Quarterly safety figures required

The Construction Confederation's director of health and safety wants to see fatality statistics released on a quarterly basis rather than yearly.

According to Health & Safety Executive (HSE) figures for the nine months up to 31 December 2000, 86 construction workers died - an average of 9.5 a month. But the first three months of 2001 added another 20 - an average of 6.6, a reduction of 30.5% and an improvement on the first three months of 2000 when the monthly average of deaths was nine.

"The fact that the figures have slowed down over the first three months of 2001 sends out such a positive message," said Suzannah Thursfield.

"If the results were made public, we could say to people that something is being done right. And, alternatively, if the number goes up, it proves that the industry needs to try harder.

"I appreciate that the HSE has got to get the figures right, but quarterly figures would make it far easier to monitor."

Meanwhile, Thursfield has told Contract Journal of her concern over calls for the introduction of tough laws on corporate manslaughter.

In the year to 31 March 2001, fatalities rose by 34% to 114. Unions and the Construction Safety Campaign immediately announced its intention to pressurise the government into bringing in new legislation (CJ 1 August).

However, Thursfield believes the proposals, especially regarding individual accountability for deaths, will not work.

"One person has got to have significantly contributed to that fatal accident and that will always be extremely difficult to prove because there are so many people in the chain," she said.

"You will get to a point where people will say 'I didn't make that decision', while it could also lead to managers becoming desperately scared that if they do make a genuine mistake, they will be held accountable."

Thursfield continued: "If someone deliberately pushes a man off a scaffold, yes quite rightly they would deserve to be punished.

"But if a man falls off because a number of people didn't do what they were meant to do, is it fair that responsibility is transferred to the manager in charge? Personally, I would have difficulty with that."

However, the British Safety Council disagreed, adding that it has been campaigning for new corporate killing laws to be introduced since 1999.

Outgoing director general Sir Neville Purvis said: "If employers understood that their neglect could lead to imprisonment or heavy fines, I am confident that we would see a substantial decline in work-related deaths."