White van safety roadshow follows deaths

Date:

14 May 2010

Release No:

HSE/NW/04Roadshow

A white van with a difference will set off on a two-week safety tour of major construction sites in the region on Monday 17 May.

The White Van Roadshow will highlight the potential dangers in the industry, after five construction workers were killed in the North West last year.

The tour will see advisors from the construction industry and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visit nine sites in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. They will focus on the risks from untidy sites, working at height, manual handling, transport, and asbestos and other dust-related diseases.

Representatives from leading companies in the construction industry will be among those attending the events, which will include practical demonstrations on new safety equipment.

Wayne Crumpton, HSE's Principal Inspector for Construction in Merseyside and Cheshire, said:

"We'll be spending a day at each site to meet as many construction workers as possible, and remind them of the dangers they face every day.

"Good health and safety doesn't have to cost a lot of money. It can be as simple as making sure building sites are kept clean and tidy, or avoiding working on roofs in bad weather.

"The White Van Roadshow will aim to raise awareness about the risks workers on construction sites face every day. I hope it will help to cut the number of deaths and injuries in the future."

The roadshow will set off from Ashton-in-Makerfield near Wigan on 17 May before visiting Ashton-under-Lyne on 18 May, Warrington on 19 and 20 May, and Liverpool on 21 May.

Week Two will see the white van visit Bootle in Merseyside on 24 May, Wirral on 25 May, Salford on 26 May and Buxton on 27 May, before ending its tour in Vauxhall in Liverpool on 28 May.

The White Van Roadshow has been organised as part of the Working Well Together initiative - a partnership between HSE and the construction industry - which aims to improve health and safety in the sector.

More information on the initiative is available at www.wwt.uk.com.

Notes to editors

1. The White Van Roadshow will be visiting the following locations:
   • Monday 17 May - Mears Ltd, Three Sisters Enterprise Park, Ashton-in-Makerfield
   • Tuesday 18 May - Carillion construction site, Broadoak, Ashton-under-Lyne
   • Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 May - Fiddler's Ferry Power Station, Widnes Road, Cuerdley
   • Friday 21 May - Bardsley construction site, Liverpool Hope University Centre of Excellence, Taggart Avenue, Liverpool
   • Monday 24 May - Kier construction site, Greenfields, St James' Drive, Bootle
   • Tuesday 25 May - Kier construction site, Woodchurch High School, New Hey Road, Wirral
   • Wednesday 26 May - Overbury construction site, Media City, Salford Quays, Salford
   • Thursday 27 May - Browns construction site, Buxton Pool, St John Road, Buxton
   • Friday 28 May - Liverpool Community College, Vauxhall Road, Liverpool
2. The following table lists the number of deaths and serious injuries in each local authority area in the North West during 2008/9. Three day injuries refer to injuries which required workers to take at least three days off work.
   
   

   Local authority area	Deaths	Major injuries	3-day injuries
   Cheshire	2	70	113
   Chester	0	10	14
   Congleton	0	2	5
   Crewe & Nantwich	0	3	13
   Ellesmere Port and Neston	0	9	8
   Halton	0	11	13
   Macclesfield	1	10	23
   Vale Royal	0	5	12
   Warrington	1	20	25
   Cumbria	0	45	75
   Allerdale	0	7	14
   Barrow-in-Furness	0	7	12
   Carlisle	0	6	14
   Copeland	0	5	9
   Eden	0	7	13
   South Lakeland	0	13	13
   Greater Manchester	1	166	332
   Bolton	0	13	36
   Bury	0	8	14
   Manchester	1	59	96
   Oldham	0	9	28
   Rochdale	0	12	29
   Salford	0	14	38
   Stockport	0	13	12
   Tameside	0	14	26
   Trafford	0	9	29
   Wigan	0	15	24
   Lancashire	0	78	186
   Blackburn	0	6	16
   Blackpool	0	9	12
   Burnley	0	5	14
   Chorley	0	6	7
   Fylde	0	7	6
   Hyndburn	0	0	11
   Lancaster	0	5	11
   Pendle	0	8	17
   Preston	0	10	28
   Ribble Valley	0	4	11
   Rossendale	0	3	8
   South Ribble	0	4	13
   West Lancashire	0	6	14
   Wyre	0	5	18
   Merseyside	2	95	179
   Knowsley	0	10	33
   Liverpool	2	52	76
   St Helens	0	9	22
   Sefton	0	14	21
   Wirral	0	10	27
   North West	5	454	885

3. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and PR North West