A STUDY aimed at cutting accidents on building sites has turned to a north west company for some valuable insights.

Salford-based refurbishment specialist Fearnley will work with Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) project for the the next 12 months.

Fearnley is the only company from the region to be chosen to take part in the scheme, which will have major implications for the safety of workers throughout the construction industry.

Understanding

The university hopes the study will foster a greater understanding, recognition and implementation of health and safety issues among construction workers and help to reduce on-site accidents.

All the companies chosen to take part specialise in refurbishment and maintenance work because staff employed in these sectors are particularly vulnerable to accident and injury.

Fearnley was chosen because its existing commitment to health and safety issues was seen as being unusually advanced for a company of its size, mainly because it already employs an in-house health and safety manager.

Implemented

As part of the research, construction worker Paul Taylor will be trained as the company's safety representative and report back on how the safety programme is implemented in each particular specialist field.

Fearnley's health and safety manager, Sharon Walker, said: "It's a great privilege for Fearnley to be invited to take part in this national research project.

"As a company committed to health and safety best practice and with a very good track record of our own, we are delighted to be involved."

" Positive"

Billy Hare, a research fellow at GCU and the person responsible for the project, said: "Similar research in other industries has shown that worker involvement has had a very positive impact on overall worker safety.

"Other areas of the business performance have benefited too, for example inproved productivity, absenteeism and labour turnover.

"The construction industry is well aware it is one of the highest risk sectors and in 2001, it set itself a 10-year target to reduce the rate of fatal and minor injuries to workers by two thirds."

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