Widespread HSE breaches from Cheshire housebuilders

A HEALTH and safety crackdown on construction sites in Cheshire this week led to enforcement notices being served on more than two thirds of all the sites visited.

Health and Safety Executive Inspectors spent a day making unannounced visits to residential sites between Mere and Macclesfield and found “significant” breaches of health and safety legislation that were “capable of causing illness, injury or death” on site.

Of the 14 premises visited earlier this week, five were served prohibition notices to stop work immediately, with10 enforcement notices issued in total.

The Health and Safety Executive said it is disappointed with level of muddling along that was found.

Catherine Willars, from HSE’s Merseyside and Cheshire group, said: “Some site managers had reasonable health and safety awareness and were managing jobs well in difficult circumstances, but others were struggling.

“It is unacceptable that so many workers in this part of Cheshire should have their health put at risk needlessly. Employers have a legal responsibility to protect the lives of workers and site safety should be paramount.

During region-wide checks, carried out in February this year, 187 inspections were conducted across the North West, with enforcement action taken in 103 cases.