as any surrounding hoarding, ideally these should blend with the hoarding and fencing.

All gates should be closed and secured when not in use, however, they should in no way cause any difficulties if the site needs to be exited in an emergency.   Gates within the hoarding and fencing structure should be heavy enough so that they will not blow shut due to heavy winds

Construction Site Security Services

Dependant on the work site, additional security services may be required, this can be additional man power on a 24 hours basis, roaming foot patrols, vehicle patrols during hours of darkness, emergency lighting or CCTV systems.

Hoarding and Fencing Services Reading Inspections

Any hoarding and fencing needs to be inspected on a regular basis to ensure that it is in good condition and is not failing at any point.  Gates should be inspected and repaired immediately if they show signs of damage.

Hazards That Could Lead to Legal Action From the Public

The boundary of any hoarding and fencing that is installed needs to cover an area to ensure that any passing members of the public are not at risk from falling debris.

If scaffolding has been assembled within the construction site or work area, toe boards, brick guards, rubble shoots and netting should be installed to prevent debris accidentally falling into public spaces. Covered walkways for pedestrians can cut down on these hazard risks as well.

Conclusion

Hoarding and Fencing is put in place on building sites and construction sites to ensure the safety of workers and equipment but also to protect the public.

After installation it is essential that workers within the area are aware of the considerations above so that they do not create additional hazards. This applies to themselves and the public.

The purpose of Hoarding and Fencing for businesses in Reading need to meet the required regulations and protect the public to a reasonable measure and keep unauthorised people off the construction site.