Construction deaths rise for first time in four years

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Dazzc

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Site fatalities are on the increase for the first time in four years according to figures due to be released this summer.

Provisional statistics compiled by the Health and Safety Executive for the year to April 2011 are understood to show more than the 42 construction fatalities recorded in 2009/10.

It will be the the first time death levels have increased since 2006/07 when 79 people were killed.

HSE sources said recessions often lead to “corner cutting” on safety as contractors are forced to work to much tighter prices.

The official figures are expected to confirm the trend of smaller sites accounting for a greater proportion of deaths with small refurbishment jobs still an accident blackspot.
 
"HSE sources said recessions often lead to “corner cutting” on safety as contractors are forced to work to much tighter prices."

So is that the HSE view, kill more of us so we can get through a recession

I would much rather have heard that they (HSE) are going all out to get rid of the cowboy scum from the Construction Industry, enforcing and prosecuting offenders with the legislation already in place.The courts to hand down sentence's with high fines and imprisonment for offenders
 
Sadly the reality is that there are a lot of "cowboy" traders who often trade illegally (no insurance) and utilise cheap foreign labour to enable them to undercut their competitors. Whether or not a large percentage of these fatalities are directly attributed to employees of said traders or not is anyone's guess, however it is true that safety will often be compromised by those with no real track record of trading simply because they are not as experienced in H&S/PPE/Risk Assessments/Method Statements as genuine long established companies.
 
i didnt think you needed insurance,by law.as i know it,anyone can start a scaffold firm,and not have insurance.you just cant work on sites or for councils,but you can do for cowboy builders.
 
42 fatalities in 2009/10 in a recession.
79 fatalities in 2006/07 no recession.
About 49% reduction on the 2006/07 levels.
About the same % of workers laid off in the industry.

In actual terms the % of fatalities per workers employed has not changed.

Quote. HSE. Small refurbishment jobs still an accident blackspot. It can be assumed that those kind of jobs account for a high % of the fatalities. Yet we hear time and time again on the forum of dodgy builders, dodgy scaffolds, no scaffolds, and a total disrespect for safety. Its of no use the HSE visiting those sites after a death, if they were visiting them on an ongoing basis the death rate would fall.
It will be said, they have'nt the resources, but if they were to concentrate less on the bigger, better run sites that largely police themselves and use the resources to go after the cowboys, then the fatality rate would fall. Its of little use publishing a report that identifies where the problem is if they will not act on it.
 
Anglia Insurance (AIS) said:
Sadly the reality is that there are a lot of "cowboy" traders who often trade illegally (no insurance) and utilise cheap foreign labour to enable them to undercut their competitors. Whether or not a large percentage of these fatalities are directly attributed to employees of said traders or not is anyone's guess, however it is true that safety will often be compromised by those with no real track record of trading simply because they are not as experienced in H&S/PPE/Risk Assessments/Method Statements as genuine long established companies.
Click to expand...

So tell us something new. how does having insurance or not reduce accidents. More like people with no background of the building industry able to get work in industry. Multiple choice questions in a 1000 languages give you a cscs operatives card and..wehey your a builder. eictb card hoders 10plus years experience..grandad rights 30 years experience,suddenly your not competent...question:how many people should be on a ladder at the same time. A.2 B.1 C.1 on each section of a ladder D. 3 if it is long enough.:mad:
 
Agree with you there Brandy the big sites are policing themselves , safety officers etc. but you still got to listen to all the cr@p they give you about convictions for H&S issues when you know they doing nothing about the stuff we all know that is going on out there in "the real world"
 
The HSE is an enforcement agency. The police are an enforcement agency. As an example, road deaths are on the increase in a certain area, it would be demanded by the insurance lobby that they act to reduce the death or accident rate. Are the insurance lobby not putting the same pressure on the HSE to go after the cowboys, or is it because most of them are not insured, so no pay out. Is it because the bone fida contractors are insured that the insurance lobby demand that they be zealosy policed.
 
Probably would'nt publish that Gary, upset the politically correct brigade.
 
brandy

I got some info from the HSE on Partial and Catastrophic Scaffold Collapses, however, when I asked for additional data regarding the causations, I was told that the Accident Investigation Reports did not detail the precursors and causations. If one did not know the causations how can we recommend Remedial and Corrective action I asked---still waiting for a reply...

The RIDDOR Regs go some way in detecting causations---however, the HSE do not recognize Unauthenticated Removal of Scaffold Component Parts as a Dangerous Occurrence, thus a Reportable Incident---my question is WHY ?.

I know that the SCCR Chairman and Committee Members have raised this topic during the HSE meeting, perhaps we should push for clarification and collaboration in Data sharing---the Freedom of Information Act could play it part in that respect.

Garry...
 
Gary, you would think that a competent investigation of a partial or total scaffold collapse would be able to identify the cause of the incident, not just to apportion blame, but as you say to make improvements.
 
brandy

I concur, thats what the Accident Investigation is designed to do---the problem is Competency, the Theoretical and Practical Knowledge and Experience to identify the Overt and Covert Causations---this not only includes the Mechanical Causations but also the Human Factor that contribute.

I just trawelled through my old Data and have found the HSE Figures on Complete and Partial Collapses of Saffolds over 5 Meters but the Doc is too big to post :mad:

Garry...

---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 PM ----------

Dangerous Occurrences 1998/99 to 2006/07

As Reported to the HSE

Complete or Partial Collapses of Scaffold over 5 Meters High.

1998/09 to 2002/03

98/99 = 90
99/00 = 67
00/01 = 63
01/02 = 94
02/03 = 61

2002/03 to 2006/07

02/03 = 64
03/04 = 65
04/05 = 77
05/06 = 44
06/07 = 75

Iv ran out of fingers ant toes but by my reckoning that 720 Dangerous Occurrences in 10 years---my question's are

What lessons if any did we learn from the Accident Investigations ?
Why is the Accident Investigations finding not available ?.
Who conducted the Investigations ?
Why were the causations not identified and Remedial and or Corrective Strategies not adopted ?.

This Data was gathered during the comparatively stable financial and buoyant economy, during this more lean times will this figures rise ???

Garry...
 
Rigger said:
"HSE sources said recessions often lead to “corner cutting” on safety as contractors are forced to work to much tighter prices."

So is that the HSE view, kill more of us so we can get through a recession

I would much rather have heard that they (HSE) are going all out to get rid of the cowboy scum from the Construction Industry, enforcing and prosecuting offenders with the legislation already in place.The courts to hand down sentence's with high fines and imprisonment for offenders
Click to expand...

Agree with you 100% there Rigger.

But...my gripe is that all the legislation/recommendations from all the various SG's and TG's are aimed at companies that tend to take a pride in their work and care about their workforces in the first place. These companies tend to have lower accident statistics anyway, if reported in the proper manner.

Joe blogs scaffolding wont and dont give a fcuk about SG4:10 or TG20 and probably never will, these are the companies the HSE want to be targeting and leave the ones that do alone. Its just a simple case that the higher profile comapanies working for the main contractors are easier to track and monitor and harrass.

During my day driving around to various places is see all manor of abortions of scaffolding and men not wearing PPE, why the hell dont these people get targeted. (well, we all know the answer to that one)

Contractors are to blame for some of this, they after all want the cheapest option, cant blame them for that, some or most of the blame in my opinion stays firmly at home with the scaffold companies.
 
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