Housebuilders launch health and safety charter

The House Builders Federation (HBF), National Housing Federation (NHF), National House-Building Council, Construction Products Association and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, have today (Monday) launched a new Health and Safety Charter.

The Charter commits all members, as a collective Housebuilders Health and Safety Forum, to deliver an annual action plan detailing a rolling programme of work to improve site safety.

The vision is to provide a built in environment that is safe by design; safe to construct, safe to live in and safe to maintain.

Launching the Charter, Stewart Baseley, chairman of the HBF, said: "This Charter is a commitment to maintain best practice in health and safety and to improve where improvement is needed. Moreover, it is a commitment to share information, to exchange ideas and provide a climate where good practice can flourish."

Jim Coulter, chief Executive of NHF, said: ""This Charter signals a commitment by housing associations to put health and safety at the heart of the design, construction and maintenance of their homes.

"Creating a safe, modern construction industry is vital if we are to address the undersupply of new affordable homes and achieve the government's decent homes standard for existing housing. We need to attract and retain skilled people within construction to achieve these goals."

The Charter aims to:

• Increase the consideration given to health and safety during the design phase;
• Engage with contractors, material suppliers employees and other workers;
• Increase occupational health awareness;
• Use accurate statistics and intelligence to target effective improvement;
• Protect customers, visitors and neighbours;
• Co-operate with others to develop and promote best practice.