A huge number of local authorities are to be recruited to pilot new safety schemes, by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The regulator will work with councils to boost safety standards at small and medium sized contractors, it has told construction leaders that it will look to sign up pathfinder councils to test out new initiatives.
The announcement came in a progress report which was presented to the Construction Industry Advisory Committee, on the HSEs Local Authority Construction Engagement (LACE) project, The project forms part of the HSEs construction programme, also covering connections with local authorities. Thus offering a large number of new job opportunities for local authorities to work with health and safety in order to improve in the construction sector.
Project manager Mike Harrison said: "The next stage will be to build on councils enthusiasm during 2010/11 to generate the momentum to develop a critical mass of local authorities who regard taking action to improve construction health and safety as a legitimate and beneficial aspect of their business. Even by concentrating the efforts of the team in this way, the size of the task involved remains a challenge against a background of continuing reorganisation and changes of personnel within local authorities, for example with the establishment of new unitary authorities from former district councils."
Harrison said he wants to move towards HSE working with the majority of local authorities. LACE have concentrated on working with environmental health, building control and highways function of councils.
The Health and Safety Executive has commisioned new research to follow up on the results of the last report, which is due to be published next year.