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Sun May 05 2024

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HSE targets Yorkshire sites

4 Sep 12 Health & safety inspectors are conducting a blitz of construction sites in Yorkshire this month.

The inspections teams are starting in Bradford before moving to other locations across the region.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) initiative will primarily focus on those working on the external parts of buildings, but will target all types of work carried out at height.

David Stewart, HSE's principal inspector for construction in the Yorkshire region , said: "Falling from height causes a significant number of deaths and major injuries. All too often straightforward practical precautions are not considered and workers are put needlessly at risk. In many cases, simple changes to working practices can make all the difference.

"Poor management of risk in this industry is unacceptable. As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk."

In recent months HSE has prosecuted several construction companies following incidents in which workers were injured, including:

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A North Yorkshire farm building manufacturer and a self-employed contractor were each fined a total of £4,500 with costs of £1,150 after a worker smashed his left heel and broke his right ankle after falling four and a half metres while working on the construction of a new farm building.

A self-employed handyman died following a fall from the roof of a house in Bradford while carrying out minor roof repairs in March 2011. He had been using an unsecured extension ladder and a roof ladder.

A firm from Halifax was fined £13,500 when an employee installing a flue liner down a chimney fell seven metres from the roof due to provision of an inadequate work platform with no edge protection.

A roofing contractor from Ilkley was fined £23,500 after an employee fell through a fragile skylight on the roof of a garage where repairs were being carried out.

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