Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Press releases
SCO/095/08 Monday 16 June, 2008
Defective and poorly erected scaffolding poses significant risks to both construction workers and members of the public and each year a high number of people are killed and seriously injured as a consequence of poor standards being adopted by the industry.
Aberdeen City Council and the Health and Safety Executive are working in partnership to ensure that these risks are adequately controlled. This is the message that will be conveyed to businesses and local authorities across the North-east at a seminar being run at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen, on Thursday(19th June) 2008.
The two sessions on that day will include specialist presentations and practical demonstrations on scaffold erection and protecting the public. The sessions are being run prior to the launch of a joint HSE and Aberdeen City Council scaffolding protocol, which will be used to improve current poor practice.
HSE Inspector Niall Miller said: “People die and suffer major injuries from falls from height across Scotland every year. There have been a number of major scaffold collapses in Scotland in the last few years resulting in serious injuries to workers or to the public. Material falling from scaffolding during construction or use is also a serious concern. Erecting and working on safe scaffolding is not just a company's legal duty – it is imperative to the wellbeing of its staff and business.”
Aberdeen City Council Chief Executive Douglas Paterson stated: “Aberdeen City Council welcomes the opportunity to work in partnership with the HSE and the construction industry to improve standards in the city and throughout the North-east. We all must take responsibility to ensure that such risks are adequately controlled and as a council we are pleased to be playing our part.”
The event follows an HSE inspection campaign on building refurbishment where significant enforcement activity was taken to protect workers and the public from the risks associated with scaffolding activity.
The event is also being supported by Construction Skills and the Grampian Occupational Safety and Health Group (Building Interest Group).
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