Health and Safety in the Construction Industry Term Paper

Health and Safety in the Construction Industry - Term Paper Example The National Audit Office report established, among other things, that the accident rate in the United Kingdom was one of the lowest in the European Union.   In 2002-2003, 226 workers were fatally injured, and about 70% of these were construction workers; about 4000 construction workers suffered minor injuries, and health records indicated that musculoskeletal diseases were prevalent among the workers.   These numbers are very alarming.   They imply that there are not enough safety precautions in place to prevent injuries and to ensure the safety of these construction workers.   The statement of the NAO in their report stressed that those creating the health risks are also legally responsible for controlling and managing such risk.   The report goes on to say that everybody has to safeguard his own safety and the safety of those affected by their work.   These statements imply that those who create the risk and those who are exposed to the risk bear the responsibility of keeping each other safe.   The report was able to establish that many stakeholders in the construction industry are not aware of their responsibilities in the industry.   And this lack of knowledge and lack of awareness is impacting greatly on the health and safety performance of stakeholders involved.   The report cites that some public sector agencies are sometimes too preoccupied and are more concerned with getting the lowest possible price for various construction projects and that they ignore the whole life costs and the health and safety of the workers who will later be invol ved in the project.   Many designers also are not aware of their responsibilities, and some of them actually think that they do not have any duties or responsibilities towards their employees.   These beliefs are very dangerous in the construction industry.   They place construction workers in a position that exposes them to serious injuries and possibly unfortunate fatalities.   The NAO report serves as a warning, an eye-opener for all the stakeholders in the construction industry. There are various cases of violations of the Health and Safety Act as far as the construction industry is concerned.