Ucatt raises concerns after death on site with 'poor safety history'

Construction union Ucatt has raised safety concerns with the Health and Safety Executive following the death of a worker yesterday in Aberdeen.

The 63-year-old worker died after falling from scaffolding while working on a former hotel site in Aberdeen.

The union claims the site had a poor safety history. A previous company that worked on the development in July 2007 was served with a series of immediate prohibition notices owing to unsafe working practices. Falls from height were included within these.

In October 2008, following a visit to check on compliance with the earlier notices, a further immediate prohibition notice was served on the firm, Ucatt said, stopping all construction work until a “competent site manager” was in place.

It is understood that the site was then mothballed before work was restarted.

Harry Frew, regional secretary of Ucatt Scotland, said: “This site had previously been identified by the HSE as being dangerous. It is worrying to think that a change in construction company, could result in vital safety improvements not being made. I will be writing to the HSE seeking reassurances that the required safety improvements had been made before work recommenced.”

Frew, added: “Construction workers need to be assured that sites are safe. If sites have been found to be dangerous and are then mothballed it is essential that they are made safe before any construction work resumes.”

The HSE is investigating the incident jointly with the Grampian police.