Construction deaths still too high at 69

Unvalidated figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest that 69 construction workers were killed at work in 2007/08.

This points to an improvement of around 10% on the previous year’s figures; 77 people died whilst on the job in 2006/07.

Despite this drop, the HSE warned the industry not to be complacent. Figures are still significantly higher than in 2005/06, when 60 deaths occurred within the industry.

HSE’s chief inspector of construction Stephen Williams said: “It is totally unacceptable that once again, a significant number of lives have been lost and continue to be put at risk on construction sites. HSE will continue to take firm action against those who ignore safety precautions.”

Paul Reeve, health and safety officer for the ECA, said: “It’s an unacceptably large figure, but we’re not contributing to that part of the problem.

“Fatalities are not coming from the m&e sector. We’re working day and night to prevent accidents in our industry and we’re succeeding.”

Reeve stressed, however, that deaths elsewhere in the industry are extremely regrettable, and that the ECA are happy to work with other parts of the industry to reduce them.

He pointed out, however, that fatalities are only “the tip of a very dangerous iceberg.”

The ECA is working towards reducing the number of injuries and near misses within the m&e sector by ensuring members improve risk reduction via assessment and method statements, and also through the ZAP initiative.

RIDDOR reportable accidents figures indicate that injuries across ECA firms have decreased dramatically. Sample data from 23 000 operatives indicates rates have halved since 2001 when ZAP was launched.

“Training and awareness are important. The ZAP programme has not gone away; it was a good invention and is obviously working,” said Reeve.

“There are not many people who have halved accidents in seven years.”