RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

May 18, 2007
RoSPA CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON OLYMPIC SAFETY

The challenge of preventing deaths and injuries among construction workers during preparations for the London 2012 Olympics will be among the issues under the spotlight at a national conference next week.

RoSPA’s Construction Health and Safety Conference, being held alongside Safety and Health Expo at the NEC, near Birmingham, on Thursday (May 24), will hear how creating the Olympic facilities will become Europe’s largest construction project, employing 12,000 workers at its peak.

Lives have been lost during previous large-scale developments, but Derek Ross, of civil engineering firm Edmund Nuttall, will argue that deaths among construction workers should not be considered inevitable. Instead, the industry should grasp the opportunity to set new safety standards, ensuring, for example, suitable timescales, competence and training.

Joy Jones, of the Health and Safety Executive, will tell delegates that the huge project brings opportunities for improved worker engagement in health and safety and enhanced management skills, with the chance to embed better working practices throughout the industry.

Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: “Despite improvements in the management of health and safety, construction remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in.

“In 2005/06, 59 construction workers were killed in occupational accidents in Britain. Indeed, during the last 25 years, more than 2,800 people have died from injuries they received as a result of construction work, and many more have been injured or made ill in the course of their working lives.

“However, construction does not have to kill, injure or damage health, and key players in the industry are now working together to make these things history,

“Working together in this way is crucial, particularly on such a vast and high-profile project as the London 2012 Olympics, which presents not only unique challenges, but enviable opportunities to make things better.”

Other topics at the conference, in association with CMP United Business Media, will be the health and safety lessons learned by major contractors and how workers can be successfully involved in health and safety. Top priorities for the future will be set out and there will also be an overview of the revised Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.

For programme and booking details, see www.rospa.com/constructionconference/ or call the RoSPA Events team on 0121 248 2120.