RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
September 3, 2001
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BUILD ON SAFETY
The construction industry in Scotland will be urged to improve its appalling safety record at a major conference in Glasgow held by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents later this week.
The call will come from Stuart North, Head of Operations for the Health and Safety Executive, at the RoSPA Scotland 2001 Safety and Health at Work Congress.
The conference, titled “A New Vision for Health and Safety”, in association with ScottishPower, will be held at the Glasgow Thistle Hotel, September 5-6.
Latest figures show that 13 of the 36 work-related deaths in Scotland were in construction. According to the HSE, construction workers in Scotland are twice as likely to die as those employed in the industry elsewhere in the UK.
Stuart North will tell the conference that Scotland’s construction industry accident rate must first match the rest of the UK’s if they are to meet new targets set out by the government.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: “Earlier this year government ministers and key players from the industry met at the Construction Safety Summit to find ways to reduce accidents and ill-health. Although targets set were UK-wide, the HSE in Scotland set up the Site Safe Scotland Committee to specifically target problems north of the border.
“The committee consists of Scottish bodies representing the main groups involved who are linked to umbrella organisations across the rest of the UK.”
The objectives of the committee are to reduce hazardous situations and risk levels taken by employees through increasing awareness, competence and better communication.
Charles Miller Smith, Chairman of ScottishPower, will give the keynote presentation at the Society’s conference. He will be discussing ways to revitalise occupational health and safety targets in Scotland.
Delegates will hear top speakers address important issues including occupational safety in Scotland’s NHS, slips, trips and falls in the workplace and managing risk on the road.
For more information, call RoSPA on 0121 248 2000, or visit the website: www.rospa.com
