Four years on from the industry health and safety summit, is enough being done to improve conditions on site?

鈥淲e have zero tolerance for violent crime. It鈥檚 time we set zero tolerance for construction deaths and serious injuries,鈥� demanded construction minister Nigel Griffiths. Addressing an audience of leading industry figures at the Construction Health and Safety Summit 2005, Griffiths challenged the industry: 鈥渆liminate all deaths鈥�.

Entitled 鈥極wnership, leadership, partnership鈥�, the event on 24 February was held as a review of progress since the last summit in 2001. Then, the number of deaths in construction had hit such high levels that dramatic action was called for by deputy prime minister John Prescott.

A step-change in the industry work culture was demanded and targets for improvement were set (see box, right). But four years later has safety on site really improved and are these targets being met?

The answer seems to be: must try harder. Changes have been made, but they are lacking overall impact. The industry as a whole is perilously close to missing the targets set 鈥� 70 construction workers were killed last year despite the initiatives for change.

鈥淧rogress is falling short of the challenging targets [the industry] set itself in 2001,鈥� confirmed Jane Kennedy, minister for work at the Department of Work and Pensions. 鈥淪ome of the initiatives put in place have clearly borne fruit...but it鈥檚 still not possible to say with confidence that the industry will meet its ten-year targets.鈥�

Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) concurred: 鈥淚f the industry is to meet its targets, it needs to commit to further actions and think of entirely new ways to move forward. We are now at a critical stage in the progress towards the construction Revitalising Targets for 2009/10.鈥�

He praised the achievements so far, but reminded delegates that much has yet to be done. 鈥淭he industry is changing for the better and has achieved the lowest accident rates on record in 2003/04, but we cannot become complacent.

鈥淢ost of us are aware of the wide benefits of health and safety, but this message has not permeated the entire industry.鈥�

The way ahead?

So what is the solution to the health and safety crisis? As the summit title suggests, partnership and ownership featured highly in the proposals.

鈥淧artnership is more crucial to success in this sector than in almost any other,鈥� stated Griffiths. 鈥淲e need to change the way employers and employees work together. We need more productive, committed and adaptable workplaces, where everybody feels involved.鈥�

Integration of construction teams is happening, but often only on large projects. On smaller jobs contractors are still being presented with work where risk is evident and could have been reduced by early consultation at the design stage.

Trevor Hursthouse, chair of the Specialist Engineering Contractors鈥� (SEC) Group advised contractors: 鈥淩efuse to accept or enter unsafe sites.鈥� With the removal of risk a priority, he launched the SEC Group鈥檚 Site Access Certificate (see p14). This sets the main contractor the task of declaring risks before the specialists agree to begin work on site.

The certificate was one of many initiatives launched at the summit (see box, right). Many are voluntary, so their success cannot be guaranteed. Peer pressure and financial gain must be such that all would feel compelled to comply.

The success stories

It is important to learn from the success stories over the past four years while planning ahead. Griffiths cited the success of Rethinking Construction Demonstrating Excellence projects as proof that on site risk can be reduced. 鈥淭hese projects have already cut accidents to 50% of the sector average,鈥� he announced.

These case studies also give substantial financial incentives: 鈥淭he project companies have saved an estimated 拢363 million. If [the industry] adopted this nationally we would save an estimated 拢3.63 billion a year,鈥� he added.

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) was also hailed as a success. Since its introduction in 1995 it has become the main way for operatives to prove their competence and its uptake rose sharply after the 2001 summit. However, the target to have all the workforce CSCS-registered by December 2004 failed.

鈥淎 key element of the 2001 summit was the commitment of the Major Contractors Group (MCG) to achieve full CSCS card compliance on site,鈥� reported CITB Construction Skills chief executive Peter Lobban. Around 70% of all operatives on MCG sites now hold the card, with this number rising for directly employed labour. The Group will audit use of the card on 7 April. 鈥淲e have to draw a line in the sand and say you鈥檙e not coming on site unless you have the card,鈥� stressed Spanswick, 鈥渂ut we must give help to achieve this.鈥�

Plans are to extend the scheme to include those in the industry who seldom visit sites. The hope is those such as designers will become fully aware of the practicalities of site work and the risks involved.

To encourage take-up, the cost is soon to be halved and 23 mobile test centres have been added, so testing can be carried out at sites. A new 鈥渟mart card鈥� is also soon to be trialled.

Industry health

With the focus so often falling on deaths, occupational health hasn鈥檛 had the deserved attention. Improvement in this area is now key to the Government. 鈥淲e must not forget that the figures for ill health show that, at best, performance is flat,鈥� reminded Kennedy. She announced that the HSE is to pilot a guide aimed at SMEs to help them manage occupational health, absence and return to work.

While the summit focused primarily on better care and more respect for the existing workforce, Griffiths told delegates that the industry鈥檚 future depends on changes in attitudes and safety records. 鈥淲e talk about skills shortages, but why should people come into an industry when we are not protecting those already in it?鈥� questioned Peter Rogers chair of the Strategic Forum for Construction. Griffiths added: 鈥淲ith a need to recruit 80 000 to this industry every year, our message cannot be: 鈥榙eaths and serious injury are acceptable.鈥欌��

鈥淔or young people I want to make construction a first choice career. That鈥檚 why our message has to be safety, safety, safety.鈥�

Health and safety targets and progress so far

In 2001, the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) and organisations preparing for the 2001 Summit set the following targets:

  • to reduce the incidence rate of fatalities and major injuries by 40% by 2004/05 and 66% by 2009/10;

  • to reduce the incidence rate of work-related ill health by 20% by 2004/05 and by 50% by 2009/10;

  • to reduce the number of working days lost per 100 000 workers from work-related injury and ill health by 20% by 2004/05 and by 50% by 2009/10.

The base figures against which targets are to be compared are those for 1999/2000. Figures released at the event held in London on 24 February 2005 showed:

  • the fatal injury rate has fallen 25% since the baseline of 1999/2000 and 40% since the 2001 summit. The rate of deaths in 2003/04 was 3路5 per 100 000 workers, the lowest rate on record;

  • the employee major injury rate has fallen 15% since 1999/2000 and 12% since the summit;

  • the over three-day accident rate has fallen 25% since 1999/2000 and 18% since the summit. This rate has fallen steadily over the five-year period since the base year of 1999/00.

The levels of reporting non-fatal injuy to workers has fallen from 52% in 1999/00 to 50% in 2002/03. HSE says that although there is no improvement in reporting rates, recent trends from Labour Force Survey (LFS) support the reduction in reported injury rates.

Initatives launched at the Summit

  • The SEC Group launched the Site Safety Access Certificate. Developed from a British Constructional Steelwork Association initiative, main contractors are asked to identify safety hazards before entering a site. The scheme is voluntary but the Group is expecting support from the major contractors. The certificate can be downloaded from: http://www.secgroup.org. uk/pdfs/sechandovercert.pdf

  • The Strategic Forum launched Respect for People: code of good working practice. This highlights issues such as behavioural change, occupational health, design, competence, integrated working and sharing best practice. Sign up to the code at wwww.hse.gov.uk/construction/ codeofpractice/

  • The HSE will carry out a blitz of construction sites across the UK in March as part of a nationwide initiative to tackle serious work-related ill health. Healthy Handling 2005 is targeting poor work practices that can cause long-term disability. Inspectors will focus on handling and using tools, materials and substances. Healthy Handling 2005 is aimed at clients, designers, planning supervisors and contractors.

  • On 8 March the HSC considered proposals to revise the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 and the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 and agreed to the publication of a Consultative Document seeking industry views, see http://consultations. hse.gov.uk/consult.ti/conregs/consultationHome

  • From 4 April the cost of the of the CSCS card health and safety test will be cut from 拢35 to 拢17.50 to encourage the take up by SMEs. The aim is to have 1.25 million cardholders by 2010.

  • HSC launched the Construction Advisory Committees Statement of principles on worker engagement, which is designed to ensure all workers have the chance to play a part in improving health and safety management on site.

  • The HSE has launched a campaign to promote to businesses the financial benefits of health and safety management. See http://www. betterbusiness.hse.gov.uk.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor