A podcast for the construction industry has been launched this week by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Supporting the Work Right Construction: Your Health. Your Future campaign, this new episode discusses the impact and the prevention of the serious aches, pains and strains that can affect every part of a construction worker’s life.

In the episode, Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics and Human Factors Consultant at HSE, which is Great Britain’s workplace regulator, and Peter Crosland, National Civil Engineering Director at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), talk about what the construction industry can do to promote change and protect its workforce.

Last year, 40,000 construction workers reported suffering with serious aches, pains and strains, more formally known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

The conversation covers the impact that these injuries can have on workers, employers’ legal responsibilities and the sensible control measures that can be introduced regardless of the size of the construction site.

The podcast launches as HSE inspectors carry out 1,000 inspections this month and next, checking how workers are moving heavy or bulky materials.

Matt said that if moving and lifting is managed properly, a physical job on a building site should not result in aches, pains and strains which affect every part of workers’ lives.

He said: “They can struggle to get themselves dressed and undressed, they can be unable to pick up their children or grandchildren.

“They can struggle to sit down and stand up, they can struggle to keep still and move around. The most intimate parts of their lives can be severely affected – they might be desperate to go the toilet but find themselves unable.

“It’s not something that many people feel comfortable talking about, perhaps particularly on a building site, but if your back has gone or if you’re in agony whenever you move your arms, measures need to be put in place to address the causes.”

• Listen to the podcast here: https://hsepodcast.podbean.com/e/manual-handling-in-construction/

• Find out more and download free HSE resources, including an MSDs poster here: https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/workright-construction-your-health-your-future

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating an incident on the Treetops rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire. The incident took place on Sunday October 23.

The park is currently closed to the public.

Sian Clayton, HSE’s head of operations in Wales, said: “Our inspectors  are investigating an incident on the Treetops rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park. We will provide more information when we can.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk

A Tyne and Wear engineering company has been fined £20,000 after a worker fractured his pelvis and suffered internal injuries after falling through a petrol station forecourt canopy.

The employee of G Nicholson (Engineers) Limited was replacing guttering at the top of the canopy on the company’s petrol station in Blue House Lane, Washington, Tyne and Wear, on 5 December 2019.

As he was removing corrugated metal sheets to access sections of the guttering below, he was knocked off balance when a gust of wind caught the sheet, causing him to fall approximately 4 metres through a fragile section of the canopy on to concrete below.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a risk assessment should have been carried out and had a method statement been produced, this would have identified the need for effective control measures to prevent employees falling from the edge of the canopy or through the exposed fragile roof surface.

G Nicholson (Engineers) Limited, of Blue House Lane, Washington Tyne and Wear pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Gateshead Magistrates’ Court on 12 October 2022 and was fined £20,000, with £7,825 costs and a victim surcharge of £190.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Scott Wynne said: “A worker suffered serious injuries which could have easily been avoided if the company had adopted appropriate control measures when carrying out this task.

“This incident highlights the importance of conducting a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and using the findings of that assessment to ensure the work is properly planned, appropriately supervised and, ultimately, carried out in a safe manner.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Families who live on farms are being urged to keep their children safe this half-term.

Schools across England and Wales break up this week for the October holidays meaning farming children who would usually be in the classroom will now be at home during the day.

This can pose childcare issues for farming families especially at a busy time in agriculture. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s workplace regulator, says for some farmers the family home and the working farm are often side by side, though they should be regarded as separate.

Agriculture has one of the highest fatal injury rates of any industry in Great Britain but is the only high-risk industry that also sees children often present.  

Children and young people up to the age of 18 are regularly killed and injured on farms. Eight children were killed on farms in the five years up to March.

HSE is reminding all adults working on farms that children and young people must be kept safe.

HSE’s Acting Principal Inspector (Agriculture Sector) Wayne Owen said: “The best way to ensure the safety of children is simply to keep them away from the working farm. Working farms are no place for children.

“But if children are visiting the farm workplace, they must be kept away from higher risk areas such as operating machinery, slurry pits and bale stacks, and most importantly they should be with an adult who understands the risks on the farm and is not engaged in any work activity. Their sole focus should be on supervising the child.

“If older children are starting to help out on the farm, anything but the very simplest of tasks is likely to expose them to risk of injury or death and is unacceptable. In addition, all children should be under full supervision by an adult not engaged in any work activity.

“Children under 13 should not under any circumstances operate or ride on agricultural machinery – it is illegal – and children under 16 should not operate adult sized ATVs in the farm workplace.

“Where children over 13 are allowed to operate some machinery, this should only be allowed after careful risk assessment, while under close supervision, and crucially after the child has received appropriate and structured training.”

The ways in which children and adults are killed on farms varies little from year to year. The most common causes of death and major injury in the last decade include being killed by moving vehicles, coming into contact with machinery while it is operating, falling from height, being killed by animals, and being struck by falling objects.

• For simple and practical guidance on assessing the risks on your farm and what you need to do to control them visit: Agriculture: Risk assessment (hse.gov.uk)
• This is also some good guidance on child safety on farms – Agriculture: Children and public safety (hse.gov.uk)
• Information on preventing accidents to children on farms can be found here: Preventing accidents to children on farms INDG472(rev4) (hse.gov.uk)
• Fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Great Britain 2021/2022 (hse.gov.uk)