December 5, 2003—Eliminating or reducing risk to construction workers through design is to be the subject of new practical guides, research reports, new Web site material, and a series of awareness days and inspection activities in coming months, reports the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Each year approximately 80 construction workers die, and thousands more sustain major injuries due to workplace accidents. Recent research into construction accidents confirms that between 17% and 47% of these accidents could have been prevented or mitigated had the designers taken different choices or actions before construction work started on site.
To address this issue the HSE joined forces with the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) to launch a range of initiatives aimed at maximizing the potential of designers to eliminate hazards and reduce risks to health and safety during construction, maintenance, and demolition of their designs.
CIC says its new practical design guides have been written by designers for designers and aim to provide “real life” advice and information on how to incorporate safety and health considerations into the design process. The guides also provide advice on what information designers need to pass on to Principal Contractors to enable them to manage the residual risks on site.
For more information visit HSE.