a safe working environment
The construction industry could become a much safer place if it learnt lessons from the preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games, according to Michael Slade, Managing Director of health and safety advisor and employment law specialist Bibby Consulting & Support.
The Olympic Games project had shown how setting targets from the beginning and fostering an understanding of the importance of good practice can help ensure the safety of thousands of construction workers. Because the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) made clear its commitment to health and safety from the outset, Slade said, this helped create a positive Health and Safety culture, and therefore a safe working environment. As a result, the HSE found just 114 injuries and eight dangerous occurrences out of the 66 million hours of work that had been carried out.
Slade said he agreed with the HSE that the construction industry had for many years been one of the most dangerous sectors in which to work and that London 2012 had proved that it didn't have to be that way.
"The London 2012 construction project has shown that completing building projects on time and within budget does not mean compromising on the health and safety of workers," Slade said. "So no matter what size of organisation, or size of project, it's clear that small changes in the way a company operates can have a huge impact on the health and safety of its employees."
Slade also praised the 'no scapegoating' approach to managing risks that the ODA had used and said this should be embraced by any project – irrespective of resources.
He concluded "A key feature behind this success was that workers were encouraged to raise any concerns without fear of reprisal. This is exactly how Health & Safety should be managed and I would urge all business leaders to adopt a similar approach”.
