Falls and trips in construction are no laughing matter

The latest injury statistics show that 40% of all worker deaths in construction are caused by a fall from height and in the last 5 years there have been 13 such deaths involving construction workers in the Eastern Region. In addition, hundreds of major injuries have involved a fall from below head height or tripping over materials on walkways.

In a bid to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by falls and trips the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be carrying out targetted inspections of construction sites throughout Bed, Bucks, Herts and Cambs. During the visits inspectors will provide advice and will take robust enforcement action where there is a serious failure to comply and control the risk to those working on site.

HSE inspectors will focus on making sure the correct precautions are taken during work at low and high heights to prevent the risk of a fall. They will also be checking that sites are kept in good order. Employers must ensure that workers are competent and have access to the right equipment. Sensible measures like keeping walkways on site clear must be taken to see an improvement in safety.

The HSE website contains guidance material on falls at www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/ and good order prepared specifically to help duty holders take action to deal with these issue

Bob the Builder backs HSE’s ladder safety campaign

Bob the Builder tooktime out from his live show ‘Build it with Bob’, at the Science Museum to support for the Health and Safety Executives’ (HSE’s) ladder safety campaign.

Every month nearly 100 people fall off a ladder at work and suffer serious injuries costing the economy £60 million each year. The HSE will promote ladder safety messages through a ‘ladder exchange’ which aims to remove 4,000 ‘dodgy’ ladders from workplaces in Great Britain.

In 2005/06 a total of 46 workers died and a further 3,351 employees suffered major injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. Many of these incidents can be avoided by using the right equipment and taking simple precautions. The HSE is working in close partnership with industry to ensure that anyone involved in working at height uses the right equipment for the job and uses it safely.

Eddie Bailey, Head of HSE’s Falls from Height Team said "We are pleased to be linking up with Bob the Builder at the Science Museum as a way of promoting safe ladder practice. Our ladder exchange programme is another part of our ongoing campaign to reduce the number of fatal and major injuries each year that result from falling from a height."

When it comes to increasing ladder safety, always ask yourself three simple questions:

Do you need a ladder or should you use something different?
Is it the right ladder?
Are you using the ladder safely?

For more information please visit HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index.htm

Councils join ‘sign up to sensible risk’ campaign

Local authorities have signed up to a campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining important health and safety legislation. London Borough of Brent,Stratford District Council in Warwickshire, Hampshire County Council and Newport City Council joined the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Government Association (LGA) to make a public commitment to follow the ‘ten principles of sensible risk management’ at the LGA national conference in Birmingham today.

Geoffrey Podger, HSE Chief Executive said:

"We’ve all heard the stories about health and safety banning hanging baskets or making children wear goggles to play conkers. This is not what we are about it is not what HSE wants, not what the LGA wants and not what the law requires.

"We want to focus our attention on practical steps that protect people from real risks that can lead to injury and even death, we do not want to stop people from living their lives."

He continued,

"This is an opportunity for Local Authorities to join with us in tackling this issue by publicly 'signing up to sensible risk'. Together we must seek to embed the principles of sensible risk management into our working culture and the decisions we make to ensure that focus remains on the real task of saving lives."

Backing the call Paul Coen, LGA Chief Executive said:

"The vast majority of health and safety decisions we make go unnoticed because they are proportionate and effective. However, 'myths' about health and safety gone mad and the rare decision that does prove to be excessively restrictive has undermined our achievement in protecting our workers and the community through sensible health and safety policies.

"Excessive health and safety is damaging our reputation with council taxpayers, and is a hindrance in our ability to provide quality service delivery. The challenge for us is to restore confidence in the decisions we make and the good work we do by successfully balancing our duty to protect vulnerable members of the community with their right to enjoy a fulfilled life.

"I fully support HSE's ten principles of sensible risk and encourage you to join with us in publicly committing to taking a sensible approach by 'signing-up to sensible risk'".

HSE’s ten principles of sensible risk provide practical advice to organisations on what risk management should – and should not be. More information can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm Companies fined after fatal fall from height

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to ensure employees are properly trained and precautions are taken when working at height. The warning comes after a worker died following a fall through a fragile roof on a farm in West Wales.

HSE prosecuted Enidvale Ltd trading as B.K. Grain Handling Engineers, of Marlborough, Wiltshire, and Mansel Raymond, trading as Raymond Bros of Jordanston Hall, Letterston, Pembrokeshire following the death of Alan Ellison from Swindon in June 2004.

Mr Ellison’s employer, Enidvale Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 7(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs in excess of £8,000. Raymond Bros was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, in relation to risks to safety of their employees, and was fined £10,000 and order to pay costs of £15,000. HSE Inspector Wayne Williams said: "Working at height is extremely dangerous, as this case has so tragically demonstrated, and it is imperative that employers carry out proper risk assessments, and ensure their staff are adequately trained to work at height.

"Unfortunately, this remains something that too many employers fail to take into consideration, and I hope the fines in this case will serve as a warning to employers to put into place proper systems and safeguards to prevent death or injury to their workers."

Mr Ellison was employed to help install a new grain drying system at Mr Raymond’s farm when the incident took place. He died after falling around eight metres onto the concrete floor below.

Latest figures show that 46 people died from a fall from height at work in 2005/06, while 3351 were injured. Falls from height remain the most common kind of accident causing fatal injuries

HSE calls a stakeholder conference in a bid to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical carcinogens in the workplace

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has invited technical experts, academics, union representatives, industry experts, industry associations and government departments to what will be a very crucial conference to launch a renewed effort to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical carcinogens in the workplace.

The key stakeholder conference seeks agreement on criteria for setting priorities for future activities and possible interventions to tackle the risk of exposure to chemical carcinogens.

Steve Coldrick, Head of the Disease Reduction Programme, HSE explains, "We want to engage with our key stakeholders and industry experts to inform our decisions on future priorities and work streams. The risk of exposure to chemical carcinogens cannot be reduced by the efforts of one organisation or party. We need to rally support from all those with influence in our bid to make workplaces healthier".

Over the last few years HSE has undertaken research to develop further understanding of issues relating to handling, control and exposure to chemical carcinogens. Work to update HSE’s estimate of the burden of occupational cancer began in 2003/4 and has involved many national and international experts. This work, along with existing knowledge that HSE already holds, will be presented and discussed at the workshop.

The work to update the estimated occupational cancer burden has in its first phase focussed on the six cancers (mesothelioma, lung, bladder, nose and naval cavities, non-melanoma skin and leukaemia) identified by experts as being most associated with workplaces.

Final results of this first phase will be subject to scientific scrutiny when it is published in late summer 2007. Further work on other cancers associated with workplaces will follow in a second phase of research which will be commissioned by HSE this summer.

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