Falls from Height Still the Biggest Killer in Construction
The
latest injury statistics show that 40% of all worker deaths in construction are
caused by a fall from height and, in the last five years, there have been 13
such deaths involving construction workers in the Eastern Region alone.
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 this month be carrying out targeted
inspections of construction sites throughout the regions of Bedfordshire,
Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
During
the visits, inspectors will provide advice and promise to take “robust
enforcement action” where there is a serious failure to comply and control the
risk to those working on site.
They
will focus on making sure the correct precautions are taken during work at low
and high heights to prevent the risk of a fall and will also be checking that
sites are kept in good order.