'Buying for life' in public sector construction - "Be the best", say health and safety minister

E038:06 28 March 2006

"Each year approximately 17 workers are killed on essential projects procured by the public sector ", Lord Hunt, Minister for health and safety, said today at a major construction event. "This human cost is too high a price to pay, both economically and ethically".

"I want the public sector to be exemplary construction clients. I want them to 'buy for life' - meaning they become clients who influence the design, construction, maintenance and use of a building, and help raise health and safety standards for all workers involved in such projects."

Lord Hunt was addressing over 115 delegates, many responsible for public sector construction procurement, at the 'Buying for Life - Construction in the Public Sector' event held today at the QEII Conference Centre in London. Lord Hunt chaired the event, which heard key Government Ministers Des Browne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury; John Hutton, Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions and Alun Michael, Minister for Construction, Department of Trade and Industry and public sector clients underscore the importance of Government being an exemplary client, and sharing best practice on completing projects on time and to budget.

Lord Hunt continued:

"The public sector commissions around 40% of construction work in the UK each year - hospitals, schools, libraries - at a cost to the tax payer of over £33 billion. As Minister for health and safety I want to see less injury and ill-health incidents in the construction industry during the building, maintenance and refurbishment of our community facilities. As we have heard here today, there is evidence of continuing improvement by many public sector clients in adopting good practice in construction procurement."

"The timing of this event is no coincidence, public construction projects are growing in size and number. The award of the Olympic Games to London in 2012 offers an ideal opportunity for all those involved in construction to show how they can work together to improve client performance on public sector projects."

"Government has much to gain from raising its game and controlling construction projects more effectively. It is only by taking ownership of health and safety performance, showing leadership in setting standards and working in partnership with the industry that we will drive out poor health and safety on schemes that we are responsible for."

Notes to editors

1 This event, 'Buying for Life - Construction in the Public Sector' was called by Lord Hunt to showcase best health and safety practices in public sector construction procurement, publicise more widely the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) recent procurement standards and encourage greater partnership working between public sector construction clients and their supply chains.

2 The construction industry's poor health and safety record led the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission to call a Summit in February 2001. The follow-up event, 'Ownership, Leadership, Partnership', was held in February 2005 to evaluate progress, look for new ways forward and to launch the Strategic Forum's Respect for People Code of Good Working Health and Safety Practices. Further information on the 2005 Summit can be viewed at www.hse.gov.uk/construction/summit/index.htm

3 At the 2001 Summit the construction industry committed itself to (broadly) 10 times the Revitalising health and safety reduction targets set by Government/HSC for all industries. While construction has yet to achieve its own injury reduction targets it is exceeding the 'all industry' Revitalising targets. For further information on Revitalising see www.hse.gov.uk/revitalising/index.htm

4 The OCG procurement standards, "Achieving Excellence in Construction, Part 10, Health and Safety", can be downloaded from www.ogc.gov.uk/sdtoolkit/reference/ogc_library/achievingexcellence/ae10.pdf.

5 HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction, Stephen Williams attended the event and took part in the question and answer session. Speakers at the event were:

Rt Hon Des Browne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury;

Rt Hon John Hutton, Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions;

Rt Hon Alun Michael, Minister for Construction, Department of Trade and Industry;

Bill Callaghan, Chair, Health and Safety Commission;

Jeremy Groombridge, Programme Director, Jobcentre Plus;

Steve Vickers, General Manager, Urban Design, Birmingham City Council;

Richard McKinney, Director of Estate, Strategy and Policy, MoD Estates;

Vaughan Burnard, Chairman, Major Contractor's Group, Health and Safety;

Jack Lemley, Chair, Olympic Delivery Authority;

Peter Rogers, Chair, Strategic Forum for Construction;

Graham Sims, Retail Director, BP;

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary, UCATT.

6 Information on construction related health, safety and welfare can be viewed on HSE's website, www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm

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