The Building Safety Group has experienced a significant increase in the number of calls coming through to its technical support line, as a growing number of people say that they are worried about phoning the HSE for advice.
Construction firms are reluctant to consult the HSE in case they inadvertently flag up an issue that results in a financial penalty. BSG estimates that the number of calls has more than doubled over the last six months.
The organisation’s latest quarterly accident statistics show a 13 per cent rise in the number of accidents on construction sites in the quarter from August to October compared to the same quarter last year, up from 177 to 203, although there has been a slight fall compared to the quarter from May to July this year.
The biggest increase in accidents has resulted from people being injured by falling objects over the last quarter — up by 22 per cent — mostly occurring due to items dropped from roofs or scaffolding. This figure was up almost 20 per cent over the same time last year. The number of falls from height and those who were injured as a result of hitting something stationary also increased by 11 per cent and 39 percent respectively, compared to the previous quarter.
However, people being injured while lifting or carrying objects has dropped significantly quarter on quarter, and the number who slipped, tripped or fell also decreased. This is still an increase year-on-year, as slips and trips increased by 33 per cent over the same quarter last year, while lifting injuries were almost identical.
Paul Kimpton, managing director of The Building Safety Group, says, “The rise in accidents occurring in the last three months compared to the same quarter last year is very worrying; how much of the rise is due to companies now being worried to ask HSE for advice in the way they used to can only be guessed at but it is bound to be having an impact.
“The worry is that for those who are not a member of an organisation and who therefore may not have access to a helpline, the accident figures may be even higher.
“In an industry such as construction where the risk of accident is so high if the correct safety measures are not put in place, it is vital that every firm has access to an impartial health and safety advice line as this will have a very real impact on the safety of employees, sub-contractors and everyone in contact with a site.”
