HSE halts work on three sites in Chester saying it is "disappointed with general standards"

The Health and Safety Executive has stopped construction work on three sites and issued a total of 12 enforcement notices in a week-long targeted inspection of Chester sites.

HSE said that problems uncovered included:

  • Poor risk management on site
  • Unsafe scaffolds
  • Risk of falls from height
  • Unsatisfactory welfare facilities
HSE construction inspector Rob Hodkinson, who led the visits, said: "We were disappointed with the general standards we encountered and will be looking to make return visits in the future.鈥�

The HSE blitz focused its attention on the refurbishment sector after statistics suggested that 63% of the fatalities in the construction industry between 1999 and 2005 occurred in the refurbishment sector. Forty per cent of serious injuries - such as broken arms and legs - occurred due to slips and trips on untidy sites in 2003-04, another area currently being targeted by the HSE.