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The report 'Small Isn't Beautiful' written by the Centre for Corporate Accountability for UCATT, revealed that in 2007/8 over half (51%) of the construction workers killed, worked for companies with fewer than 50 employees. Even more disturbingly almost half of these deaths occurred in companies, which employed five or fewer workers. The levels of deaths are disproportionately far higher than the total number of construction workers employed by enterprises of this size.
Due to long term cuts in frontline Health and Safety Executive numbers, companies of this size are very rarely inspected, unless a major accident or a fatality occurs. The level of convictions following major accidents and fatalities remains worryingly low.
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UCATT are calling for an increase in the number of fully qualified frontline HSE inspectors, who need to take a more proactive approach in order to improve safety. An increased number of inspectors need to be supported by a far tougher regime of enforcements and prosecutions.
Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "This report sheds fresh light on the dangers faced daily by workers on construction sites. Small companies often do not take safety seriously, that is how tragedies occur. The HSE must introduce a zero tolerance approach to safety and pressure needs to be applied all year round on small construction companies."
UCATT are also renewing their call for the introduction of statutory director's duties. Which would require all companies to appoint a director responsible for health and safety. If serious safety lapses occurred and a worker died, there would be the possibility of the director responsible receiving a custodial sentence.
Mr Ritchie, added: "As the law stands a company boss is more likely to be sent to prison for not paying their taxes than killing one of his workers. It is an appalling state of affairs and sends a terrible message that we as a society consider life to be cheap."
(CD/JM)
