Union survey exposes site safety fears

More than a fifth (21%) of construction workers do not believe that their employers take health and safety seriously, according to Ucatt.

An online survey of 750 members of the construction union, published yesterday, also shows what it describes as a “worrying” 11% believe their workplace had become more dangerous in the last 12 months.

More than half (55%) of respondents to the survey said that they had seen no improvement in safety during the last year.

Ucatt members’ three biggest safety concerns were falls from heights, concern about manual handling/lifting and stress.

The survey also highlighted what it said were “continued failings” by employers to ensure that workers are not exposed to asbestos with 60% of respondents reporting that their work could result in them coming into contact with the hazardous material. Of those who said asbestos was a potential issue at work, 36% of respondents recorded that they or their colleagues had been exposed to asbestos in the last 12 months.

Of all respondents, 38% said their employer did not have adequate procedures in place to prevent exposure to asbestos. Just over a quarter (28%) of Ucatt members surveyed said they did not believe that they had received adequate training on asbestos awareness and what to do if asbestos was discovered.

Other survey findings include 8% of respondents reporting that they had not been supplied with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by their employer, despite it being a legal requirement for them to do so. Where PPE was supplied, a further 15% reported it was not regularly replaced and did not meet their workplace needs.

Just over a third (37%) of respondents reported that they or a colleague suffered a workplace accident in the last 12 months, half of which had resulted in the injured person requiring time off of work.

In addition, nearly half (46%) of respondents said that their employer made no special provisions for them working in extreme heat or cold.

Responding to the survey’s findings, Ucatt general secretary Steve Murphy said: “The findings of this survey are alarming and demonstrate that far more needs to be done in order to improve workplace safety. Employers are playing fast and loose with the safety of workers. When considering these findings it also must be remembered that in general levels of safety are higher in union-organised workplaces.”