Monday 21 June 2010

June 21 saw the launch in the UK of the European Campaign on Safe Maintenance. The HSE, in partnership with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the EEF and the TUC formally launched the campaign in London.

John Lacey and David Ackerley attended the event on behalf of IOSH and the Construction Group. The campaign will be running for 18 months with European Safety Weeks in October 2010 and 2011 focusing on Maintenance safety. To find out more about the campaign visit the HSE website.

In an opening speech Judith Hackitt (HSE Chair), identified that 25-30% of fatal accidents at work were maintenance related.

Maintenance is a process that affects every area of health and safety. Poor standards and a failure to keep working environments in good condition are major causes of accidents and occupational diseases.

The Construction sector is a particular area requiring action as the whole spectrum of maintenance operations apply. CDM requires Designers to consider their designs in relation to maintenance. Plant maintenance on site is another major area where accidents can and do happen.  In tough economic times, normal preventative maintenance may be sacrificed to save money. This in turn may increase the chance of breakdowns and failure of all involved to assess risk before taking action. Simple processes of ‘Permit to work’ and ‘lock-off’ are forgotten which can lead far too easily to an incident occurring.

If any members have well proven systems that they are willing to share with the Construction Group, please forward them to John Lacey c/o The Grange. These can be put on the Group web site for the benefit of all.

The Group Network Events are touring the UK and Ireland , the Group will be keeping members informed on how the campaign is unfolding.

John Lacey
Construction Group Chairman 

Disclaimer - please read this

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Where the content includes discussion and information about UK law or occupational health matters, this should not be regarded as legal or medical advice.

Where legal advice is required, a suitably qualified lawyer should be consulted. Where medical advice is required, a suitably qualified medical practitioner should be consulted.