March 14, 2005—The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced two new nationwide programs designed to tackle work-related health and safety issues in the construction industry.
First, HSE is carrying out a blitz of construction sites across Great Britain in March. “Healthy Handling 2005” is aimed at clients, designers, planning supervisors, and contractors in the construction industry, and is targeting poor work practices that can cause long-term disability.
Inspectors will focus on handling and using tools, materials, and substances which can result in fractures, strains, musculoskeletal disorders, dermatitis, cement burns, hearing loss, and hand-arm vibration syndrome.
Further information is available in a four-page free guidance sheet available from the Healthy Handling Helpline at 01582 444248 or online.
The other initiative is a new “Respect for People” code of practice for construction, which provides a unifying framework for action by all parts of the industry, focused on the following key issues: behavioral change; occupational health and rehabilitation; design; corporate and individual competence; integrated working and worker engagement; and benchmarking and sharing best practice.
