A day to focus on safety issues

Mar 25 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

CONSTRUCTION industry workers, including builders, scaffolders, roofers, electricians, joiners and painters, are being invited to a special safety training event in April .

With one construction worker dying every five days, the Health and Safety Executive has teamed up with regional organisations and safety groups to host a day at Gateshead International Stadium dedicated to raising awareness of health and safety issues.

The event will consist of a series of presentations aimed at construction managers and operatives - starting at 9.30am and 1.30pm - which will last for approximately two hours.

Managers will hear how to motivate workers to adopt safety rules and use safe working practices, how to best demonstrate competence to clients, and how Corporate Manslaughter will affect them and their organisations.

Presentations for operatives will include asbestos awareness, safe working at height, reducing risks from manual handling, occupational health problems in construction, and finally how they could be affected if things go wrong.

Rob Hirst, principal inspector with HSE’s Construction Division in the North-east, said: “This event has been organised by the industry for the industry and is designed to not only raise awareness of key health and safety issues facing the construction industry, but also to give practical advice on how to avoid risks on construction sites.

“In the last 25 years over 2,800 people have died from injuries they received as a resuA aalt of construction work, and many more have suffered serious injuries or been made ill. In 2007/08, there were 72 fatalities in the construction industry - that’s equivalent to one every five days. Preventing an accident occurring is much better than having to deal with the consequences, and this event will offer practical advice for staying safe on site.”

There will also be a free exhibition at the event - open to anyone in the construction industry - where there will be distributors and suppliers of new equipment, services, ideas and solutions.

The event takes place on Wednesday, April 8. For more information, visit www.wwt.uk.com/ events or phone 0191 202 6209.