Crackdown on Dismal Work Safety Standards in the UK
The HSE spokesperson, Rob Hirst, has issued a statement in reference to the ongoing campaign to reduce the number of deaths on refurbishment sites in the UK. He said that as long as workers continue to be injured and killed on restoration sites, the HSE would continue to examine both principal contractors and contractors working in the sector very closely.
HSE officials involved in the campaign looked at whether appropriate precautions were in place for jobs involving work at heights, condition and usage of equipments, organisation of worksites, clear walkways and stairs, cleanliness of the work areas and awareness of the work force with regard to risk control measures. They also checked if the risks associated with exposure to asbestos were managed correctly as per the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
Mr. Hirst said that although a majority of the site inspectors did not have to serve enforcement notices, there were still a number of sites where perilous conditions exist, and formal enforcement action had to be taken by issuing both prohibition and improvement notices during the campaign. He warned the employers that preventing an accident is much better than having to face action later.
Avoid unexpected accidents by having staff properly trained by the experts at Workplace Law. Find out more about their well regarded nebosh course.
The HSE campaign is an attempt to reduce casualties at around fifteen hundred building sites across the UK. The campaign has already led to the closure of five refurbishment sites in Teesside due to asbestos risks, while fifteen others were served notices concerning the risk of people falling from the scaffolding.
