West midlands under HSE construction spotlight

Safety drive in progress to reduce small site scaffold deaths and injuries

Construction sites in the West Midlands, Worcestershire and Warwickshire will be put under the spotlight over the next three weeks as part of a safety drive to reduce the number of workplace deaths and injuries.

Between 2006 and 2011 there were three fatalities and 250 injuries involving fixed or mobile scaffold in Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. HSE Inspectors will target poor performance on smaller construction and refurbishment sites where scaffolds are in place.

Principal Inspector Jo Anderson, who will be leading the campaign, said:

“Scaffolding" still poses a significant risk to those involved in its construction and dismantling as well as those who use it. Too many workers needlessly die because work was not properly planned or the equipment was incorrectly installed or used.

Over the next three weeks, inspectors will target sites where poor scaffolding is putting workers at risk and when necessary take enforcement action.”

HSE inspectors will look at whether jobs that involve working at height have been properly planned to ensure that adequate safety measures are in place and that equipment is correctly installed, inspected, maintained and used.