A new discussion document aims to identify realistic ways of effectively tackling health and safety on construction sites by taking advice from those at the coalface.
The ECA has welcomed the publication by the HSE of Revitalising health and safety in construction, a discussion document which it says could help to link the high level strategies for improving construction health and safety with the practical needs of the contractor.

The document acknowledges that a health and safety problem exists in the construction industry and addresses issues such as client leadership, the role of insurance, the competency of agency workers and the potential introduction of site safety representatives.

The discussion document also encourages companies to get involved, asking them to be forthright in saying why the industry's health and safety performance is so bad; what changes need to be made; what are the best ways of achieving these changes and the reasoning behind these views.

The ECA is concerned that without measures to reduce health and safety bureaucracy and increase the practical support available to contractors from clients, practical improvements will be difficult to achieve.

Paul Reeve, health and safety adviser at the ECA, says: "We hope that the discussion document will help the industry translate objectives into practical guidance, less red tape and real results.

"Excess paperwork is not a measure of a safe working environment, and it is distracting contractors from sensible risk assessment and control measures."

The ECA is addressing health and safety through its Zero Accident Potential (ZAP) initiative. New health and safety measures have also been introduced on the ECS card scheme.