The HSE have been running a targeted campaign in respect of the refurbishment industry and recently published results which they describe as “disappointing”. The three particular areas of concern were:-

• Working at Height (Less than 2 metres)
• Good order (Housekeeping)

Asbestos Removal In total 1759 sites and 2145 Contractors were visited resulting in:-

• 296 Prohibition Notices
• 45 Improvement Notices
• 11 Cases referred for prosecution

Although the figures were a slight improvement on the previous campaign, enforcement action was taken on a fifth of the sites visited. It is worth remembering that over half of the fatalities (52%) within the construction sector (which includes demolition) were sustained during refurbishment projects and, as such, this is a persistent target of the Regulating Authorities. Contractors involved with refurbishment on either a large scale or small one-off projects should expect this to remain a high profile target area. HSE Priorities for the forthcoming year (Fit 3 – “Fit for Work – Fit for Life – Fit for Tomorrow”) – The matters which continue to cause the most concern will form the main core of HSE priorities for all future routine inspections. These areas will be:-

• Working at height
• Slips, trips and falls
• Transport
• MSD – Musculoskeletal disorders
• HAV – Hand arm vibration

Noise Most companies are affected by at least some of these issues and they must ensure that any significant risks are adequately controlled. HSE have also identified a need to target certain issues concerning the management of health and safety in the workplace. They expect to see directors of companies taking the lead in matters relating to health and safety. The Health and Safety Commission along with the Institute of Directors has prepared useful guidance to the effective leadership of health and safety. The guidance is deigned for use by all directors, governors, trustees and equivalent positions, across public and private sectors. This and other useful guidance is available at www.iod.com/hsguide, or www.hse.gov.uk/leadership HSE Inspectors will also be looking at a company’s arrangements to consult with the work force. They see it as an important and fundamental responsibility which, is not only required under the Health and Safety at Work Act, but can have certain incidental advantages too, such as:-

• A safer workplace 
• Better decision making
• Greater cooperation, resulting in better trust, productivity and morale 

Better problem solving Companies are advised to use this as a good opportunity to review existing arrangements or consider how to introduce this provision if they have not already done so. Finally, HSE will be looking at “long latency conditions” such as asbestos related diseases, noise, HAV etc. It has been accepted for some time that, while most companies manage “safety” reasonably well, they are lacking the same commitment to deal with “health” related issues; the immediate impact of seeing an employee or colleague seriously hurt can affect everybody concerned but conditions such as mesothelioma, VWF or industrial deafness can take several years to manifest themselves. There is currently a voluntary campaign running in some parts of the country in which individuals are subject to a variety of health screening tests. Further information can be found as www.constructingbetterhealth.org. At a recent seminar, a Senior HSE Manager was asked whether she envisaged mandatory health checks in the near future: she replied that in her opinion it was “inevitable”. Fatal Injury Statistics – Provisional figure for 08/09 is 180. This is 22% lower than the average for the past five years. There were 94 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected with the workplace. Construction accounted for 53 of these. Traffic Movements – During the recent Refurbishment Campaign, Northern Safety Limited Advisers were asked to advise at two sites in the north-west where the contractors had been issued with Improvement Notices for matters related to workplace transport. Specific issues were:-

• No segregated pedestrian access onto site
• Parking arrangements for both private vehicles and works vans
• No traffic routes for site vehicles – personnel accessing the work area had to walk through areas of machine movement, deliveries etc

A proper means to access the rear of vehicles It was found that some fundamental issues in relation to workplace transport safety were not being properly addressed. Vehicle related accidents, along with working at height, account for the majority of serious and fatal injuries at work. Companies must ensure that they have adequate arrangements in place to deal with transport in the workplace. Further information can be found at:-

www.hse.gov.uk/forms/transport