HSE warns construction firms in Cardiff to adhere to safety standards

Date:

17 August 2010

Release No:

AP827W10

Cardiff building and property businesses have been warned about breaking safety laws after unannounced checks revealed concerns about construction and refurbishment work in the city.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered poor standards during targeted inspections of small and medium sized domestic property developers.

Conditions at some sites were so bad that immediate enforcement action had to be taken to ensure the health and safety of workers on site.

Liam Osborne, HSE Inspector for Cathays, Roath, Canton and Cardiff city centre, said:

"The construction industry has one of the highest rates of death and major injury and firms must take health and safety seriously - for the sake of both their workers and the public.

"We would much prefer to be offering advice, but when we inspect sites that are clearly dangerous to the workers and members of public we will not hesitate to take enforcement action to protect lives and livelihoods.

"The number of unsafe property refurbishments currently being undertaken in the Cardiff area is of real concern. We had no choice but to take robust enforcement action to ensure that workers on site did not suffer significant injury or worse."

The inspectors discovered basic health and safety failings - such as not using scaffolding to prevent roofers falling from height and, not boarding floor beams so workers cannot fall through.

Inspectors also found that none of the workers at the projects visited were aware of the extent of asbestos in the property before work started. Any business carrying out refurbishment must carry out an asbestos survey before starting work, information is freely available on the HSE Website on asbestos safety.

HSE will continue to inspect refurbishment projects in the city over the coming months.

Notes to editors

1. The construction sector is one of the most dangerous industries in the UK, with 5 deaths and 623 major injuries in Wales during 2006 - 2009.
2. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 came into force on 13 November 2006 (Asbestos Regulations - SI 2006/2739). These Regulations bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.
3. Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of fatalities and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.
4. More information on construction safety can be found on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/
5. More information on asbestos safety can be found on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/

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