CONSTRUCTION INFONET - JANUARY 2008
CONSTRUCTION INFONET - JANUARY 2008
Welcome to the latest edition of Construction Infonet.
Construction Infonet is a free e-Bulletin from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide a regular update on health and safety issues for all in the construction industry.
++ FALLS AND TRIPS IN CONSTRUCTION - HSE INSPECTION INITIATIVE 2008 ++
HSE Construction Inspectors will be carrying out inspections, targeting refurbishment sites, during February 2008 looking specifically at work at height and good order issues on site.
Latest figures show that 23 construction workers died as a result of a fall from height and more than 2,000 workers suffer serious injuries following a slip, trip or fall from height every year.
During a similar inspection initiative in the summer of 2007 we found that basic safety precautions on many of the sites visited were very poor, quite often placing the lives of workers at risk. We were left with no option but to carry out a similar targeted inspection initiative to check whether standards are improving.
Find out what simple precautions you can take to improve safety standards on your site.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/index.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=01
Find out what inspectors will be looking for during their inspections;
Work at height - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/height.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=02
Good Order - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/goodorder.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=03
Use HSE's 'Watch Your Step' and 'Work at Height Building Maintenance' videos for site toolbox talks.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/slips/video/slips.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=04
http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/video/index.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=05
Be warned - where we find unacceptable safety standards, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/update.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=06
++SITE SAFE NEWS ++
The latest edition of Site Safe News has recently been published. Site Safe News is a full-colour publication providing news and items on construction health and safety issues for site managers and workers. An interesting read for the site hut/canteen!
Find out more
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/pdf/jan2008.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=07
++ 4,194 DODGY LADDERS EXCHANGED ++
Last year, HSE, in partnership with Local Authorities and industry, ran a Ladder Exchange scheme. By the end of 2007 4,194 dodgy ladders had been taken out of Britain's workplaces.
We have a simple message to ladder users. If it is right to use a ladder, use the right ladder, use it safely. If it's not the right ladder, exchange it.
Find out more
http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/ladderexchange.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=08
++RECENT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY++
Read details of some recent HSE prosecutions in the construction sector and find sources of relevant advice.
1. Work at Height
12 December 2007: HSE warns of dangers of working at height after worker loses use of hand. Company fined £20,000.
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=338155&NewsAreaID=228&NavigatedFromSearch=True
14 December 2007: HSE is warning company directors and owners of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height. This follows the HSE prosecution of a director after an incident in which a worker was killed. Company Director ordered to pay £21,000 in compensation to the widow and child of the deceased worker. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=338814&NewsAreaID=228&NavigatedFromSearch=True
21 December 2007: HSE is warning company directors and owners of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height. This follows the HSE prosecution of a company after an incident in which a 25 year old worker was seriously injured falling more than 4.5 metres (15ft) through a roof.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/gnnwm41407.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=18
21 December 2007: HSE has warned the housebuilding industry of the importance of maintaining scaffolding in good condition following an incident where a worker sustained severe injuries when he fell approximately 3.3 metres from the scaffold upon which he was working. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=340842&NewsAreaID=232&NavigatedFromSearch=True
Further information
Working at height - http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=09
Scaffolds - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/scaffolding.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=10
Fragile roofs -
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/roofbuilders.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=11
Tower scaffolds -
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis10.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=12
Roofwork -
http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/roof.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=13
2. Safe systems of work - Demolition/Crushing/Building collapses
19 December 2007: HSE warns of the dangers of not segregating the public from construction sites. The warning follows the death of a man who was killed by a collapsing wall after an excavator had struck it. A self employed property developer fined £17,500 and ordered to pay £9,500 costs. http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/gnnnw07307.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=19
3 January 2008: Company director given community service after death of construction worker crushed by falling concrete. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=342382&NewsAreaID=169&NavigatedFromSearch=True
23 January 2008: HSE warns construction businesses to ensure that they have safe systems of work in place following the sentencing of a company after a floor collapsed at a building site injuring four workers. The men suffered several serious injuries including spinal fractures, broken shoulders and fractured ribs. Nearly five years after the incident occurred, one of the workers has been unable to return to work, and another still suffers from back pain.
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=347033&NewsAreaID=203&NavigatedFromSearch=True
25 January 2008: HSE today warned businesses to ensure that they have safe systems of work in place when demolishing buildings. This follows HSE's prosecution of a Hertfordshire based trader after a construction worker was injured.
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=347892&NewsAreaID=203&NavigatedFromSearch=True
Further Information
Lifting and Slinging - http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg290.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=14
Structural safety - Standing Committee on Structural safety (SCOSS) publications http://www.scoss.org.uk/publications.asp
3. Migrant Workers
18 December 2007: A developer and a contractor from north London, whose poor working practices left a Polish construction worker permanently disabled, were fined a total of £110,000 and ordered to pay £165,000 in costs following an investigation and prosecution by HSE. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=339652&NewsAreaID=203&NavigatedFromSearch=True
Further Information: Free leaflet - 'Working in the UK from overseas?'
Guidance for employers on their responsibilities for temporary and migrant workers.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg410.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=15
Translated in - Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/languages/index.htm?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=16
++ UPDATED ASBESTOS LICENCE ASSESSMENT GUIDE++
The aim of this guide is to explain the asbestos licensing regime and the standards required by applicants. It is intended to help HSE inspectors and HSE's Asbestos Licensing Unit (ALU) ensure that assessments and licence reviews are conducted fairly, consistently and transparently. It will also be a useful guide for potential applicants, or those preparing for assessments.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/alag.pdf?ebul=cons/jan-08&cr=17
CONTACT HSE
Infoline - Health and safety information and advice: Call 0845 345 0055 or visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm
Report an accident: Call 0845 300 9923 or visit:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm
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