Safety campaign targets reduction in Scottish construction accidents

The Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has launched a major safety, health and well-being campaign in the run-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The SBF has partnered with the Scottish government, its clients, and the building industry to raise awareness of safety, health and well-being issues in the construction industry. The Target 2014 campaign aims to promote best practice to help deliver a long-term change in culture within the Scottish building industry, with the aim of reducing accidents in the sector, leading up to the Games.

The campaign document outlines recommendations to help achieve the project’s targets. These include:

• Increasing uptake of Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards;
• Working with public and private-sector organisations to maintain funding for Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) and increase participation;
• Systematic health screening of apprentices and other new recruits;
• Promotion of healthy eating;
• Raising awareness of damage to health caused by drug and alcohol abuse;
• Helping construction workers to give up smoking;
• Promoting physical exercise in the workplace;
• Increasing senior-manager participation in the CITB 5-day Site Management Safety Training Scheme;
• Improving the quality of incident investigations and raising awareness and understanding of the principles of RIDDOR;
• Improving shared ‘good practice’ and learnings from accidents and incidents;
• Working with the Health & Safety Executive to roll out specific campaigns focused on key risk areas.

SBF president, Jamie Pert, believes the build-up to the Commonwealth Games provides a logical timeframe to implement the campaign. He said: “The Federation wants to introduce a culture of continuous improvement in health, well-being and safety throughout Scotland’s construction industry.

“Just as the investment being made in Glasgow is intended to deliver a lasting legacy for the city, our intention is to sustain this campaign long after the Games have drawn to a close.”

HSE head of operations for Scotland, Jeanette Reuben, added: “I am impressed by the initiative shown by the Scottish Building Federation in launching this new campaign. It demonstrates how seriously the Federation’s membership takes the issue of health and safety and the crucial importance of continuous improvement in this area.

“Hopefully, the Target 2014 campaign will raise the general level of awareness of health and safety issues in the Scottish construction sector and encourage more exchanges of best practice and greater participation in health and safety training and associated campaigns.”

The Olympic Delivery Authority recently launched a similar campaign under the tagline ‘The countdown is on’, which encourages workers to remain focused on their personal safety and that of their colleagues during the run-up to the 2012 Olympics.

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