HSE clampdown on unsafe construction sites in North Yorkshire

Date:

14 February 2011

Release No:

PN19 /11

North Yorkshire's coastal resorts will be under the safety spotlight this month as tourist locations are targeted as part of an intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death and injury on construction sites.

In a week-long drive, Health & Safety Executive inspectors will be visiting hotels, B&Bs and entertainment venues in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey to check building sites where refurbishment or repair works are being carried out.

The HSE will be focusing exclusively on smaller construction sites The focus will be on locations where owners may be carrying out renovations or maintenance before the advent of the tourist season in Spring, as nearly three quarters of fatalities happen in the refurbishment and repair side of the construction business.

During 2009/10, more than 140 workers were seriously injured while working in construction across North Yorkshire, compared with 833 injuries in Yorkshire & the Humber as a whole. In the same period one North Yorkshire worker was fatally injured while working at height, one of six deaths to be recorded in the region.

On the unannounced visits - starting on 28 February - HSE Inspectors will check to ensure sites are managing work-at-height safely and that the sites are in good order. They will also be checking that workers are not being exposed to asbestos.

Last year HSE inspectors visited more than 150 sites and 180 contractors in a four-week campaign in Yorkshire & the Humber. As a result, they had to issue 34 Prohibition Notices to stop dangerous work - much of it relating to working from height - and serve over 50 Improvement Notices.

David Powell, Principal Inspector for Construction for HSE in North Yorkshire, said:

"This will be the fifth year that we have run the inspection initiative and we anticipate that that we will see examples of good practice - where employers are taking the right steps to protect their workers - and bad - where safety comes too far down the list of priorities.

"Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable, especially when many of the incidents can be avoided through simple precautions. As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk.

"We will also be checking to make sure that the health risks from asbestos are being addressed. We will be asking if asbestos surveys have been done before refurbishment starts. Many workers believe that because asbestos has been banned as a building material, it is no longer a threat but that is untrue. Any premises built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos."

Notes to editors

1. During the inspection initiative, HSE inspectors will be looking at whether:
   • Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place
   • Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly
   • Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls
   • Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions
   • Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste
2. Falls from height remains 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.
3. Further information on the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
4. Further information on falls and trips in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/campaigns/fallstrips/index.htm
5. Further information on asbestos can be found http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/index.htm

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Issued on behalf of the Health & Safety Executive by COI News & PR Yorkshire and the Humber