The construction industry has come under fire from union leaders for its "complete failure" to act to prevent accidents and avoidable deaths at work. A lack of accountability is costing workers their lives, according to a report by the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), which coincides with new voluntary guidance on safety at work issued by the Institute of Directors.
However UCATT have argued that self-regulation does not work and they have called for strict laws. The criticism comes as an investigation is launched into the death of a building worker, who was killed in an accident at Heathrow's terminal five over the weekend of 27 - 28 October 2007. The new guidelines will be sent to private and public sector builders across the UK, urging boards and managing directors to take urgent action in preventing accidents and fatalities under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homocide Act 2007.
But the report by UCATT, which represents 125,000 members employed in the construction industry, shows that since the voluntary guidance on directors' duties was introduced in 2001, just 44% of companies have co-operated. It also suggests that when a company does take positive action and appoints a director in charge of health and safety, on average this leads to a 25% reduction in accidents. Michael Clapham MP, chair of the all-party occupational safety and health group said, "The report should be required reading for all those who argued against the need to make director's directly liable for company's health and safety failures."
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