White Van Man Delivers Construction Health and Safety Messages

White Van Man Delivers Construction Health and Safety Messages

Workers on building sites in Rochdale will see health and safety messages delivered in a new style next week when the "White Van Roadshow" arrives. Greater Manchester alone has seen eight deaths in the construction industry since April 2003.

The Working Well Together (WWT) campaign's 'White Van Roadshow, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive, is taking health and safety messages about the biggest dangers on construction sites, and how to deal with them, direct to sites with fewer than 50 workers.

The roadshow gives workers on small sites the opportunity to watch a 15 minute video on site welfare, falls from height, manual handling, transport and asbestos, try out the latest safety harnesses and take a hearing loss test. The roadshow will also be giving out free WWT Survival Kits, including a t-shirt and an insulated mug.

HSE's principal construction inspector for Greater Manchester, Vincent Joyce, says:

"HSE is delighted to support the White Van initiative. We want everyone in the industry, whether they work on a large or small site, to be aware of how to stay healthy and safe on site. The White Van campaign's High 5 messages are a step in the right direction. They cover:

1. The basics - tidy sites and decent welfare
2. Safe working at height
3. Safety in manual handling
4. Reducing the risk of workplace transport accidents
5. Avoiding exposure to asbestos.

"Companies hosting the van's visits are demonstrating their commitment are to keeping their workers safe - and how important health and safety is to everyone, on small as well as big sites."

Each year approximately 80 construction workers die and thousands sustain major injuries due to workplace accidents. The roadshow will be visiting Rochdale on 17 March. It will be stopping at Mardyke Flat, College Bank at 10.30am and 47 Crescent Road at 1.15pm