HSE action taken against many building firms, safety boots users learn

A number of construction firms have been hit with enforcement notices from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in recent weeks, the organisation has confirmed.

In a development which might encourage companies to ensure that their staff are making use of protective gear like safety boots, the notices were given out at 470 of the 2,014 sites the HSE inspected in March.

Safety practices relating to roofing work were notably looked at by the body's inspection team.

The HSE's Philip White said that he is concerned to see that such a large amount of enforcement action was taken.

He commented: 'The fact that our inspectors needed to take enforcement action on almost a quarter of sites, and on a similar proportion of contractors, is a matter of serious concern.'

Meanwhile, when it comes to safety issues, Which? has highlighted that protective gear was not always offered by some of the tool hire firms it looked at during a recent assessment.

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