Health and safety drive to reduce deaths on Isle of Wight construction sites

Date:

4 July 2011

Release No:

COISE/0407

Construction workers and scaffolders working on the Isle of Wight are being urged to attend one of a series of free half-day events later this month, in a bid to improve standards and prevent deaths and injuries on the island.

In March 2011, Dean Marden died when he fell from scaffolding at a building site at Ryde. An investigation is still underway. In 2010/11, there were 50 fatalities in the construction industry in Britain, more than any other industry.*

These health and safety events, taking place on 20 and 21 July, are the first of their kind on the Isle of Wight. Organised by Working Well Together (WWT) and supported by the HSE and several local organisations, they are designed to be particularly beneficial to small and micro construction businesses.

Each event will contain five sessions on different topics, delivered by expert speakers from the industry and consisting of practical, hands-on and up-to-date advice. There will also be exhibitors demonstrating the latest equipment and services that could help businesses improve their health and safety.

Mrs Molly Marden, mother of Dean Marden, said:

"Losing Dean has been a total tragedy for our family and friends. He has left a hole in our lives that we will never be able to fill. We would encourage other scaffolders and builders to do anything to avoid becoming a victim of this kind of accident, and support the training events organised on the island. We urge people to attend."

Charles Gilby, HSE Principal Inspector, said:

"Work-related deaths are a tragedy for a family, for a business and for the industry as a whole. These events will be an excellent opportunity for local businesses to get practical advice on how to take action to avoid people being killed, injured or suffering ill health as a result of construction activities.

"By providing free access to knowledge, learning and tools, we want to help local businesses improve health and safety on the island. Inspectors will be expecting to see improved standards on construction sites when they revisit the island later in the year."

The events will take place at the Isle of Wight College, Newport. The Scaffolding Safety and Health Awareness event will take place on 20 July from 13.00 to 16.30.

The main construction event consists of two identical, half-day sessions run on 21 July - attendees should choose either the morning session (8.00 to 12.30) or the afternoon session (12.30 to 17.00). Topics covered include 'Work At Height', which accounts for 50 per cent of all deaths on building sites, and 'Asbestos Awareness', as there are 4,000 asbestos-related deaths each year.

All the events are free but places must be booked in advance and are on a first-come, first-served basis. Numbers are restricted to two representatives per company. To confirm attendance, please email nicola.ward@iwcollege.ac.uk by 15 July 2011. For more information, please call Nicola on 01983 535 208.

* Source: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

Notes to editors

1. 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
2. Health and safety legislation is currently under the spotlight as part of the Cabinet Office's Red Tape Challenge. To have your say on which regulations should stay and which should be scrapped, visit: http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index/ and the Government will consider your views.

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