Construction sector takes action in commission’s health and safety drive
More than 300 action plans from construction firms looking to improve their
health and safety policies have been submitted to Working Well Together – the
joint health and safety campaign launched over a year ago by the Health and
Safety Commission, while some 7,000 individual construction workers have signed
up to its aims.
The campaign’s core messages are to change the culture surrounding health
and safety in the construction industry, to encourage workers to be more health
and safety conscious and to prompt employers to take a more proactive health
and safety stance.
Around 80 workers die in construction accidents each year, and there are
14,000 non-fatal accidents in the industry annually.
Kevin Myers, chairman of the HSC construction advisory committee, said,
"Our latest research suggests the campaign is hitting its targets. The
campaign will continue and we hope it will take on an even higher profile as
its message becomes even more well known."
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This month will see the launch of an awards ceremony for the construction
sector which will include the presentation of a Silver Helmet to the
organisation or individual showing the greatest commitment to Working Well
Together.
HSC chairman Bill Callaghan has called on local authorities to give
health and safety a greater priority to meet the tough new targets for cutting
work-related deaths, injuries and ill-health set out in Revitalising Health and
Safety.
