All over the North East construction work has been put on hold after an intense inspection drive was started to put a stop on dangerous procedures on work sites.

The inspection drive started by the Health and Safety Executive was aimed at increasing levels of safety, focussing on roofing and refurbishment work. Sites from Teesside to Northumberland were visited by inspectors to generate awareness about safety risks at construction sites and preventing avoidable injuries and fatal accidents.

The HSE inspectors conducted surprise visits on 39 sites and 77 contractors in the region. Work had to be stopped at many building sites after Prohibition Notices totalling 9 in number were issued to stop work after concerns were raised about safety of workers working at a height. Also, 9 Improvement Notices were issued to different contractors where workers needed to be given awareness training about asbestos or where there was lack of protective gear.

This was the third time when such an initiative was taken up by HSE Inspectors and unannounced visits were conducted on the refurbishment industry. John McGill, an HSE Inspector said that some workers become victims of untimely deaths every year in the construction industry. The largest safety concern remains that of working at height, because it is one of the greatest cause of accidents at workplaces and accidental tripping or slipping is also very common.

Even though there have been improvements in past years, refurbishment sector is still prone to accidents and safety risks, especially in small projects.

Article created by Editor. (info@complyuk.co.uk)