Causes of construction accidents

Most construction incidents occur when either walking across sites, handling materials or moving to the 'workface', according to two research projects published by the HSE in October.

The research also suggests that design changes could have prevented accidents or lessened their severity in a significant number of cases.

Engineering consultants BOMEL Ltd and Loughborough University conducted the studies. The reports also found that:

* poor supervision, communication and competence and lack of client involvement were significant contributors to accidents;

* accident investigation by contractors was superficial and tended to concentrate on site issues rather than often more fundamental matters such as poor planning and effective safety management controls; and

* Bomel's research noted that a lack of manual handling training was frequently cited as a significant cause of musculoskeletal disorder injuries.

Copies of HSE Research Report 139: Sample analysis of construction accidents reported to HSE, (RR139) price £20, and Causal factors in construction accidents, (RR156) price £25, can be ordered from HSE Books. They can also be downloaded from the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/index.htm