Building Sites Closed in Crackdown on Unsafe Working Practices

Inspections reveal unsafe construction sites

28/11/2008

A number of construction sites in Waltham Forest have been closed down in a crackdown on dangerous working practices.

Inspectors visited 16 sites as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation and ordered work should be stopped on 12 because of concerns over unsafe working practices.

Height, unsafe structures, fire risks, a lack of competent workers and unsafe excavations were all cited as reasons to shut down the property development and refurbishment projects.

The owners of the buildings and the contractors involved were served 12 Prohibition Notices and five Improvement Notices by the HSE.

Follow-up inspections will be carried out to ensure the notices are complied with. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.

HSE Inspector Sarah Snelling said: "We have been appalled at the willingness of building owners and their contractors to ignore basic safety precautions.

"They are literally risking the lives of those working on these sites as well as others in the immediate area. We will not tolerate poor standards and will take appropriate enforcement action."

She advised that those working in the industry should plan work, use competent workers and the right equipment.

Irwin Mitchell's David Urpeth, who represents many victims of unsafe working environments, said: "This is an appalling state of affairs. The construction industry has the highest levels of fatalities for workers and this latest discovery only creates further risk to workers of suffering a work accident or even a fatal accident.

"I welcome and support the stance taken by the HSE."