Monday 10:38
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) construction inspectors are targeting work being carried out during the 'fit out' phase of projects as part of a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of fall and trip injuries that occur during the final stages of construction projects.
Falls from height are a real concern for HSE. Falls and trips were the cause of more than 50% of major injuries in the construction sector during 2003/04.
Potentially there is a higher risk of such incidences occurring during the fit out phase of projects because of the numerous trades people working in the same area cluttered with various kit and materials, and often, up against the added pressure of tight deadlines dominating when the job must be complete.
Commenting on the initiative, HSE Principal Construction Inspector for Greater Manchester, Anna Bliss said:
"It is not good enough for a contractor to turn up for a job with ladders or step ladders and use them to work at height whether it's safe or not. There are lots of options for providing safe access and, with a little planning, work at height can be done right.
Tripping hazards can be easily avoided if sites are well organised and kept tidy.
All workers on site should take ownership - if they see a problem to do with falls or trips they should report it and sort it."
Inspectors are visiting sites throughout October to ensure that:
* principal contractors are managing the work of painters, decorators, electricians, floor fitters, joiners and other contractors who may all be working together on site;
* ensuring that they have chosen safe working methods and equipment for working at height; and
* that sites are kept tidy.
At one visit to a mill conversion in Manchester an inspector stopped work after he found that the contractors had not planned to provide safe access for workers to fit the treads, glass side panels and landings to the steel frame of an internal staircase. At the highest point a worker could have fallen 25m. Although this standalone staircase in the centre of an atrium had been a key feature of the design from an early stage it appears no one had considered how it could be safely fitted out.
Notes to editors
1) During 2003/04 2,180 major injuries to construction workers were caused because they fell or tripped: 1,107 major injuries to workers resulted from falls and 1,073 major injuries inflicted resulted from trips.
2) More information on the Fit Out campaign, including downloadable versions of the campaign poster can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/fitout/index.htm
3) The Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into force on 6 April this year. They set out a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting work equipment for work at height. Duty holders must:
* avoid work at height where they can;
* use work equipment or other measurers to prevent falls where they cannot avoid work at height; and
* where they cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.
4) HSE has published a brief guide to the Regulations on the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf.
5) The Fit Out campaign is supporting HSE's Watch Your Step campaign. More information can be viewed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/watchyourstep/index.htm
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES: HSE InfoLine, Tel: 0845 345 0055, visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact or write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
HSE information and press releases can be accessed on the Internet: http://www.hse.gov.uk/
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