ONE in five building sites in Merseyside and Cheshire failed health and safety checks during the first five days of an intensive inspection campaign by government officials.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited 167 sites between 20 and 24 February, and while 80 per cent of them were reassuringly in good order, 32 were found to have working practices that could put workers at risk.
Height
The inspections were carried out as part of a month-long drive across Great Britain to improve health and safety in one of the country’s most dangerous industries.
During the visits in Merseyside and Cheshire, HSE inspectors issued 29 Prohibition Notices stopping work activities immediately and 15 Improvement Notices requiring changes to be made to working practices. Half of the notices related to unsafe work being carried out at height.
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of deaths and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.
During 2010/11, two workers were killed while working in the construction industry in Merseyside and Cheshire, and there were 95 serious injuries.
