Example occupational health and safety dissertation topic 5:

Chimney repair safety: Time to move beyond mere scaffolding?

Though the adoption of scaffolding for the ascent to rooftops in the maintenance, repair and construction of chimney stacks has been a welcome improvement to the health and safety environment that hitherto dominated the industry (the use of ladders), this dissertation suggests that the present reliance on scaffolding leaves much to be desired. Accordingly, this study proposes two alternative mechanisms that would further enhance present health and safety and carries out a cost benefit analysis of both. The first, the requirement for harnesses and ropes to be attached to chimneys being repaired, is a relatively low cost option but would not provide additional safety for those installing new chimney stacks. In contrast, the use of lift cradles would ensure that all workmen engaged in such work performed their duties from the safety of a cradle but carries with it significantly greater costs.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Department for Communities and Local Government (2009). Working at heights. London: HMSO.
• Durnall, T.J. and Proverbs, D. ‘An alternative model of motivation for steeplejacks within the petrochemical and power generation industries’. Management, vol. 115(24), pp. 115-124.
• Harris, A. (2012). ‘Rising to the challenge’. Engineering & Technology, vol. 7(10), pp. 56-58.