Owing to poor safety standards on construction sites in Hull, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had to halt work on almost 50% of sites visited during their site inspections last week.
Of the fifty-six sites visited over a two day period, work was stopped at 24 sites where the HSE considered workers were at risk of potentially serious injuries.
Some of the concerns regarding safety within the Hull sites were as follows:
- Unsafe scaffolding and poor planning with regard to working at height.
- Incorrect handling of heavy materials.
- Upwards of a dozen prohibition notices were issued.
- Some of the companies visited may even face prosecution.
One of the HSE Inspectors involved in the visits, Dave Stewart, said:
"Although health and safety standards on some of the sites visited were good I am disappointed at the amount of work inspectors had to stop because there was a clear risk to people's safety.
"In light of the poor performance observed during these visits we are going to continue to target construction companies that cannot demonstrate satisfactory health and safety standards when inspecting in the area.
"If it comes to a notice or prosecution there are serious matters that need to be dealt with. We don't just serve them willy-nilly."
Paul Sewell, Managing Director of the Sewell Group, said:
"Inspections exposed contractors who did not invest in health and safety. We consider that every incident avoided or potential life saved worth every hour or pound spent."
However, Mr Sewell also warned that burgeoning rules could eventually prove to be counter-productive and added:
"We consider third party audits to be very important but equally so would be the close working between the HSE and contractors to develop leaner more manageable systems and procedures that can be practicably delivered on site.
"Our joint goals should always be creating a safer working environment rather than ever increasing regulation which may ultimately be counter productive."
Figures from the HSE show that in 2005 there were 59 deaths and more than 3,600 major injuries within the construction industry. The HSE also say many of these major injuries were "entirely preventable".
Further information on construction safety can be accessed from the HSE Webpage by clicking the following:
Other HSC fatalities statistics and falls from height can be accessed from one of HSfB earlier news stories by clicking the following:
HSC Statistics for UK Fatal Injuries
Article by Alexandra Johnston
