Should site managers on sites with cranes follow the strategic forum’s advice to put their phone numbers on the site board?.

We can’t have every Tom, Dick and Mary calling up claiming to be an H&S specialist. If the site is registered under the Considerate Constructors Scheme, if it has the contractor’s name displayed on the hoarding and if it’s being run under CDM, what is the need? Are we inviting further public scrutiny and more big brother-style interference? My answer is ‘no’ for the larger contractor, but maybe there is some justification for this on smaller sites.

Mike Smith, Corniche Builders

I support this proposal. Anything that will help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on construction sites must be a good thing. Site managers should be responsible for all activities so it is entirely appropriate for them to make their contact details available to the public. Local Authority Building Control and the HSE are considering whether there are ways that LABC surveyors and approved inspectors can help with this when carrying out day-to-day inspections.

Paul Everall, LABC

We have some way to go to convince the public that the construction industry takes H&S seriously. To that end, giving the public access to someone who can make things happen seems a good idea. Inevitably there will be problems, including the use of such a facility to moan about anything and everything connected with the project, and worse, abuse. It would be better for a project to have a website where interested people can register and make comments.

Guy Fairweather, ISG Jackson

The forum’s recommendation is a good idea but out of date. The Considerate Constructors Scheme already covers this. For a small fee, sites that join are issued with a poster displaying site information, including the site manager’s name and phone number. The public are invited to use the numbers to air concerns, not just about safety but anything: parking, mud on the road etc. Perhaps the forum and CCS can work together on this.

Doug Goodsir, Considerate Constructors Scheme