Let's get shipyards ship shape

HSE Press Release: E049:04 - 19 April 2004

The shipbuilding and shiprepairing industries have accident incidence rates almost twice that of all manufacturing. The Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing industries health and safety committee will, this week, be addressed by Justin McCracken, Deputy Director of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), on the benefits of working together to reduce accidents.

The 50th meeting of the Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing Health and Safety Consultative Committee (SSHSCC), on Wednesday 21 April 2004, hosted by Fleet Support Ltd (FSL) will discuss how the industry might work together to tackle five causes of accidents and ill health:

• Work in confined spaces
• Slips, trips and falls
• Workplace transport
• Contractors
• Occupational health

James Barrett, Chairman of the SSHSCC and Head of HSE's Manufacturing Sector said:
"HSE has engaged with the shipbuilding and shiprepairing industries over a number of years through the SSHSCC as a way of raising awareness of the issues facing them. We now wish to see the industry agree collectively to set targets and implement practical measures to reduce the rate of accidents and ill health. Partnership is the key - not just with HSE, but through a sharing of best practice with each other and a collective resolve to realise the benefits, including financial, of improved health and safety performance."

Brad Hicks, FSL health, safety and environment manager, commented:

"A lot of work still needs to be done on safety issues within the shipbuilding and shiprepair industry and this meeting will launch a new approach. FSL and VT Shipbuilding will lead a nationwide initiative to look more closely at two specific areas; work in confined spaces and slips, trips and falls. Our role will be to take the lead in investigating the causes of such incidents to seek a common industry approach into reducing accidents in these areas".

Notes to editors

1. The Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing Health and Safety Consultative Committee (SSHSCC) members include most of the main shipbuilders and ship repairers in the UK as well as others with an interest in these industries. The SSHSCC meets three times per year with the secretariat provided by HSE Manufacturing Sector. SSHSCC establishes working groups occasionally to produce guidance, which is published by the Shipbuilders and Ship Repairers Association (SSA).

2. Case studies of the five causes of accidents and ill health are available from Denise Lewisohn.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office