The seconds following a site accident can make all the difference between life and death, which is why the Red Cross has set up a programme of construction-specific first aid training days

First-aid training for site workers

Construction is an industry notorious for its high accident rates: in the past 25 years, 2800 people have died from injuries received during construction work, and thousands more were seriously injured. What happens in the seconds after an accident can make a vital difference in saving a worker鈥檚 life; yet it is doubtful how many site workers would know what to do to give vital assistance.

Fortunately for the industry鈥檚 workforce, first aid foundation the Red Cross has recognised this potentially fatal lack of knowledge. It is now taking steps to give workers the skills they need to help colleagues should an accident occur, and has embarked on a programme of on-site training days specific to construction.

The free two-hour 鈥淪ave a Life鈥� sessions include advice on resuscitation, dealing with heart attacks and choking. Workers can then opt to go on more detailed courses at nearby Red Cross training centres. But Annette Holmes, head of British Red Cross Commercial Training, says that even a two-hour session can make a huge difference to a worker鈥檚 ability to cope with an injury under pressure. 鈥淔or the worker themselves, research proves that first aid training is a skill that builds confidence and motivation,鈥� she says. 鈥淚nvestment in first aid training demonstrates a commitment to a safer workforce.鈥�

One construction company that has recently hosted a Red Cross Save a Life day is Bovis Lend Lease. Red Cross staff visited the site of the company鈥檚 拢160m Manchester Civil Justice Centre in October to train workers on basic skills. Peter Foy, Bovis , is in no doubt over the capacity of the Red Cross to help construction employees.

Foy says: 鈥淭he event gave the opportunity for members of our workforce to receive training to supplement our existing first aid provision. This complemented our incident- and injury-free policy in providing additional skills to our workforce.鈥�

But it isn鈥檛 just site workers who are being targeted by the Red Cross. In an attempt to drive safety through company culture, the organisation has also published a six-step guide aimed at those responsible for managing the first aid requirements of a firm.

鈥淓mployers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment, and first aid is an important element of this,鈥� says Holmes. But she is quick to stress that the motivation behind first aid training goes beyond mere paperwork. 鈥淎 first aid qualification is far more than just a certificate to meet an employer鈥檚 obligation.鈥�

Keeping children off sites

When construction firms are considering site safety, protecting children who trespass on to a site probably isn鈥檛 top of the list. But the Health and Safety Executive, for one, thinks that it should be. Earlier this year it issued a warning to firms, and parents, after a two-year-old boy was crushed to death by badly stored concrete slabs after entering a site.

Since then, housebuilder Redrow Homes has helped develop a novel response to the problem. 鈥淒angerpoint鈥� is a purpose-built centre in Wales that teaches children about safety, including around construction sites. The centre, supported and partially constructed by Redrow, includes a section on building site awareness, which warns of site hazards and the dangers of trespassing.

The centre is open to school visits from primary and secondary schools that find themselves on the doorstep of construction sites. For schools further afield, Redrow has another tactic up its sleeve: one Buster the Bear, who visits schools to warn children of the danger of playing on sites. It may not stop the need for HSE inspectors to crackdown on construction firms, but engaging with the kids is definitely worth a shot.

Looking ahead 鈥�

31 January 2006: End of HSE consultation period on proposed changes to Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations.

Final chance to respond to proposed changes designed to streamline the regulations, which include simpler classification of work and a relaxation of licensing surrounding the removal of asbestos-containing textured coatings.