HSE inspectors have swooped to uncover a multitude of illegal and unsafe working practices. The shocking evidence of scant regard for worker safety is exposed as part of the Europe-wide Don't fall for it campaign.
The Health and Safety Executive's chief inspector for construction Kevin Myers has rounded on the industry for its poor attitude to safety when working at height.

After the Executive's inspectors swooped on 1429 sites across the country in September as part of the Europe-wide Don't fall for it campaign, Myers said: "What inspectors found during the blitz suggests that a large section of the industry is not improving itself, as it claims. Many in the industry are deliberately cutting corners, paying lip service to safety and risking the lives of their workers."

Some 332 prohibition and 82 improvement notices have been served and 13 potential prosecutions are also being considered as a result of the recent inspections. The results prompted Myers to say: "Given that most fall from height accidents are preventable, there is no excuse for not ensuring that all work being carried out at height is done safely."

In 2002/03, 33 construction workers died and many thousands suffered serious injury as a result of falls from height. This type of accident is the biggest killer on the construction site and the second most common cause of major injury to employees.

The HSE visits uncovered that scaffolding and roof work are the areas that are most often neglected in terms of safety. Operatives were found working on roofs with no edge protection, balancing on scaffold tubes without any fall arrest system and propping up scaffolding on loose piles of bricks.

Myers stated: "It is not acceptable to work at height without first identifying the risks and putting into place measures to eliminate or control them."

The Don't fall for it campaign is part of a European Union initiative involving all member states.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor