Workers Memorial Day 2012 : short video by ArtZone
Tony O’Brien Construction Safety Campaign at Watney Street Market memorial to three workers. Workers Memorial Day 2012
Simon Heston HSE Inspector & PROSPECT describes plans to cut HSE budget by 35% and stop many pro-active inspections. Watney Street Market Tower Hamlets
Workers Memorial Day 2012. Peter Farrell Chair of Construction Safety Campaign at Watney Market Tower Hamlets. Photo by Glyn Baker resuse under Creative Commons Licence.
CONSTRUCTION HEALTH RISKS
The construction industry has a high rate of occupational ill health because of the nature of the jobs/tasks. The Health and Safety Executive reports that there were 50 construction deaths in 2010/11, 18 were self-employed, and it was a 22% increase on the previous 12 months. There were 2298 reported major injuries and 2.3 million working days were lost through work related ill health. There are over 5,000 occupational cancer cases each year from past exposures in construction and 36,000 cases of work related musculo-skeletal illness. To know more about the health risks and how to manage/prevent them,click this link: Construction Health Risks
SOME CONSTRUCTION FACTSHEETS
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY CAMPAIGN
This is a grassroots campaign of building workers and relatives that has been fighting for workers health and safety in the construction industry for over 20 years. London Hazards Centre has worked with them supplying information about deaths in the Greater London Area. We campaigned jointly for the UK ban on asbestos and continue to provide information for the worldwide ban on asbestos.
Contact Construction Safety campaign at:
PO Box 23844
London SE15 3EA
E-mail the secretary at: construction.safetycampaign
The Construction Safety Campaign has produced a history of its activities over the last 20 years, written by Tony O’Brien, and available for £10 plus £2 postage from the above address.
Download a summary of their activities here: CSC Achievements & Objectives December2010
Download the affiliation form: CSC Affiliation form You can also buy the T-shirt, price £8.
Read a summary of Construction Safety Campaign policies here: CSC POLICY
CANARY WHARF CRANE COLLAPSE
Firemen inspect a collapsed crane at the HSBC tower, North Colonade, Canary Wharf, which killed three workmen and left three injured when its arm snapped in half on the building site. Those injured were being treated for minor injuries and shock.
Although 3 men were killed there were no prosecutions. Unions fear if it happened on any day other than a Sunday there would have been more deaths.
CD239 – Notificati
Read the response to the HSE consultation on scrapping these regulations here: LHC response CD239 july 2012
Leaflet for 3rd July lobby: 10 Reasons to improve crane safety
Stop Crane Deregulation Protest outside Department of Work & Pensions 3rd July 2012
BATTERSEA CRANE DISASTER ACTION GROUP
On 26 September 2006 a 165 foot Falcon crane collapsed in
Thessaly Road, Battersea onto a block of flats killing Drago-Michael Alexa, 23,
and the crane driver, Jonathan Cloke, 37.
Michael was changing a wheel on his car in the street outside his mum’s
home – his body was trapped under the collapsed crane and was left there for
five days until the he could be moved safely.
Michael’s mum Liliana Alexa has subsequently campaigned remorselessly
for better protection for workers and the public from such crane collapses.
Read Lilianas’s story on London Council’s website.
An Anniversary Ceremony at Thessaly Road. Angela Bedy, Michael Alexa’s partner is in the middle holdin their son.
THE INQUEST MARCH 2012
- Liliana and Doru Alexa and Construction Safety Campaign supporters at the Inquest
On Monday 12th March 2012, at the end of the inquest into the deaths of Michael Alexa and Jonathan Cloke, the jury returned a narrative verdict: Both men died as a result of a crane collapse due to failure of the inner slew ring bolts due to overloading of the counterweight. The overloading was due to an incorrect manual being used in the erection of the crane. On the 25th July 2006, four inner slew ring bolts failed and all of the slew ring bolts were replaced. No investigation was undertaken as to the root cause of the bolt failure. On the 26th July 2006 the crane was returned to service.
At that time there was no adequate formalised process and procedure to allow for faults to be managed, escalated or investigated. In addition there was a vacuum of structured management in the company’s service department.
The Coroner did not allow them to consider a verdict of unlawful killing.
Liliana and Doru Alexa and Construction Safety Campaign supporters at the Inquest
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY IN EUROPE
CLR is the European Institute for Construction Labour Research. They report on research on occupational health and demolition, article by Rolf Gehring, and working conditions for migrant workers, article by Bernd Eisenach/Rolf Gehring, download the journal here CLR News 4-2010. Find out aout CLR here www.clr.news.org