Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Press releases
HSE/GNN.NE/230/07 18 June 2007
They look exciting. They look like the greatest of adventure playgrounds. But as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will explain to hundreds of school children in Sunderland, building sites can kill.
Inspectors from the HSE’s Construction Division will join other companies and emergency services as part of the annual ‘Zone Ranger Challenge’ at the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service premises at Railway Row in Sunderland.
Through a mixture of fun and hard teaching, the children will learn about everyday hazards around the house as well as the HSE’s specialism in terms of the dangers of playing on building sites.
Jonathan Wills of HSE’s Construction Division, said:
"With the school summer holidays rapidly approaching it is important that we, again, emphasise to children, their teachers and their carers the dangers of building sites and the need for children to stay off them.
"Zone Rangers gives us access to around 3,000 primary school children in Sunderland each year and we look to get across to them that while building sites may look like terrific adventure playgrounds they are very dangerous places to be.
"Our stand at Zones Rangers, as in previous years, is based on the children’s story of the ’10 Little Children’ who, through a series of misadventures fall foul of a series of fatal and serious accidents involving sand, ladders, scaffolding and poisonous liquids amongst other things. In previous years we have found that the children have taken the message to heart and we hope this years group will do the same."
HSE has been involved in Zone Rangers since its inception and see it as a good way of educating children into the dangers in a positive and entertaining way. Other agencies involved in the two-week event, that will be helping to promote safety messages in other areas, not least the Fire and Rescue Service itself with their exploding chip pan, all agree that Zone Rangers offers an enjoyable way for children to learn and hopefully the lessons will be life saving.
Carol Forster added:
"Although Zone Rangers runs for two weeks, everyone involved wants to get the message across to the children that they need to be vigilant all year round. We will also be encouraging the children to spread the safety message to their friends and their families."
Call HSE's InfoLine, Tel: 08701 545500, or write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
to Jackie Woods: Tel: 0191 202 3604; or Peter Morris: Tel: 0131 244 9062.
HSE information and press releases can be accessed on the Internet: http://www.hse.gov.uk/
Issued on behalf of the HSE by Government News Network North East, Tel: 0131 244 9062.