HSE 'Very Worried' After Refurbishment Inspections
Jan 1, 2010
The Health and Safety Executive found the outcome of a national inspection initiative for refurbishment sites carried out in March 2009 was “very worrying”. Site practices were so poor on 348 sites that enforcement action had to be taken – either stopping work immediately or ordering improvements to be made.
1759 refurbishment sites were visited, 2145 contractors were checked and action was taken on approximately 1 in 5 of the sites.
Work at height continues to be a major cause for concern. There were 34 fatalities caused by work at height last year. Other areas that the HSE Inspectors focused on were:
- Site organisation so slips & trips can be avoided
- Housekeeping in work areas, walkways and stairs
- Management of asbestos
- Involvement of the workforce in risk control measures
There have been improvements in construction site safety over the last few years, particularly on sites operated by major contractors. However, these HSE inspections show safety on the smaller refurbishment sites still requires more work and is clearly a high priority for the HSE. Last year over half of construction site fatalites occurred in the refurbishment, repair and maintenance sector.
