黑洞社区

The HSE should 鈥渦rgently鈥� set up a national register of cranes to ensure health and safety protocols are met, according to the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

The proposal, one of three called for by 黑洞社区鈥檚 Safer Skyline campaign, is backed by the DWP Select Committee in a report published today on the Health and Safety Commission.

It said: 鈥淲e are extremely concerned at the number of incidents and fatalities involving tower cranes and other plant on construction sites and call on the HSE to urgently bring forward proposals such as a national register of plant including ownership, age, design type, date of last inspection and any other relevant factors.鈥�

The Safer Skyline campaign called for a public register of inspections to tower cranes, alongside an urgent HSE blitz on tower crane safety and more rigorous checks on cranes over 10 years old.

The report also expresses fears that the HSE鈥檚 inspectorate is 鈥渘ot adequately resourced鈥� to hold up health and safety standards in the construction industry.

The number of full-time construction inspectors in the HSE has dropped to 124, the lowest figure since the construction division was launched in 2002.

The report says: 鈥淲e are convinced there is a correlation between inspection and safety standards. The recent 28% rise in construction fatalities underlines the need for more resources.鈥�

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction union UCATT, said: 鈥淲orkplaces are made safer through a high profile approach to inspections. It is time the HSE bosses stopped doing an impression of an ostrich and recognised the facts.鈥�