HSE ramps up prosecutions on construction sites
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The HSE has been carrying out a a concentrated two-week period of proactive inspections of building sites and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) demanded improvements on many building sitee, and in some cases put an immediate stop to work activities, where they fell short of expected standards.
Inspectors for the HSE have been particularly looking at health risk issues, such as respiratory risks from dusts and air borne materials including, silica materials, exposure to other hazardous substances such as cement and lead paint, manual handling, noise and vibration.
The statistics are yet to be released but in some situations that the work had to be stopped on at least 13 occasions because of risk to construction operatives.
Out of 560 sites that were visited enforcement notices were served at 85 of them which is surprisingly high and thirteen prohibition notices were served on site and 107 Improvement Notices.
Heather Byant HSE’s Chief Inspector, commneted :“We recognise the construction sector’s progress in reducing the number of people killed and injured by its activities. But it is clear from these figures that there is an unacceptable toll of ill-health and fatal disease in the industry.
“So, to encourage the industry to treat health issues in the same way as safety, HSE’s inspectors will consolidate the efforts of this initiative throughout the rest of the year by looking at the prevention and control of health risks in construction, alongside their continued assessment of the management of safety risk issues.
“We will make sure the construction industry ‘Thinks health’ as well as safety.”
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