Aug 10 2007
As the school holiday have kicked in, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning the South East's school children and their parents to be aware of construction sites and not to treat them as playgrounds.
Between 2001/02 and 2005/06, three children died and the HSE were notified of at least 281 injuries to children during construction works. In most cases, simple precautions could have prevented the incidents from ever happening.
Richard Boland, Construction Operations Director said, "Let's ensure that long summer evenings remain a time for fun and adventure for the South East's children and not a time of tragedy because children have, understandably, been drawn to construction sites as exciting places to play.
"Construction sites can be a dangerous attraction for children. The dangers are numerous and varied, including scaffolding; reversing vehicles; electrical power supplies; ladders; and falling equipment. Access to construction sites should be restricted and risks should be assessed by site managers to ensure that untoward incidents are prevented. The consequences could be awful and even life threatening, like when a 4 year old girl was killed in 2001, because youths had used scaffolding as a climbing frame, which then fell down."
HSE has made a number of visits to schools to drive home its safety messages and offers the following practical advice for parents and workers this summer:
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warn children against playing in dangerous areas, including building sites;
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make sure you know where your children are going, and when they will be back;
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encourage them to play only in safe areas such as playgrounds;
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workers should watch out for children playing around sites. If you see children, stop work and make sure they are off site before you begin again;
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lay heavy objects on the ground or fix them firmly upright so they cannot fall onto children and injure them;
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secure sites adequately when finishing work for the day;
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never allow children to ride in construction plant machinery.