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HSE 'will not hesitate to prosecute'

07/10/2008

Construction firms have been warned that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will not hesitate to prosecute companies found to be breaching safety regulations.

The notice comes following an incident in which a Lancashire company was fined for failing to ensure that only authorised people were allowed onsite and not putting rules in place to allow the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

HSE inspector Alasdair Green said that with an average of 70 deaths in the construction industry a year, bosses have no excuse to ignore safety risk regulations.

"Construction is the country's biggest industry, but it is also one of the most dangerous. Construction bosses have a duty of care to ensure that their sites are operated in a safe way and to prevent members of the public from gaining access," he remarked.

Last month, research by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health revealed that two-thirds of employees would not report their bosses to the HSE even if they were aware of serious health and safety breaches.

ENDS