No fatalities reported for 2006

BCSA & industry targets.

Statistical data compiled from the BCSA membership for 2006 shows that no fatal injuries were reported for the entire year.

“This is very good news for the steel construction industry,” said Pete Walker, BCSA Health & Safety Manager. “By achieving zero fatal injuries we have taken a positive step towards meeting the targets set by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the construction in- dustry as a whole.”

The steel construction industry has also seen a significant reduction in the number of accidents resulting from a fall from height, while the number of major injuries for 2006 was also down.

Mr Walker said the Work at Height Regula- tions, which focussed industry attention on edge protection and greater use of safety netting, has played a significant role in reducing on site acci- dents. Consequently, incidents involving materials falling from height and causing injuries have been reduced by 64% since 2004.

Fall from a height accidents 2004-06.

The BCSA has also used the accident fre- quency rate which gives the number of injuries an average steel construction industry employee can expect in a working lifetime.

“Our information shows we are achieving even fewer accidents than the construction industry target set by the HSE in 2006,” said Mr Walker.

Measuring and monitoring accidents in the steel construction industry has been carried out annually by the BCSA since 2004.

Dr Derek Tordoff, BCSA Director General, said: “Our industry was once classed as high risk, but over the past ten years there has been a concerted safety improvement programme in the industry, helped with new health and safety guides developed by BCSA. The accident data being collected from our membership shows that  steel construction is now one of the safest construction processes.”