Lancashire widow backs construction site clampdown

Date:

20 February 2012

Release No:

HSE/NW/16Construction

The widow of a Lancashire worker, who died after falling from unsafe scaffolding, is backing a new intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health on construction sites.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will spend the next month visiting sites in Lancashire where refurbishment or repair work is being carried out. The safety checks are part of a Great Britain wide drive to improve standards in one of the country's most dangerous industries.

Peter and Christine Walton

The initiative is being supported by Christine Walton whose husband, Peter, fell from scaffolding while working at Altham Industrial Estate near Burnley in May 2006.

The 55-year-old from Anchorsholme, near Blackpool, was critically injured when an unsecured board on the scaffolding gave way. He died five weeks later in hospital.

The primary focus of the HSE initiative will be on high-risk activity including working at height and 'good order', such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes.

Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of deaths and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.

The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.

Christine Walton said:

"Any initiative that helps to tackle deaths, and prevents other people from having to go through what I and my family went through, has to be a good thing.

"Peter trusted that the scaffolding had been erected safely when he climbed up it, but it wasn't. He died because the companies responsible for his safety didn't do their jobs properly.

"Health and safety should be at the forefront of employers' minds in the construction industry, as what happened to Peter could happen to anyone."

During 2010/11, four workers were killed while working in construction in Lancashire and 71 serious injuries were reported. There were seven deaths and 308 serious injuries across the North West as a whole.

Dorothy Shaw, HSE's Principal Inspector for Construction in Lancashire, said:

"The refurbishment sector continues to be the most risky for construction workers, but small changes to working practices can make all the difference.

"Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable, and even the smallest of firms should have a culture which allows workers to raise issues without fear of reprisal.

"As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk."

Further information about safe-working in construction can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/construction

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. 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; and
   • Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste.
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

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