New research by RRC Business Training amongst companies in the construction sector has found that many put the well-being of their employees in jeopardy by failing to adequately assess the workplace for possible health and safety risks.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) the cost to employers of workplace injuries and work-related ill health is estimated to be up to £7.5 billion a year. Yet even in the relatively hazardous construction sector, business are still taking too many chances with the health and safety of their workers.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 puts the onus on all employers to carry out general risk assessments, yet 15 per cent in the construction sector are not doing so.

The study, carried out in companies with an average of 1,238 employees, also indicated that although it is a legal requirement to ensure all staff are given health and safety training, a similar percentage of companies are not providing their workers with any form of instruction in this area. As a result, there could be an alarming level of ignorance of even the most basic principles, with 37 per cent of those questioned in the construction industry thinking that red (or water based) fire extinguishers should be used on fires involving electrical equipment.

The research follows last week’s prosecution of two local contractors in Northern Ireland after an accident in February which saw seven men injured when a first floor support structure collapsed. (CL)