Large rise in site deaths linked to safety cuts
Large rise in site deaths linked to safety cuts
A dramatic rise in deaths in the construction industry must shame the government into reversing cuts in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the unions UCATT, PCS and Prospect have said. Latest figures reveal that 74 people have died on building sites already this year, an increase of 14 per cent on the 2005/06 figure. The unions say the figure for 2006/07 could rise - the reporting year only ends on 31 March. Alan Ritchie, general secretary of construction union UCATT, said: 'The lives of building workers cannot be reduced to a financial cost. The government must reverse these cuts and put extra resources into ensuring that this inherently dangerous industry is made safer.' The unions say the watchdog is already suffering the combined effects of up to 350 job cuts announced last year and year-and-year real terms budget cuts since 2002 (Risks 270). Further cuts are expected as the organisation's parent body, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), will be forced to make cuts of 5 per cent from its spending in each of the next three years. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, one of the HSE unions, said the site deaths figure 'should be a wake up call to the government who should be investing in safety rather than crude cost cutting.' He added: 'Cutting jobs and resources leads to fewer inspections which in turn results in tragic consequences.' Research shows that workplaces only receive an HSE inspection once every 13 years, the unions say, adding additional job losses are expected to further reduce the number of workplace inspections undertaken. Prospect negotiator Mike MacDonald, speaking on behalf of 1,750 inspectors, scientists and other professionals in HSE, said: 'The government's refusal to back the call for proper resources for inspection and accident investigation ignores the stack of evidence that enforcing the law is the most effective motivator for business to improve health and safety standards' (Risks 284). He added: 'In addition to the families devastated by the rise in construction site fatalities, there are numerous other lives wrecked by horrendous injuries at work who will never get justice because the cutbacks have resulted in a restriction of the accident selection criteria used to prompt an investigation.'
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