By Hans Stacey 24/03/2017

Under: News and Events / Health and Safety News

Join the Health and Safety Stand-Down this April

The Stop. Make a Change initiative was launched at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association’s (CECA) 20th anniversary conference in November last year, backed by some of the industry’s leading contractors and customers. Supporters include: BAM Nuttall, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Crossrail, Environment Agency, Heathrow Airport, Highways England, HS2 Ltd, Network Rail and Skanska.

During the event, organisations will discuss with employees and suppliers how the industry can work together to foster better health, safety and wellbeing.

The discussions will be built around four priority areas:

Plant Safety

Of the 217 people killed in the infrastructure industry over the last five years around 10% were hit by moving vehicles. The infrastructure sector relies heavily on the use of mobile plant: companies must work hard to ensure the right training and site procedures protect workers from accidents.

Mental Health

A construction worker is more likely to die of suicide than they are from a fall from height. What’s more, over 400,000 working days are lost in the industry each year to work-related stress, anxiety and depression. Organisations are invited to join the discussion to end the stigma surrounding mental illness and provide better support for employees.

Fatigue

In the infrastructure industry where shift work, long hours and overnight working are common, the risk of fatigue is high. Fatigue not only lowers productivity but can increase the risk of accidents due to reduced attention, lower reactions, memory lapses and absentminded slips. The industry needs to focus on how it can manage working patterns more effectively.

Lung Disease

Each year 3,500 construction workers will die from cancers associated with asbestos exposure. A further 500 will be lost due to exposure to silica dust. The industry needs to address how future deaths can be avoided by boosting standards and raising awareness.

Following their discussions, participating organisations will put in place a series of commitments they will implement over the coming year. They will then report back on the results and share best practice ahead of next year’s event.

CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: "As an industry we have made tremendous progress in recent years to improve our health, safety and wellbeing. However there remains significant scope to improve. We think Stop. Make a Change will provide a platform for the sector to work together, tackling some of the leading issues faced by our workforce and supply chain"

How to get involved

Stop. Make a Change is open to any organization involved in the construction or maintenance of UK infrastructure. This can include contractors, designers, consultants, material suppliers and product manufacturers.

If you’re interested in getting involved contact admin@ceca.co.uk for more details or visit: www.stopmakeachange.co.uk

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