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Nobody wants accidents, yet each year there are between 70 and 80 deaths, thousands of disabling accidents and thousands more persons suffering ill health as a result of work activities in the UK construction industry. The extent of human misery as a result of accidents or ill health at work cannot be calculated.
It is clear that accidents also lead to substantial losses - the most obvious of which are financial losses to employers, employees and businesses. The construction industry, by its nature, can also have a significant impact outside the immediate work situation, in particular causing risks to members of the public and to the environment.
No one should need convincing that the management of health, safety and welfare in the industry should have the highest priority. Accidents and ill health are caused by the failure to control risks in construction. The strategy to reduce accidents and cases of ill health begins with the identification of hazards and the elimination and control of risks. Nevertheless, there will always be risks that cannot be eliminated and have to be managed as part of day to day construction work. Good performance results from a coming together of all persons and organisations within the industry, each contributing in their own way to the end objective of achieving safe working conditions.
There is no mystery to this subject but best performance does require planning ahead, the cooperative effort of all concerned and the deployment of appropriate experience, expertise and resources.