Government Body Reveals Results Of Assessments

An accident at work expert at Irwin Mitchell has called for standards in the construction industry to improve following the Health and Safety Executive’s latest inspections.

The government body has revealed that assessments have taken place across England in recent weeks, with serious concerns being flagged in a number of locations.

Formal enforcement notices were issued at ten sites in South Yorkshire and the Humber during February and March, while one in four of those inspected across the Tees Valley were also found to be well below accepted standards.

Perhaps one of the most alarming statistics was that ten constructions sites were given the notices in Lincoln alone.

David Urpeth, national head of workplace injuries at Irwin Mitchell, said: “This latest round of inspections has shown just why such assessments are so important, particularly in sectors as dangerous as the construction industry.

“Employers have a duty to do everything they can to protect workers from risks. Unfortunately, our work and these inspections demonstrate that companies are still failing to do this.

“Businesses in the construction industry need to wake up to the issue of health and safety if they are to provide workers with the support they need to do their work without facing harm.

“I hope the results of the HSE’s inspections go some way to highlighting the serious importance of the issue.”