03.10.2003

HSE chief inspector condemns UK construction industry

The high ranks of the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have condemned the UK construction industry for its failure to raise the standards of work at height following the latest leg of the national falls from height blitz.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors visited 1429 sites around the country, where 332 prohibition and 82 improvement notices were served. Thirteen potential prosecutions are also being considered as a result of the inspection visits during this blitz. As in the blitz during June this year, the main focus was on smaller sites and contractors, with over 85 per cent of the premises visited having fewer than 20 employees on site.

Kevin Myers, Chief Inspector for Construction today condemned the industry for its failure to raise the standards of work at height. Mr Myers said: “Since the beginning of April this year 17 construction workers have died due to falling from height and it remains the single biggest killer in this industry. Given that most falls from height accidents are preventable, there is no excuse for not ensuring that all work being carried out at height is done safely. What inspectors found during the second blitz of the ‘Don’t Fall For It’ campaign 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.”

In 2002/03, 33 construction workers died and many thousands more suffered a serious injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injury and the second most common cause of major injury to employees.

Mr Myers continued: “During this blitz, scaffolding and roofwork most often displayed the worst forms of bad practice. It is not acceptable to work at height without first identifying the risks and putting into place measures to eliminate or control them. Propping up scaffolding on a pile of loose bricks, working on a roof without edge protection, and balancing on scaffolding tubing without any fall arrest system are all examples of work practices that could very quickly end in tragedy.”

He added: “Despite the disappointing overall results, some inspectors reported improvements where they re-visited sites in areas targeted during the last blitz. Here examples of improved practices were seen.”

The national construction falls from height blitz took place over two weeks from Monday 8 September 2003. ‘Don’t Fall For It’ is a European Union campaign on falls from height in construction. The European Commission’s Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee (SLIC) agreed to undertake this campaign on falls from height risks in the construction industry in 2003. All member states are participating in the campaign.