HSE backs Child Safety Week with advice to construction firms

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has taken the opportunity presented by Child Safety Week, 19-25 June, to remind the construction industry of the need to take precautions to prevent accidents to children on building sites.

Highlighting the dangers, the HSE issued statistics claiming that from 2001 to 2005 a total of 238 children suffered accidents on construction sites. Three of the children died as a result. Reported incidents included a two-year old falling from scaffolding and the death of a nine-year old boy crushed by a steel pipe after a group of children played with materials that had not been adequately secured.

Stephen Williams, Chief Inspector of Construction said: “Understandably some children are drawn to construction sites as exciting places to play, but they are not playgrounds and playing on them can have fatal consequences.”

Advice to construction workers from the HSE to prevent accidents to children includes:

• Watch out for children who stray on site; should this happen, stop all activity until the children have been removed from the premises.
• Ensure access to sites is secured at the end of the working day.
• Don't allow children to ride on plant and machinery.
• Ensure heavy objects are safely stored and fixed so they cannot fall or be rolled.