Roadshow helps reduce risk in construction

HSC press release C008:04 - 1 March 2004

Building sites in East Anglia will today (Monday 1 March 2004) witness the launch of a new White Van Roadshow aimed at reducing injuries and ill-health.

The Working Well Together (WWT) campaigns' White Van Roadshow, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive, is taking health and safety messages about the biggest dangers on construction sites, and how to deal with them, direct to sites with fewer than 50 workers.

The Roadshow was launched at the Stamford Homes site at Downham Market, Norfolk. The site was nominated by local firm AKE Scaffolding, who won two of the WWT Awards for health and safety in construction. Kim Friedlund of AKE said " We want the Roadshow to demonstrate how committed everyone needs to be in keeping our workers safe - and how important health and safety is to everyone on small sites as well as big ones."

The Roadshow includes a 15-minute health and safety video, an opportunity to try out safety equipment and the chance find out more about the effects of hearing loss.

HSE Principal Inspector Patricia Dair said: "HSE is delighted to support the White Van Initiative. We want everyone in the industry, whether they work on a large or small site, to be aware of how to stay healthy and safe on site. The White Van campaign is a step in the right direction"

During the four-week Roadshow the White Van will visit over 60 sites throughout East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.

Each year an average of 80 construction workers die and thousands sustain major injuries due to workplace accidents.

Since April 2003 there have been two fatalities in East Anglia, two in Birmingham, five in Manchester, three in Leeds and two in Sheffield.

Notes to editors

1. Working Well Together (WWT) is the country's largest construction health and safety campaign, with over 4,000 participating organisations. The Health and Safety Commission's Construction Industry Advisory Committee launched WWT in 1999. WWT aims to improve performance in four key areas for health and safety - commitment, competence, communication and co-operation. The WWT campaign helpline is 0845 27 27 5000.
   
2. 4,780 construction workers suffered injuries that kept them off work for more than three days in 2002/3.
   
3. musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are by far the most common work related illness. It is estimated that each year 1 million people in Great Britain suffered a work-related musculoskeletal injury across all industries, around half due to lower back pain. 5.7 million working days are lost per year due to work related back pain. In construction MSDs account for 8% of major injuries, 34% of 3-day injuries and 26% of all RIDDOR reported accidents.

Copies of the free leaflet The High 5, indg384, are available from the HSE website.

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