Construction work stops

Mar 7 2008 Evening Gazette

WORK has been stopped on two construction sites in Middlesbrough as part of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) crackdown on unsafe working environments.

Overall, 19 out of 60 construction sites in the North-east were served with enforcement notices as part of HSE’s rolling inspection programme to target poor-performing sectors in the construction industry.

In Middlesbrough, the HSE served three notices which ceased work immediately on two unnamed sites, and contractors have nine weeks to appeal before they are named and shamed on HSE’s website.

They can return to work on the sites as soon as necessary provisions have been put in place.

Contractors were pulled up on issues including the lack of an asbestos survey for a refurbishment project and insufficient protection on scaffolding at height. Dangerous work at height is a major concern nationally which last year led to the death of 23 workers.