CONSTRUCTiON is easily the most dangerous industry in Britain. Around 130 workers are killed on site every year, with hundreds more injured, often seriously. An additional 4,000 die industrial diseases such as emphysema and asbes. tosis. Even on official Health and Safety Exocutive figures, the carnage is at a terrifying all time HSE concedes 70 per cont of deaths and injuries are preventble. But no employer has ever been jailed for causing through their negligence. Indeed. management face prosecution in less han one percent of all incidents involving construction site deaths.
Last week, the rank-and-file based Construction Safety Campaign lobbied parliament to draw attention to a situa bon which, in the words of Scottish Labour MP Sam Galbraith, amounts to an annual Piper Alpha disaster.
300 Club employment minister Viscount Ultswator - issued as press release Just outore to prowst - a to more disgraceful. I can do nothing better Health and safety legislation should not impose a burden out of proportion to is benefits, employment minister Viscount Ullswater said today.
Speaking at the Transmanche-Link Bi-National Health and Safety Seminar in Ashlord. Kent. Vecount Uswater said:
"We must recognise the noed to strike a balance between ensuring health and safety at work and overstifle growth."
Turning his attention to the con struction industry, the Viscount - educated Eton and Trinity College. Cambridge and therefore unlikely ever to have risked his life on a building site himself - adds helpfully: "Sypennon has shown that on sites where heath and safety is property managed, and the design, planning and construction accidents can be avoided. Such sites may also enjoy a payback profitablity because of their organised approach to health management: acci. dents cost money Aocidents cost money. There you have the bosses' concerns in a nut. shell. In the press release, the phrase is both underlined and printed in bold. Accidents actually cost iles, your lordship.
"Excessive regulation is not funny. whatever its source. It damages jobs and leaves no-one better off ... recovery wil not be assisted by imposing unnecessary burdens. My job is to burden out of proportion to its benefit"
The seminar's sponsors, incidental. ly, were the construction consortum engaged in building the Channel Tunnel. The project has claimed at least ten ives so far. God forbid TML should be overburdened with 'excessive regulation.