HSE Announce New Construction Health Initiative

The Health and Safety Executive has announced that they will be carrying out their latest construction health inspection initiative, across Great Britain, over the coming weeks.

The targeted inspection programme will run for four weeks, from Monday 05 to Friday 30 October 2020 and is aimed at supporting HSE’s ongoing strategy to improve the health of construction workers, and, in light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, to encourage people to get back to work safely in line with the Government’s wider agenda to support economic recovery.

The focus of HSE’s October strategy will again be respiratory risks, including those presented by working during the pandemic, and as such, they will be checking that sites and those working on them are ‘COVID-secure’.

Throughout the pandemic, SIMIAN has provided ongoing guidance and support to our client base, most notably in the form of regularly updated documentation packs, to assist with COVID compliance and ensure worker safety. Those clients that have yet to receive our packs are encouraged to let us know, by emailing hello@simian-risk.com, or by calling 0345 6022 418.

Respiratory risks to Scaffolders are primarily found during refurbishment or maintenance works, when drilling activity during scaffolding anchor installation creates silica dust, and as outlined in this blog, steps must be taken to control the risk. This usually involved controlling (extracting) the silica dust at source, or by providing those at risk with the appropriately fitted respiratory protective equipment. (RPE).

Customers requiring advice on controlling the risks presented by silica dust are also encouraged to make contact with our team.