Event to help Highland construction companies cut deaths

Date:

17 May 2011

Release No:

SCO/048/11

Construction workers across the Highlands are being urged to pick up lifesaving advice at an event on Tuesday 24 May.

The free event, which takes place at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, aims to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities that occur in Scotland each year in the construction industry, as well as the number of people suffering from work-related ill health.

The event will offer practical information to small and medium sized businesses on how to deal with some of the risks associated with groundworks.

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that during 2009/10, three workers died while working in construction across Scotland, and there were 1,124 injuries to construction workers.

The half-day event is aimed particularly at small to medium sized companies as figures show that three quarters of all workers killed or injured on building sites worked for companies employing fewer than 15 people.

Around 125 people are expected to attend on the day, which will feature presentations from industry experts on quick hitches, unloading and loading lorries, working with buried services, safe trench work and groundworks as confined spaces.

The special training event 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.

HSE Inspector Peter Black said:

"Accidents at the ground works phase, in particular trench collapses, are often serious and can be fatal, so it is vital that managers and company owners understand how to reduce risks on their sites.

"This free event will provide essential information and advice that could help save lives, so I urge local construction businesses to attend."

Notes to editors

1. The event is being run from 08:30-13:00 Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness IV1 1FF.
2. Guidance and advice on how to reduce risks in the construction industry can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm, which includes free downloadable guidance such as "Health and Safety in Construction HSG 150"
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. http://www.hse.gov.uk/
4. Working Well Together is an industry-wide construction health and safety campaign developed by the HSE's Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC). It is run by industry for industry. http://www.wwt.uk.com/
5. During 2009/10, three workers died while working in construction across Scotland, and there were 1,124 injuries to construction workers. These, and further statistics, can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics.

Press enquiries

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

Issued on behalf of the HSE by COI News and PR Scotland