Safety Signs News

Crackdown on dangerous scaffolding in Manchester

24th November 2010 | Health and Safety Signs

Posted by Nicole Stevens.

The use of health and safety signage could be highlighted tomorrow when Britain's national regulator for health and safety launches a crackdown on dangerous scaffolding on Manchester construction sites.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will use Thursday November 25th to make unscheduled visits to construction sites across the city as part of its ongoing project to combat the problem.

Last year, there were two deaths and 563 injuries caused by falls from height - the biggest cause of workplace deaths in the UK - in Manchester alone.

Both workers and the public can be put at risk when scaffolding collapses. A lack of safety boards or netting can also mean that building materials can fall through gaps, potentially causing harm.

"We are concerned that companies may be trying to cut down on costs or to undercut competitors by not using suitable scaffolding or other safety equipment. Quite simply, they are putting their own and other people's lives at risk as a result," Polly Tomlinson, a principal inspector for HSE in Greater Manchester, said.

She added that in some cases "strong enforcement action" would be taken.
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