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HSE inspection initiatives finds too many dangerous sites
More than a quarter of the construction sites visited in Greater Manchester last week failed safety inspections. HSE inspectors carried out checks at 163 construction sites in Manchester, Salford and Trafford during two days of intensive inspections.
Inspectors issued 56 enforcement notices across 42 of the sites. Work was either stopped immediately or projects were required to make improvements. Some companies may face prosecution.
Work at height accounted for 50% of enforcement
Inspectors also visited 15 sites in Warrington during the intensive inspections on 10 and 11 March but did not issue any enforcement notices in the borough.
Nearly half of the enforcement notices concerned unsafe work being carried out at height. Other issues included dust, unsafe electrics and the general state of sites.
Majority of ”good sites” let down by others
Polly Tomlinson, HSE’s Principal Inspector for Construction in Greater Manchester, said:
“The majority of the construction sites our inspectors visited had good health and safety procedures in place. But the other 42 sites are letting the rest of the industry down and putting workers’ lives at risk.
“Hundreds of construction workers are seriously injured every year because companies don’t treat the safety of their employees as a priority.
“We will continue to make unannounced visits to sites, and take enforcement action when necessary, until the message gets across. It simply isn’t worth taking risks to try and save money.”
Newly released figures from HSE show there were 498 serious injuries and one death on construction sites in Greater Manchester last year. There were also 45 serious injuries and one death in Warrington.
National initiative on refurbishment and roofwork
The intensive inspections took place as part of a month-long initiative aimed at stopping dangerous practices on building sites across Great Britain.
HSE wants to raise awareness of construction site risks to prevent deaths and injuries in the future. Construction is one of Britain’s most dangerous industries, with five deaths and 1,339 serious injuries in the North West during 2008/9.
The national inspection initiative is focusing on refurbishment, including roofing work. Inspectors are making unannounced visits to ensure that sites are managing refurbishment work, including work at height, safely and that sites are in good order.
Last year, inspectors visited 274 sites across the region and issued 97 enforcement notices during a similar month-long initiative.