Another young Scottish construction worker killed

UCATT Regional Secretary Harry Frew was shocked and saddened to hear of a young worker killed on a construction site in Troon, Ayrshire.

Mr Frew said: " UCATT sends its deepest condolences to the family of the young man. It is especially tragic when someone so young is killed in this way.

" We will await the results of the HSE investigation but it is clear from the recent fatality figures that the construction industry is just as dangerous as at the time of the major health and safety summits called by the government in 2001 and 2004, we hope the upcoming summit will bring about a cultural change in the industry to health and safety.  This only adds to the figures of workplace fatalities spiralling out of control this year. This year construction deaths leapt by 31%.”

Last year 79 people were killed on construction sites and the HSE acknowledge that at least 70 per cent of those deaths are caused by management failures to take adequate health and safety measures.

Addressing the TUC Congress in Brighton this week, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain said that the Government would not tolerate the continued increase in construction deaths, and that nearly one in three refurbishment sites put workers lives at risk.  The HSE closed down 244 of the sites immediately. 

Mr Hain has called the construction industry, the Health and Safety Commission and the main trade unions to a special forum next week. This will be tasked to deliver an urgent action plan to reverse the unacceptable toll of rising death and injury in construction.