Construction Safety Spot Checks

Throughout the whole of the West Midlands the Health and Safety Executive are clamping down on construction sites. The aim is to reduce the amount of deaths, ill health and injuries by carrying out a number of spot checks carried out by the HSE inspectors.

The clampdown inspections will be carried out at any time during the next four weeks. The main areas where the inspections are known to be carried out in the West Midlands include:

• Shropshire
• Birmingham and the Black Country
• Staffordshire
• Worcestershire
• Coventry

The whole of the UK is going to be subjected to these checks too and construction workers should be prepared to prove their health and safety on site is up to date and confirms with the current regulations and legislations.  The sites which will be targeted will be concentrated on jobs which are involving refurbishment work or repairs. It is the hope that the inspections will help to identify areas of weakness and improve the health and safety in one of the worse industries for work related deaths, injuries and ill health.

Prosecution and Enforcement is Possible During the Clampdown

If the health inspectors discover any problems and lapses on the sites they attend it is possible that the sites will be instantly closed down until Notices have been adhered to. There is also the possibility that prosecutions could follow. The HSE want to point out the fact that poor standards in construction health and safety will never be tolerated.

During 2010/2011 many workers were seriously injured in the West Midlands on construction sites. The figures published by the HSE are a total of 3 deaths and a total of 210 serious injuries in the West Midlands alone. The Nationwide month long inspections will hopefully improve many problems and reduce these figures dramatically.

Health and Safety Services for the Construction Industry

As the construction industry is considered one of the most dangerous of all industries it is vital that high levels of safety are maintained at all times. Health and Safety consultants provide you with a wide variety of services which can help you to improve your safety on site and make sure you are following the law at all times.

Health and Safety Services for construction sites include:

• CSCS Card and card testing training
• CSCS card tests and books
• Construction phase plan
• CHAS Registration
• Health and safety file

You can also find help regarding:

• Fire risk assessments
• Asbestos surveys
• Health and safety training

You can request any or more of these services to help you update your current construction safety. It is vital that you do everything possible to create a safe working environment for your employees and for the public. If you wish to find out more about the health and safety services which are available to companies in the West Midlands and surrounding areas contact the consultants today.

Call 0800 1488 677 and find out more about what help and advice is available to all businesses and industries today from health and safety consultants.

About David Cant

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.