Health and Safety - your construction answers are on the Web

HSE Press Release E160:02 - 7 August 2002

New easy-to-follow health and safety advice for the construction industry is now available on the Working Well Together (WWT) website.

Guidance from Health and Safety in Construction, aimed at both large and small construction firms, has been combined with The Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for the Smaller Construction Contractor, two of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) most popular guidance books on good practice in the construction industry.

The new online resource at: http://wwt.uk.com follows the easy-to-use structure of the pocket sized Toolkit, and has useful links to further information and HSE Books, making essential health and safety information more accessible to everyone in the industry.

Both publications have proved extremely popular since they were published, with copies of Toolkit being distributed to small businesses and workers free of charge, but it was thought that they could reach a wider readership if they were also placed on the WWT website.

With this added material available at the click of a mouse, the website is an essential source of information for smaller businesses, the self-employed, workers and safety representatives.

Kevin Myers, HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction and Chair of the Health and Safety Commission's Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC), said:

"The site is a significant step forward in the provision of free, easy-to-follow information and adds another reference source for everyone in the construction industry, particularly for those who do not have ready access to other sources of advice. Following this guidance will help everyone to avoid injury and ill health so that they can return safely to their family and friends at the end of the day.

"The advice, arranged under topic headings, sets out the essential steps for achieving good health and safety standards during construction work. It helps people identify hazards and control the risks and also explains how to plan, organise, control, monitor and review health and safety throughout the life of a project."

Simply access http://wwt.uk.com and, from the home page, go directly to 'Answers to all your health and safety questions'.

Notes to editors

1. CONIAC includes key stakeholders in the construction industry. CONIAC launched the Working Well Together (WWT) campaign in May 1999. WWT aims to bring together those who are committed to health and safety and are willing to put in the effort needed to turn theory into practice, lead by example and help others get it right. Its emphasis on Commitment, Competence, Co-operation and Communication provides a framework and philosophy for change and its website: http://wwt.uk.com provides an effective vehicle for sharing information and promoting good practice. At its heart are commitments by everyone in the industry to sustained improvement through action plans. These can be set up and accessed through the website.

2. 'The Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for the Smaller Construction Contractor' was produced last year to tackle the concerns that smaller builders may not have the money or time to read reference material. It contains all the really important issues that a small builder needs to know in order to operate on site safely and without risk to health.

3.'Health and Safety in Construction has been available in paper format for a number of years and was updated last year. It is HSE's most popular construction guidance. The publication is an invaluable guide to managing risks in all the most common construction processes. The guidance contains all the important information any construction company, large or small, needs to operate safely and without risks to health.

Copies of 'Health and Safety in Construction', (HSG 150 rev), ISBN 0 7176 2106 5, £9.95, can be ordered online at: http://books.hse.gov.uk

'The Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for the Smaller Construction Contractor', (IND G 344), is also available from HSE Books. A pack of five, ISBN: 0 7176 2103 0, costs £5. Discounts are available for larger multiple pack purchases.

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