By many counts, the UK construction industry is a major success story – but on occupational health and safety, it continues to generate some worrying statistics.
Construction professionals now have a new tool to help address these issues. Designed for any organization from any sector including construction, the new international standard ISO 45001 aims to provide a framework for success to improve the management or mental and physical health – which in turn will generate huge benefits to businesses.
Despite strong efforts in recent years to reduce health risks in the industry, major and fatal injuries remain disproportionately high. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 43 construction workers in the UK sustained fatal injuries at work in 2018-19, while a further 66,000 workers were affected by non-fatal injuries. Those figures are worrying enough – even before taking into account that they represent 3pc of the workforce.
Knowing the risks
Fatalities most commonly occur in the industry when workers fall from heights (approximately 50pc of deaths), are trapped (10pc) or struck by a vehicle (also 10pc).
However, it is not just the risk of accidents that the sector needs to worry about. Construction is a high-risk industry for health issues as well.
Recent HSE reports show that three times as many working days are lost in the industry owing to work-related illness than to injuries. About 80,000 construction workers in Britain say they suffer from an illness they believe was caused or made worse by their work. Further, more than 12,000 cases of mental health issues – including stress, anxiety, and depression – are recorded in the industry annually.
This is having a huge knock-on effect on business as well. The HSE estimates that 2.3 million working days are lost each year in construction because of either a workplace injury or illness, costing £1bn annually. This equates to 1.1 working days lost per worker – or 10,000 full-time workers being absent for a whole year.
These stark statistics prompt the obvious question: what can construction companies do to ensure their people are safe at work? Organisations need to take responsibility for their workers’ well-being, and that means keeping up to speed with the risks they are exposed to day-to-day.
The BSI’s new ISO 45001 standard sets out all the requirements for creating a successful health and safety management system – putting a firm focus on proactive leadership and risk-based thinking. From operational controls and preparing for emergencies to hazard identification and risk assessment, the standard enables construction companies to fully understand the risks they are open to and how to tackle them head-on.
And of course, it is not just about meeting legal obligations or reducing potential financial costs. Just as importantly, by investing in robust health and safety management, construction companies can be sure that staff morale, brand perception and commercial performance will be bolstered as well.
BSI is the business improvement company that enables organisations to turn standards of best practice into habits of excellence.
For over a century BSI has championed what good looks like and driven best practice in organisations around the world. Working with 84,000 clients across 193 countries, it is a truly international business with skills and experience across a number of sectors including aerospace, automotive, built environment, food, and healthcare.
Through its expertise in Standards Development and Knowledge Solutions, Assurance, Regulatory Services and Professional Services, BSI improves business performance to help clients grow sustainably, manage risk and ultimately be more resilient.
To learn more, visit bsigroup.com