According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), over 1.2 million working days are lost in the UK because of injuries caused during manual handling tasks in the construction industry.
Aside from the economic impact, such injuries can be painful and have long-term, serious consequences – particularly those involving back problems like slipped discs and repetitive strain injuries. At Sheriff Construction, our site workers undertake mandatory training in this area but we thought we’d use this week’s blog as a reminder of why this is such a backbone of safety in construction and pass on a few general ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts’.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), almost one in five deaths in the construction industry involves roof work, the most common causes being falls from roof edges or through fragile surfaces.
The saddest thing about this statistic is that a great many of these accidents could have been avoided through the implementation of proper safety measures – using the correct equipment and ensuring workers receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision. Take a moment to read this week’s blog for some key safety tips.
Lifting and moving heavy objects are part of normal working life on construction sites but, when managed badly, these everyday tasks can lead to damaging musculoskeletal disorders that leave workers struggling to stand, walk or sit down. For some, the injuries result in them having no option but to stop working in the industry altogether.
Because the health of workers can be affected to such a serious degree, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive will be carrying out 1000 site inspections in October and November, particularly checking how workers are moving heavy or bulky materials. Read on for more details.
Over a third of all major injuries reported each year are caused by a slip or trip at work. In the construction industry, that means several thousand workers suffer injuries every year, around a thousand of which involve fractured bones or dislocated joints. While some injuries are minor, those which are more serious can result…