HSE inspection initiative

It has been announced that nearly one in five construction sites visited across Britain have been subject to enforcement action after failing safety checks.

Between 18 February and 15 March, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectors visited 2,363 sites where refurbishment or repair work was taking place and saw 2,976 contractors. As a result, 631 enforcement notices were served across 433 sites for poor practices that could put workers at risk, with 451 notices ordering that work stop immediately until the situation was rectified.

During the inspections, HSE inspectors looked at things like work at height, good site order and welfare and considered whether:

• jobs that involve working at height had been identified and properly planned to ensure appropriate precautions are in place;
• equipment was correctly installed, assembled, inspected, maintained and used properly;
• sites were well organised to avoid trips and falls;
• walkways and stairs were free from obstructions;
• work areas were clear of unnecessary materials and waste;
• suitable PPE was provided and worn appropriately.

The HSE have put up an image gallery to show the sort of things they found: http://cedr.ec/pt.