HSE targets Newcastle sites

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is to visit construction firms carrying out refurbishment projects in Newcastle to crackdown on dangerous work practices.

Previous inspections by the organisation in February led to work on five sites being suspended over concerns about work being carried out at height, a lack of asbestos checks and inadequately guarded machinery.

Further checks are to be carried out this week by the HSE and inspector Jonathan Williams has warned offending companies the health and safety body will not hesitate to take action.

"Our advice to those who work in the refurbishment sector is to plan work, use competent workers and if working at height use the right equipment and use it safely," he said.

Mr Williams added that 77 workers in the construction industry lost their lives last year and over half of them were in the refurbishment sector, which has seen a 61 per cent increase in the number of fatalities in 12 months.

The HSE carried out over 2,400 targeted refurbishment site inspections across the UK in the summer of 2007 and in February this year.