Construction Division

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Plan of Work

2010/2011

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For public information
Foreward
I am pleased to provide this summary of HSE’s Construction Division’s Plan of Work for
2010/2011.

The Construction Division has achieved a great deal, including:

• making significant progress in embedding partnership working with stakeholders;

• piloting new approaches to delivering support and advice to small businesses;
• promoting the importance of involvement by workers and employers in managing
health and safety;
• continuing to enforce the law where appropriate; and
• communicating the benefits of sensible health and safety.

Approximately 2.2 million people work in Britain’s construction industry, making it the
country’s biggest industry. Although the record of the UK construction industry compares
well with other countries, the fatal accident rate remains over four times the average for
all other UK industries and remains the largest contributor to worker fatalities for any
sector. The fragmented and peripatetic nature of the sector, together with a shortage of
skills and casualisation, present significant challenges to both industry and regulator.

We have enjoyed successes over the past few years, but challenges remain and new
ones are always arising. In 2008/09 53 construction workers lost their lives, 4,000
reported major injuries and 2.2 million working days were lost through work related ill
health in the construction industry.

There are also signs that the industry is beginning to emerge from recession, as new
people come to work in the industry and companies expand the industry must remain
vigilant to ensure that health and safety is not ignored or sidelined during a period of
growth.

Small businesses (SMEs) are an important part of our economy. We need to find new
ways to help SMEs to understand and meet their obligations in a proportionate way – and
we are committing time and effort to adapt and customise our approaches to help SMEs.

There is a strong moral and economic imperative to do more to reduce this unacceptable
burden of injury and ill health. The challenge is very clear and the prize for succeeding in
our mission is immeasurable. We will ensure that the Construction Division plays its part
in achieving this.

I hope you will continue to help us in delivering this plan, particularly as the industry
comes out of recession, in whatever way you can.

Philip White
Chief Inspector of Construction
 Fatal Injuries to Workers in Construction
January 1981 to March 2009
10

9
200

Fatal Accident rate per 100,000 workers

8
No. of Fatal Injuries to Workers

7
150
6

5
100
4

3
50 2

0 0
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20
81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08
/8

/8

/8

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/9

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0

/0
7

9p
Injury figures for 1996/7 cannot be compared directly with previous year's figures because of introduction of RIDDOR 95

The Construction Plan of Work 2010/2011

The Construction Plan of Work 2010/11 is the Construction Division’s contribution to
delivering HSE’s Strategy. The plan is designed to improve the health and safety
performance of the construction industry, builds on work carried out previously and
continues our mission to deliver sustainable improvements in the industry’s health and
safety performance. The focus is on making best use of our resources to sustain and,
where possible, accelerate long-term improvement in health and safety outcomes.

Securing Justice
We will rigorously hold to account those who put others at risk, particularly where there is
a deliberate flouting of the law. Our commitment to the investigation of work related
incidents and ill health will continue and we will take enforcement action to secure justice
in cases where people choose to ignore their duties and responsibilities.

Construction Operational Activities

Our main operational activities will target the following sectors:

 Asbestos removal licence holders (inspection of licensed work)
 Small sites
 Refurbishment
 Homebuild
 Major projects

There are five generic issues that will be considered at all site visits. These are:
 Provision of welfare facilities
 Site transport
 Work at height
 Asbestos risks
 Good order
We will also address any matters of evident concern or potential major concern identified
during site visits. Strong enforcement action will be taken where people choose to ignore
their duties and responsibilities.

As well as considering the five generic issues, we are also tackling:

 Leadership - we will examine how effective directors & other senior management
are at leading health and safety.

 CDM Dutyholders - we will focus on Clients and CDM Coordinators to ensure they
comply with their CDM duties.

 Local Authority as Client - we will follow up with local authorities and their CDM
Co-ordinators whenever a notice is served on their projects in relation to asbestos,
welfare facilities or planning and management.

 Contractor Competence - we will raise awareness and promote the key themes
in CDM 2007, in particular; competence of organisations and individuals and
integration, co-operation / co-ordination amongst the project team.

 Temporary Works - we will ensure that adequate management arrangements are

in place.

 Fire - we will ensure that fire precautions – both process and general fire
precautions are in place. Particular attention will be given to fire precautions on
timber frame structures, and multi-storey or part occupied premises.

 Roofwork:
- domestic/minor commercial roofwork - we will carry out a combination of
educational/promotional work and inspection/enforcement to bring about a
significant improvement in standards of fall protection used for repairs on or at
roof level in domestic and small commercial properties.

- fragile roofs - we will promote methods of repair which allow work to be

completed without anyone having to go onto fragile roofs.

 Lifting:
- tower cranes - we will visit the head office of tower crane suppliers and
wherever tower cranes are in use on site, assess the knowledge of and
adherence to the Strategic Forum for Construction (StFfC) tower crane
guidance.

- mobile cranes - where a mobile crane(s) is in use we will assess compliance

with legal requirements and supporting guidance.

 Respiratory Risks - we will raise the awareness respiratory risks, especially dusts
including silica. Checks will be carried out to ensure appropriate dust control
measures are used in activities that give rise to greatest risk.

 Manual Handling - we will visit small sites, home building and refurbishment
projects to assess arrangements for the handling of heavy or awkward materials.
  Worker Involvement - we will encourage effective worker involvement on site, so
that workers (including those works for subcontract) play an active role in the
identification and control of workplace hazards.

Enabling Activities
We will work in partnership with key stakeholders and intermediaries. Key areas of joint
interventions include:

 Using the supply chain to influence standards – focusing on local authorities as

client for significant refurbishment projects through ensuring compliance with Office
of Government Commerce (OGC) guidelines.

 Through the Local Authority Construction Engagement project improve the way
information is provided to small to medium enterprise and identify ways in which
we can work more closely with other regulators on matters of evident concern.

 Develop an interactive web-based product (Leadership and Worker Engagement

Tool) to enable users to lead, engage and develop the workforce.

 Identify ways to promote the lessons that can be learned from the causes of fatal
accidents.

 Support the Working Well Together (WWT) Campaign in raising awareness of

health and safety issues within micro and small construction businesses.

 Carry out an evaluation of CDM 2007.

 Initiate further research into how the form of procurement used affects the health
and safety outcome in construction projects.

Summary
This plan reaffirms Construction Division’s commitment to improve health and safety in
construction. We recognise that we cannot achieve the improvements alone and look to
all those in the construction industry to play their part in bringing about change and
improvements in health and safety.