We are into the second week of the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Safer Sites’ Inspection initiative. From the 22nd September to the 17th October the HSE will be carrying out many unannounced inspection visits where refurbishment projects or repair work is being undertaken.
What is the ‘Safer Sites’ Initiative?
The aim of the project is to highlight the dangers of construction sites and to reduce the number of injuries and deaths that occur by promoting safe practises.
The Safer Sites campaign is expected to raise the profile of HSE and the work they do on inspections whilst hopefully making an improvement on industry standards, particularly for smaller construction sites that may occasionally go under the HSE radar.
HSE have taken to twitter to promote their Safer Sites initiative sharing shocking statistics and showing good and bad practises. #safersites has revealed some of the dangers that construction workers experience on a daily basis and has caused an influx of comments as well as advice needed to help create a safer construction industry.
Safer Sites: Health and Safety Statistics
- Around 75% of fatalities in construction occur on small sites
- Over 30,000 construction workers are made ill by their work every year
- 50% of all major and fatal injuries to workers in construction occur during refurbishment of repair work
- In 2011 and 2012 there were 74,000 construction workers suffering from ill health as a result of their type of work
The importance of health and safety is never really out of the headlines. Whilst progress has been made and statistics of injuries and death have declined, there is still work to be done. HSE’s inspection initiative aims to alert those in the construction industry that poor health and safety standards are unacceptable and that improvements need to be made in the industry.
Keep up to date with our blog and twitter over the next few weeks for more information from the Safer Sites Initiative.