Almost one in three construction refurbishment sites inspected put the lives of workers at risk, Stephen Williams, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Head of Construction has stated this month. This worrying figure comes after the HSE carried out over 1,500 inspections as part of their rolling inspection programme, with enforcement action required on 426 occasions in just two months. In 244 instances work was stopped immediately as there was a possibility that life would be lost or impaired through serious injury.
Williams went on to say, "We are determined to tackle this issue head on and will continue to take action against those rogues who flout safety precautions. We will continue to carry out further inspections and do all that is necessary to protect workers, including closing sites and prosecution." Work at height remains the biggest concern, with over half of the action taken during the inspection initiative being against dangerous work at height. In fact, falls from height resulted in 23 deaths last year.
As a result of these statistics, an action plan designed to cut construction site deaths and improve health and safety standards has been agreed by representatives of the construction industry and trade unions. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain has set up the Construction Forum to address these issues with a clear framework for action. The forum will be attended by the Government, the HSE, trade unions, industry bodies, suppliers and contactors and will discuss sharing best practice, raising levels of competence, integrating working practices and taking steps to drive out the informal economy in the sector.
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