The Health and Safety Executive’s Constructional Blitz
22 Jun 2004
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has recently advised they are undertaking a nationwide inspection blitz of constructions sites. The inspection will concentrate on the three major risk areas in the construction industry – Falls, transport and lifting operations.
Construction is a significant sector for the economy but unfortunately it continues to have a poor Health & Safety performance and therefore high numbers of accidents. Improving risk control is vital to reduce the number of accidents and staff absences in the construction industry, which also lead to greater stability of insurance premiums.
As mentioned, the HSE's nationwide safety inspection blitz will focus on the three major risk areas:-
- Falls – during work at height
- Transport – movement of vehicles and mobile plant.
- Lifting – operations involving heavy loads.
Almost three hundred people working in the construction industry have died during one of these activities in the last five years, accounting for over 70% of all deaths in the sector.
The HSE inspectors will follow up on all site visits where they have taken a formal enforcement action, or where significant failings are identified. They will require the identification of the underlying causes of any failings and ensure that improvements have been made and it is possible that prosecutions or the closure of machinery/premises will be taken where effective precautions are not in place.
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