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The Health & Safety Executive has launched an investigation into Laing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 ongoing Alder Hey Children鈥檚 Hospital project in Liverpool following a series of accidents in the past three weeks.

The HSE said it was investigating five incidents on the 拢167m project, which included one worker who suffered a crushed pelvis on the site.

Three of the incidents were of a type which must be reported to the HSE.

The launch of HSE鈥檚 investigation also follows complaints about the site raised by trade union Ucatt.

Last month, Ucatt general secretary Steve Murphy told the Scottish Affairs select committee that Ucatt had been barred from accessing the site, adding that this had contributed to safety problems.

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson and Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, Stephen Twigg, have also expressed their concerns, writing a joint letter last month to Laing O鈥橰ourke following Ucatt鈥檚 claims.

Laing O鈥橰ourke has agreed to meet with the two politicians but has rejected Ucatt鈥檚 allegations. Chief executive Anna Stewart wrote a to Twigg, other MPs and the mayor鈥檚 office last week strongly denying it is anti-union or anti-safety, adding that workplace safety is the firm鈥檚 鈥渙verriding priority鈥�.

Andy Fisher, regional secretary for Ucatt鈥檚 North West region, told the BBC: 鈥淭his is clearly a very unhappy site which has now got serious safety issues.鈥�

But Anna Stewart said: 鈥淟aing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 overriding priority is the safety and welfare of our workforce.

鈥淕iven this ambition it is with regret that we confirm that recently there have been three reportable incidents on the Alder Hey in the Park project in which three employees sustained injuries, none of which were life-threatening.鈥�

She added: 鈥淭o suggest that the lack of union safety representatives could be a factor is untrue.鈥�

Stewart also pointed to the firm鈥檚 good record of employing workers directly. And she claimed that union safety reps do not have the 鈥渢echnical understanding鈥� to improve safety on Laing O鈥橰ourke sites or get involved in initial safety inductions workers have.

She said: 鈥淲hist a union appointed safety representative who visits the site periodically can certainly help to promote the importance of safety on site, we do not believe it will add anything beyond our existing extensive approach. Furthermore, they do not possess the technical understanding of our unique delivery approach to fully comprehend and be able to mitigate the safety risks on our projects - therefore we simply cannot countenance their involvement in this critcal element of our inductions.鈥�

Ucatt鈥檚 Steve Murphy said: 鈥淲e welcome the HSE鈥檚 decision to investigate our safety concerns at Alder Hey. However this is retrospective action and we want to prevent accidents occurring in the first place. To achieve this it is vital that workers are engaged in their own safety with the appointment of site based Ucatt health and safety reps.

鈥淚 requested a meeting with Laing O鈥橰ourke last autumn to no avail. I would welcome a meeting to try to resolve our safety concerns and the ongoing industrial relations matters.鈥�

Stephen Twigg MP said: 鈥淚 note with some concern that HSE have decided to launch an investigation into  five recent incidents on the Alder Hey Site. My priority is that the hospital is built safely and on time. I am pleased that Laing have agreed to meet with me and the Mayor of Liverpool to discuss the current situation and look forward to an open dialogue with them to include Ucatt.鈥�