The case of a worker who was fatally crushed on a construction site is the inspiration behind a new Bill aimed at preventing companies going into administration to escape punishment following a death or serious injury.

A construction worker who lost a case against a major firm that admitted blacklisting him for union activities and raising health and safety concerns may go to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that UK law does not sufficiently protect agency workers.

Calls have been renewed for legislation governing gangmasters to be extended to the construction industry, with a Bill supporting the move set to be debated in the House of Commons in January.

More than a third of basement construction sites visited by HSE inspectors during a recent initiative came up short on necessary safety standards, and required enforcement action to be taken.

The HSE has published the first in a series of research reports on the London 2012 Olympics as part of a concerted effort to circulate the health and safety lessons learned from the Stratford project among the wider construction industry.

Pressure group Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) has slammed a major construction firm for failing to put “very basic” measures in place to protect a worker who suffered fatal head injuries.

A highway maintenance worker slipped into a coma after suffering serious head injuries when the excavator he was driving struck a bridge on the M1 motorway in the East Midlands.

A specialist crane supplier must pay £254,000 in fines and costs after a worker was killed when a steel beam fell from a crane and struck him. JH Carruthers Ltd had been contracted to install...

A property developer has been fined £112,000 after a labourer sustained fatal injuries in a fall from the roof of an industrial unit, which had no precautions in place to prevent falls.

Two men have been jailed for nine months each for taking health and safety tests on behalf of other construction workers.  

David Lummis discusses the problem of counterfeit personal protective equipment in the construction industry and suggests how organisations can address this ongoing problem.

Competence in construction is a key issue for all those with a stake in improving safety in this complex and hazardous industry, which, last year, saw a worrying rise in worker fatalities. Roderick Dymott presents his views on what needs to be done to achieve competence in the sector, based on significant research published by the HSE earlier this year.

Small firms and big issues are preoccupying the HSE’s Philip White, who was quizzed by Andrew Sansom on the HSE’s approach to regulating construction in what are turbulent and stormy times for the sector and the economy.

The London 2012 ‘Big Build’ has come to an end, with the construction project widely acknowledged as the safest ever in the history of the Olympic Games. That achievement is, in no small part, due to the commitment and contribution of the many health and safety professionals who worked on the project. Here, they tell SHP what it has meant for them, their career, and the future of health and safety in the UK.

Following on from Nick Bell’s article in last month’s SHP, Paul Fenwick guides practitioners through the five stages of managing contractors, the principles of which, he suggests, fit neatly with the client’s obligations in regard to CDM 2007.

A survey carried out by the National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC), which comprises more than 30 specialist trade organisations, shows that its members have a lower fatal and major injury rate than the industry as a whole.

A German engineer, who is currently working on one of Europe’s largest construction projects, has achieved a ‘Top Candidate’ award from NEBOSH.

Two aids have been launched to help clients and contractors understand the different competence cards available to scaffolders through the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS).

The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has launched guidance on building timber frame safely on sites in high-risk and densely populated areas.

UCATT is surveying women in construction to determine the levels of harassment, discrimination and bullying they experience in the workplace.

A recognition that worker involvement could help when bidding for contracts, as well as an incident on one of its flagship building projects, provided a double impetus for Manchester-based Bardsley Construction to reinvigorate its health and safety culture, by setting up a formal process for worker consultation and engagement.

JSP says its EvoLite® CR2 reflective safety helmet represents a huge advance in reflective specialist head protection for those working in dark environments.

RRC Training is now offering four courses from the CITB Construction Skills Site Safety Plus Scheme.

Safety Agenda Ltd has launched a new training management database aimed at the construction industry.

Designed for supervisors and managers working in construction anywhere in the world, the NEBOSH International Certificate in Construction Health and Safety is a new qualification that the examination body hopes will raise global standards of health and safety across the industry.