Help for the industry - from the industry, at construction safety and health awareness day in Leicester

Date:

7 November 2011

Release No:

HSE/EM/259/11

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) together with local industry experts are holding a free safety and health awareness day in Leicester on Wednesday (9 November) to improve safety on the city's construction sites.

The Working Well Together event is aimed at small businesses in the construction trade, especially those working in refurbishment and demolition, to give them the opportunity to seek advice on specific issues.

Topics and speakers include:

• Health and safety in construction - Tony Mitchell, HSE
• Health and safety from a business perspective - Bob Sheikh PHS3 (Positive Health & Safety)
• When things go wrong - Rafique Patel, Bond Adams Solicitors
• Top ten tips - Tony Mitchell
• Make training pay - Clive Ormerod, OMS (Ormerod Management Services)
• Where to get help and advice - Andy Cartridge, Working Well Together

Tony Mitchell, one of the HSE's construction Inspectors in Leicester said:

"We hope that spreading the message about the importance of health and safety on construction sites from within the community will help people focus on the benefits of dealing with the issue rather than the penalties for failure. It is very encouraging that all 40 places at the event were booked up quickly.

"We hope that this is one of a series of events that will help to break down any barriers that exist between HSE and local builders that prevent them seeking out good advice and help where they need it to prevent incidents. With the support of the Working Well Together team we hope to be able to deliver more events like this in the future."

Notes to editors

1. Media are invited to attend the event where speakers and organisers will be available for interview. It starts at 9.30am on Wednesday 9 November and will be held at The Venue, 101 Gwendolen Road, Leicester, LE5 5FL. Interviews may also be arranged in advance. Please contact Alice Oliver at COI on 0115 852 4356 if you wish to attend.
2. 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

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News & PR East Midlands