Further targeted inspection initiative planned for February 2008
In the Summer of 2007 HSE Construction Division Inspectors carried out nearly 1,300 targeted refurbishment site inspections nationally looking at the issues of low falls and good order.
We were checking to see if you were:
- Getting it right when working at height.
- Keeping your site in good order.
Basic safety precautions on many of the refurbishment sites we inspected were found to be so poor, quite often placing the lives of workers at risk, that we are left with no option but to carry out another similar period of targeted inspections in February 2008 to check whether standards are improving. Where we find unacceptable safety standards, as before, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action.
What did we find during our inspections in Summer 2007?
Reducing falls and trips is a priority
Falls continue to be the biggest cause of fatal injury in Britain’s workplaces, with 23 of the 77 worker deaths in construction in 2006/07(p) resulting from a fall from height. On top of this, over 4,000 major injuries such as broken bones or fractured skulls are reported to HSE each year by the construction industry. Over half of these serious injuries involve falls from height or from tripping over materials on walkways and are easily preventable.
The falls and trips inspection initiatives in construction continue HSE's enforcement led inspection activity and follow on from the Fit Out Campaign in 2005 and the Watch Your Step initiative in 2006. Reducing the number of injuries and deaths from falls and trips is a priority for HSE to help the construction industry meet its accident target by 2010, and more importantly to help prevent the devastating effect these kinds of accidents have on the lives of workers and their families.
Sensible Approach
The number of accidents can be reduced by taking a sensible approach:
- Plan and organise work properly.
- Make sure that people involved in work at height are competent.
- Select and use the right equipment.
- Keep walkways on site clear of obstructions.
Shattered Lives campaign
HSE will be running a new advertising campaign in February and March 2008 on slips, trips and falls in the workplace. The aim is to raise awareness of the risks and help those involved to take simple action that will prevent slips trips and falls. Building and plant maintenance and the construction industry will feature heavily in the campaign.
