National Construction College supports HSE's Shattered Lives campaign
(21/05/2010)

HSE estimates that the combined financial costs incurred by society as a whole from preventable slips, trips and falls in all sectors is around £800 million a year. In the construction sector alone, there were 10 fatalities and 1,764 major injuries caused by slips trips and falls throughout 2008-09. A further 2,156 of these types of incidents resulted in workers having to take more than three days off work. Combined, they resulted in costs to society in excess of £99 million − costs which could have been avoided if the correct health and safety measures were put in place.

Teaching staff from the National Construction College support the latest phase of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign to help reduce slips, trips and falls from height in the workplace. With their onsite facilities, including safe scaffolding, they make sure the next generation of construction workers are fully aware of the risks of working at height.

Richard Boland, HSE Construction Inspector for South East London, said: “The construction industry has made great improvements in health and safety standards over the last 10 years which is to be welcomed. However, there is no room for complacency and continued effort needs to be made to ensure staff are properly trained and competent, that suitable safety equipment is provided and properly used, work practices are properly designed and supervised and that managers and directors lead by example.

“Workers, families and communities all pay the price for deaths and injuries at work. Added to this, the economic implications are huge, from families losing income to the impact it has on a business’s productivity, which in turn can affect the wider community. Also, with the possible civil, criminal and social support costs that follow serious incidents, it is clear to see that the whole of society loses out.

“Historically there has been an acceptance that death and injury are part and parcel of the construction industry. That culture is thankfully shifting and workers are being better protected because of it. HSE supports industry by providing a host of free advice and guidance material on website and we urge all directors, managers and workers to take the opportunity to build on the successes of recent years.”

Steve Maslin, training manager for the National Construction College South said: "We take health and safety very seriously at the National Construction College as it is vitally important that the workforce is correctly trained in order to carry out their duties safely and efficiently.

"At the NCC South campus, we incorporate health and safety into every course and make sure that trainees are aware of all potential hazards and how to spot them. We are very pleased to be able to support the HSE's Shattered Lives campaign, which is helping to reinforce the importance of a fully skilled workforce."

The ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign involves raising awareness of the impact of slips, trips and falls in the workplace and directs people to the new website for practical advice and guidance.

It is targeted at those sectors where there is high number of accidents each year, specifically, health and social care, education, food manufacturing, food retail, catering and hospitality, building and plant maintenance, and construction.

On the new campaign website, people will be able to find out information on how they can easily, and cost effectively, reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in the workplace, and see what other organisations, such as Sainsbury’s and First Line Digital, have done. Included on the site is an online tool (STEP) and a work at height access equipment toolkit (WAIT). Advice ranges from how to deal with spills and other slip risks, to the importance of using ladders correctly to reduce the risk of falling from height.