‘No Excuse’ For Not Having Correct Safety Measures, Says Lawyer

By Helen MacGregor

Workplace injury experts say they are concerned to hear that three building sites in the West Midlands were found not to meet the minimum legal standards for health and safety in one month alone.

Three enforcement notices were handed out to construction sites in Worcestershire during a month-long health and safety campaign that was part of a national Health and Safety Executive (HSE) clampdown aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health in the workplace.

One prohibition notice that stopped some work immediately and two improvement notices were issued, which required improvements to be made to working practices on the construction sites.

Inspectors made unannounced visits to ensure companies were managing high-risk activity in an industry that is known to be one of the most dangerous for workers. They also checked for general good order, assessed welfare facilities and whether personal protective equipment was being used correctly.

Kelly Ferguson from Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham’s office who specialises in helping people who are injured following an accident at work, said: “It is deeply concerning to hear that three construction sites across the Worcestershire area are not doing enough to keep workers safe and it also raises the question about how many more there could be.

“Sadly we continue to be contacted by victims of work accidents who have often had insufficient training with specialist equipment or fallen from height.

“The construction industry is known to be one of the most high-risk for workers due to potential hazards and companies are well aware of this so there is no excuse for not having the correct health and safety measures in place.

“We hope the enforcement notices handed out serve as a warning to all construction companies that they are not above the law and reminds them of the importance of complying with guidelines to protect workers.”

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