HSE closes hundreds of sites during safety blitz

As part of a Europe-wide blitz on poor standards at building sites, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors have stopped work at 332 sites across Britain.

Work was stopped at almost a quarter of the construction sites visited by during the 'Don't Fall For It' blitz on falls from height during the first two weeks of June.

Inspectors visited 1446 construction sites across Britain to make sure that where work at height was taking place or planned, the risk of falling was being properly managed. There were also many instances of work voluntarily stopping until easily solved fall from height risks were reduced.

Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of death, disability and injury in construction in Great Britain, accounting for 37 deaths and 1344 major injuries of workers in 2001/2.

Twelve construction workers have died from fall from height accidents since the beginning of April this year.

Kevin Myers, Chief Inspector for Construction said: "It was good to see during the inspection blitz that many people were aware of the campaign and many people had also taken action to improve work at height practices.

"Yet despite the industry knowing that HSE inspectors were out in force specifically looking at falls from height the standards on 30% of the sites visited were so poor they required enforcement action.

"This evidence suggests that there is still a large number of people working in the construction industry that are either not aware or do not fully understand their duties to manage fall from height risks.

"This situation must change if we are to reduce the rate of falls from height, which remains the biggest cause of death or injury in construction."

(GMcG)