HSE raps dangerous sites

Falls from heights are the biggest killer

The Health and Safety Executive has served 90 prohibition notices in Scotland after a week-long series of checks on building sites.

Some of the causes for concern among inspectors included "appalling" toilet and washing facilities.

In Scotland, the risk of being killed on a site is twice that in the rest of the UK. Most fatalities are caused by falling from a height.

The HSE said 90 notices had been served following visits to 174 sites.

The operation earlier this month included the north of England.

Scaffolding can be a danger area

Pam Waldron, the HSE's head of construction operations for Scotland and northern England, said: "The clear message is that the industry must tackle those things which are killing and injuring people and making them ill at work.

"Sadly, the blitz indicates that there is a common pattern across construction sites in Great Britain of relaxed attitudes to health and safety.

"I personally witnessed many examples of weak site management and lack of control of sub-contractors allowing unsafe working practices.

"I also saw individual workers putting themselves at risk by ignoring site rules and taking shortcuts."

Call to industry

"Three-quarters of the prohibition notices were served to deal with the risk associated with working at heights, such as a lack of edge protection, working near roof openings, steel erection and unsafe scaffolding.

"As falls from heights are the cause of nearly half the construction fatalities, it is vital that the industry does more to address this problem."

Since 2001, a total of 13 workers have been killed in Scotland's construction industry and 638 seriously injured.