Lawford Kidd's Blog

A building firm in Battersea has been fined for failing to highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) at a warehouse.

As a result of this failing, a foreman and others were exposed to potential harm when the AIB was ripped out during refurbishment work.

The company was in possession of a detailed asbestos survey that clearly identified the location of the asbestos wall panels inside the building, but failed to share this with the team on the ground. As a result, when a foreman mistook the AIB for asbestos cement – a lower risk material – it was removed without adequate control measures and protective equipment.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has recently turned its spotlight on the construction sector, warning that there is no room for complacency despite a recent fall in the number of accidents within the industry.

The charity is to hold a conference to highlight the need for more to be done to improve health and safety for construction workers. Topics for discussion at the conference will include safety measures, how to prepare in the event of a major accident, and legal implications, including financial and reputational damage as a result of poor health and safety management.

High risk of injury

According to RoSPA, construction workers are nearly four times more likely to be killed at work than the average worker.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has recently highlighted the need to improve workplace health and safety in the manufacturing sector.

A risky place to work

The sector is a huge employer, currently accounting for around 10% of the British workforce, but can also be a risky place to work. Around one in five notifiable workplace fatalities and reported injuries occur in manufacturing, and workers can also face additional risks to their health through workplace exposures.

In the last year alone, an estimated 3.1 million working days were lost due to accidents and ill health in the sector.

The European Commission has welcomed the definitive adoption by the EU's Council of Ministers of measures to better protect workers from risks linked to exposure to chemicals at the workplace.

Every day millions of EU workers are potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals in a wide range of employment sectors including manufacturing and service industries, agriculture, health care and education.

The new rules will ensure that the requirements of the five Directives, which protect workers when using chemicals, are brought in line with the recently introduced new rules for the supply of chemicals.

The issue of building site safety is never far from the spotlight, with the Health and Safety Executive frequently running initiatives designed to highlight the risks that can occur in this type of work, and how these risks can be best managed.

However, despite these best efforts, too many employers continue to ignore the advice and examples of best practice available, and as a result workers continue to suffer serious or life-threatening injuries at work.

Worker suffers broken back

In one recent example a Cardiff-based worker was lucky to escape with his life after falling seven metres from a roof and breaking his back.