Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Construction
Welcome to the latest edition of Construction Infonet.
Construction Infonet is a free e-Bulletin from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide a regular update on health and safety issues for all in the construction industry.
HSE’s ‘Clear The Air!’ multimedia campaign was produced in collaboration with the construction industry; a DVD, leaflets and online forums show construction workers how to protect themselves from inhaling Respirable Crystalline Silica (known as ‘silica dust’ or ‘RCS’. Found in stone dust, RCS is easily inhaled if unprotected construction workers are involved in cutting stone and concrete such as kerbs or paving blocks.
In 2004, more than 500 construction workers lost their lives to lung cancer and even more were suffering from silicosis as a result of inhaling RCS. These striking estimates are based on HSE-funded research.
HSE has three top requests for the construction industry and their suppliers:
Find out more:
The Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 came into force on Friday, 16 January 2009. This new Act will increase penalties and provide courts with greater sentencing powers for those who break health and safety law. The effect of the Act is to:
As director or senior manager, your task is to make sure things go right for your business. With the best will, things can go wrong. This mock trial aims to explain what can happen when things go wrong and a worker is injured.
Book your place for Ipswich, Huntingdon and Dereham mock trials.
Many materials used at work can affect the skin or can pass through the skin and cause diseases elsewhere in the body. This book provides practical advice to help you prevent these disabling diseases. Further information about skin
The following DVDs have been produced by the construction industry - including input from RIBA, Constructing Excellence, Construction Confederation, IOSH and HSE. They are aimed at architects (including trainees) and other construction professionals.
The DVDs are endorsed by RIBA and can count towards your yearly CPD quota.
“Every project needs the passion, care and creativity of designers. I am very pleased to give my support to these DVDs, produced by designers for designers which show how these goals can be achieved as well as ensuring that risks to the health and safety of those who have to build and maintain them are addressed and reduced by design. I welcome these DVDs as a really useful contribution to improving health & safety in construction.” Stephen Williams HSE Chief Inspector of Construction
HSE launched a three month consultation on its new strategy ‘The Health and Safety System of Great Britain\\Be Part of the Solution’ on 3 December 2008.
The strategy identifies goals in the following key areas;
There is still time to have your say:
Read details of some recent HSE prosecutions and enforcement action in the construction sector and find sources of relevant advice.
HSE is reminding construction firms of the need to do everything possible to minimise exposure of their employees and contractors to risk following an incident during the construction of the National Assembly for Wales' Senedd building in Cardiff where a 53 year old worker died after a wall collapsed in March 2004, throwing him from his ladder.
Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd pleaded guilty during a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court to a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £71,400.
HSE is reminding access platform operators of the need to take safety seriously when planning work at height, particularly on a public highway. The warning follows the prosecution of William Birch and Sons Ltd of Osbaldwick, York and one of its employees after two men fell from a mobile elevated working platform (MEWP) - known as a 'cherry picker' - whilst they were working at the side of the A19 in Bootham, York.
HSE has warned the construction industry of the need to ensure that work at height is properly managed following the prosecution of the principal contractor on Europe's largest city centre regeneration project - Liverpool One, the key development of Liverpool City Centre to mark the 2008 European City of Culture.
The warning follows the prosecution of Laing O'Rourke Construction Ltd after one of their employees fell over three metres during the construction of concrete stairs inside one of the main apartment blocks on the project sustaining multiple serious head and other injuries. Two other workers also escaped injury whilst working in the same unprotected area.
HSE warned businesses to identify high hazard activities and deal with them immediately and effectively following a serious incident in which two men fell through a gap between the fourth floor and the lift shaft wall. One man fell over ten metres while his colleague fell two metres. The men were working to cap the lift shaft and were manoeuvring concrete lintels using scaffold as a means of access. The access scaffold had not been correctly erected and there was a gap of between 0.5 and 1.0 metres between the existing floor and the wall of the lift shaft.
Tricon Construction Ltd, who trade out of Harbour Chambers, Dock Street, Dundee were fined £10,000 at Dundee Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to a charges under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE urged workers to make sure safety measures are in place when they are working with scaffolding. The prosecution followed an incident at a construction site, a development of new and converted houses, in Southsea on 27 February 2007. A worker crossed the site, to make tea, when a five foot scaffold pole fell on him from a scaffold being dismantled. There was no segregation between scaffolding work and other site workers. The employee suffered severe injuries including partial paralysis.
Peter Ernest Homes Ltd, based in Clanfield, Hampshire contravened Regulation 10 of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996. The company pleaded guilty and was fined £5,000 and required to pay full costs.
Following its investigation into the fatal scaffold collapse at Milton Keynes in April 2006, HSE has announced its decision to bring criminal proceedings against: McAleer & Rushe Limited of Cookstown, Northern Ireland, Lee Smith Carpentry Limited of Romsey Hampshire, NNM Scaffolding Limited of Leicester and Mr John King, Director of NNM Scaffolding Ltd. All parties have been summonsed to appear before Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on Friday 13 February 2009.
Asbestos
9 January 2009
HSE is highlighting the risks of exposure to asbestos after a Bristol college and charity were fined yesterday for exposing a group of Princes Trust volunteers and their supervisor to asbestos' risk. The Princes Trust Team removed a partition wall using hand tools and electric sanding machines, which resulted in the release of large amounts of dust and the contamination of the premises. Tests showed that the wall was made from Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB) and the premises had to be isolated and expertly cleaned-up. The issue of asbestos was not addressed in the risk assessment for the project.
HSE together with local authorities will be carrying out targeted inspections in Kent next month to make sure companies are not exposing workers to potentially harmful asbestos fibres.
The inspection campaign will run throughout February and letters will be sent to 1,300 premises in the county to remind businesses of their responsibilities under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. The letters will pre-warn companies of the inspection visits.
HSE has published a new diversity website providing advice, guidance and best practice information and toolkits to help protect everyone at work - whatever their background.
For health and safety information and advice call 0845 345 0055 or visit our contact us website.
Call 0845 300 9923 or report online.
We issue e-Bulletins on a regular basis and would welcome your feedback and views as well as any suggestions/contributions for future articles.
Thank you to those who have provided feedback on the previous editions - we have tried to incorporate as many of the suggestions as possible.