SITES AND CONTRACTORS REMAIN BELOW PAR

Inspection initiative confirms widespread safety mismanagement

Results of the HSE Refurbishment Initiative which ran throughout March 2009 have now been published.

Construction Inspectors met 2145 contractors on 1759 sites and issued almost 500 enforcement notices, mainly on work at height issues. Prosecution is being considered in 11 serious cases.

Working at height remains the biggest single cause of serious and fatal injuries on construction sites yet one in six of the sites inspected demonstrated significant failings in this area requiring prohibition. During the initiative HSE found that 1 in 5 sites and 1 in 5 contractors inspected were “working below the acceptable standard”.

HSE Chief Inspector of Construction, Phillip White, said: “This inspection initiative was well publicised and for our inspectors to still find this level of disregard for basic health and safety standards on refurbishment sites is disappointing. While any improvement has to be welcomed, our inspectors still found practices so far below the acceptable standard that they felt it necessary to take enforcement action on one in five sites. This is still very worrying.”

Comment: Many will find these, albeit marginally improving, results to be very disturbing. It remains unclear from the limited feedback as to where the problem lies and therefore where HSE resources might be further targeted to make a difference.

The findings beg the following question(s): Were standards lower on… major or minor sites? Commercial or domestic (home) projects? Large or smaller developers? With a CDM-C and PC appointed or not? Public or private client? Finishing or structural phases? A detailed and considered analysis of the initiative data may help avoid a further set of ‘disappointing’ findings in 2010.

This article was posted on 12th May 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, REGULATION.
PP Construction Safety H&S Assistance and Consultancy service.

Construction Health & Safety News, Advice and Information from PP Construction Safety

SITES AND CONTRACTORS REMAIN BELOW PAR

Inspection initiative confirms widespread safety mismanagement

Latest Construction Health and Safety News

BULK BAG COLLAPSE CAUSED BY UNSAFE STACKING

Bulk bag collapsed onto workman when struck by fork lift

INTERLOCKED GUARD NOT WORKING TO ISOLATE POWER

Two workmen seriously injured when plant started unexpectedly

STREET FURNITURE RISK TO PUBLIC FINED £1.4M

Council prosecuted following injury to child playing on hinged bollard

WORKMEN SUFFER SERIOUS BURNS FROM CABLE STRIKE

Assessment and system of work failed to appreciate electrical risk

LADDERS WERE INAPPROPRIATE FOR WORK ON ROOF

Workman paralysed after falling whilst installing roof ladder

FIRM FAILED TO MANAGE EXHAUST VENTILATION

HSE enforcement notices on wood dust and welding fume ignored

RECALCITRANT DIRECTOR BARRED FROM OFFICE

Dangerous telehandler used despite earlier fatality and enforcement

DIRECTOR HID UNSAFE WORKING PRACTICES FROM HSE

Workers exposed to sprayed paints containing asthma causing isocyantes

JAIL TERM FOR CONTRACTOR CAUSING GAS RISK

Roofer sentenced after work caused carbon monoxide release

UNSTABLE STAIRCASE COLLAPSE DURING REFURB WORK

Workman not informed of staircase hazard suffered serious injury

UNUSED SEAT BELT WAS “COMMON PRACTICE” ON SITE

Overturning dumper truck caused death of operators at spoil heap

SELECTED NEWS POSTED RECENTLY ON TWITTER

Links to other construction health and safety related news reports

HSE LOOK TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR CDM SUPPORT

Council Inspectors focus on CDM client duties – asbestos, fragility and RCS

VERBAL WARNING OF DANGER IS NO DEFENCE

Hand of female worker entangled in modified metal drilling rig

UNDERGROUND CABLE STRIKE CAUSES 50% BURNS

Workman seriously injured using hand-held breaker to excavate post holes

HSE WELDING FUME REVISED GUIDANCE PUBLISHED

New research evidence on cancer link prompts revision on welding fume

VIBRATION MANAGEMENT FAILINGS FINED £600,000

Vital health surveillance, tool replacement and management found wanting

HSE ENFORCEMENT DATABASE LATEST UPDATE

View current online register of HSE prosecutions and enforcement notices

DEVELOPER AND DIRECTOR PUT PUBLIC AT RISK

Demolition undertaken without surveys and effective safety precautions

BY-PASSING MACHINE INTERLOCK FINED £1.275 MILLION

Trapped key safety system failed to prevent access to conveyor danger

HSE LOSES PATIENCE WITH ERRANT CONTRACTOR

Roofing firm fined £30,000 over failure to manage work at height risks

TRUSS ERECTION LACKED INTERNAL FALL PROTECTION

Carpenter fell and injured whilst falling with roof truss

WORKMAN FELL HEAD FIRST THROUGH ROOFLIGHT

Fragile roof dangers not assessed and properly controlled

STRUCTURAL SAFETY BODY LATEST NEWSLETTER

CROSS publishes reports and expert comment on a range of issues

HSE RISK REDUCTION THROUGH DESIGN AWARD

Regulator seeks to promote hazard avoidance and risk minimisation

News Archives