29th September 2014
HSE Starts National Clampdown Targeting Construction Industry
From today (22nd September 2014) and during the month long initiative, HSE inspectors will be carrying out unannounced visits to sites where refurbishment projects or repair works are underway.
The inspection regime is focussing on Britain’s building sites as part of a nationwide drive aimed at reducing ill health, death and injury in the industry.
HSE Inspectors will ensure high-risk activities particularly those affecting the health of workers, are being properly managed. These include working with harmful dusts such as silica and asbestos, and other hazardous substances. If unacceptable standards are found Inspectors will take immediate enforcement action.
HSE is urging industry to ‘think health’ as over 30,000 construction workers are made ill by their work every year. During similar inspection regimes enforcement action was taken on one in six sites visited by the HSE.
Did you know that if you are an existing Lighthouse Health & Safety customer, you can protect yourself from the HSE’s Fee For Intervention (FFI) scheme?
As previously reported in the Lighthouse Blog, there has been a rise in the number of HSE inspections of UK businesses since FFI was introduced in April 2012.
The HSE currently have the power to charge £124.00 + VAT per hour for their advice and ongoing remedial actions if material breaches in Health & Safety legislation are identified within your business during such an inspection.
Lighthouse customers can guard against the costs of such invoices by taking out our Fee For Intervention Indemnity Guarantee; providing financial indemnity up to £10,000 any one incident and £25,000 any one annual period.
Dependent on number of employees and trade, the cost of the guarantee ranges between £160.00 – £370.00 + VAT for a single year.
For further information on protecting your business against FFI Invoices, click here, or alternatively contact Lighthouse Risk Services LLP on 0845 459 1724, or info@lighthouseriskservices.co.uk
