Health & safety construction crackdown

A CRACKDOWN on construction sites in Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria last week led to work being stopped at more than 40% of sites visited by the Health & Safety Executive.

The two-day inspections at 103 sites in Barrow, Kendal, Lancaster and Morecambe and Cheshire saw 43 enforcement notices being issued.

Twenty-two of the notices concerned unsafe work at height, including working on dangerous scaffolding or where guard rails were missing. The rest dealt with asbestos, poor electrics, and the general state of sites.

Mark Cottriall, HSE principal inspector for Lancashire and Cumbria, said: “None of the issues we had to deal with were unusual, and everybody in the industry should know what steps they need to take. People may think they can save time or money by ignoring the rules but it simply isn’t worth the risk.

“We will not tolerate poor health and safety standards on construction sites. Inspectors are determined to protect workers and won’t hesitate to stop work, or even prosecute companies, if they find health and safety rules aren’t being followed.”

Around 200 construction sites are being targeted in the North West at sites in Rochdale, Oldham, Barrow, Kendal, Lancaster, Morecambe, Macclesfield, Knutsford, Crewe, Nantwich, Congleton, Chester, Warrington, Northwich, Ellesmere Port, Neston, Runcorn and Widnes.

In a similar initiative last year 187 inspections were carried out in the region, with enforcement action being taken in 103 cases.