Inspections aim to improve safety on County Durham industrial estates

Date:

31 January 2011

Release No:

NE/014/11

Local industrial estates throughout Derwentside and Newton Aycliffe will be the focus of an intensive week of inspections from next Monday (7 February) in a bid to improve health and safety.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive and Durham County Council will focus on several key topics including how businesses are managing asbestos and managing the traffic on site - especially around pedestrians and landlord related issues.

It is the latest in a series of initiatives that have been organised to help raise awareness of health and safety issues in workplaces across the region.

HSE Inspector Cain Mitchell said:

"Industrial estates are a hive of activity and if health and safety is not managed properly an accident could halt that work, resulting in lost productivity but even worse maybe a death of a worker. We welcome the opportunity to work closely with our local authority colleagues on this project"

John Benson, Safety and Occupational Health Manager at Durham County Council, said:

"Due to the diversity of businesses that operate on industrial estates there are often vehicles and pedestrians working in close proximity to one another, if not properly managed it could prove fatal.

"We'll be looking to ensure that companies are taking the necessary steps to identify and minimise the risks to help ensure a safer workplace for all."

Notes to editors

1. More details of how to manage asbestos and other workplace health and safety issues can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk
2. HSE and local authority inspectors both enforce health and safety law in workplaces. Broadly, local authority inspectors have responsibility for those providing leisure services or retail while HSE inspectors enforce other areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, waste and recycling and major hazard industries.
3. Accidents involving transport at work are among the biggest causes of workplace fatalities. In 2009/10 a total of 41 workers died and more than 5,150 were injured across Great Britain as a result of being struck by a vehicle, falling from a vehicle, being hit by materials falling from a vehicle, being hit against a vehicle while travelling in it or as a result of a vehicle collapsing or overturning.

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR (North East)