From a health and safety at work perspective, the construction industry in Northern Ireland is high risk. In the past decade alone, 44 construction workers have been killed and over 500 have been severely injured.

It is an appalling record. All sides of the industry agree that it needs to be tackled with renewed vigour. The focus of that renewed effort will be a new initiative, BUILDSAFE-NI, aimed at substantially reducing, and in the case of deaths, eliminating the human cost of health and safety failures throughout the industry here.

The BUILDSAFE-NI initiative will run under the auspices of the Construction Industry Forum for Northern Ireland (CIFNI), which is a cross-cutting partnership bringing together Government (as clients), the industry (contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and the professional bodies), the trades unions and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) to address a wide range of issues of mutual interest. It will be taken forward in the context of the already extensive legal obligations and requirements on employers and others in this area. However, if improvement is not forthcoming in the next 12 months and further reinforcing legislation is needed, it will be brought forward as a matter of priority.

This toolkit provides a ready checklist for health and safety problems on small construction sites. It will help you to manage or avoid them and to ensure your own health and safety as well as the health and safety of the people who work for you, your clients, and others such as the public.The toolkit also acts as a signpost to more detailed advice.
Download Essential Health and Safety Toolkit for the Smaller Construction Firm (2196 k)
Issued: 02-03-2006

This toolkit provides a ready checklist for health and safety problems on small construction sites. It will help you to manage or avoid them and to ensure your own health and safety as well as the health and safety of the people who work for you, your clients, and others such as the public. The toolkit also acts as a signpost to more detailed advice.
Download The Absolutely Essential Health and Safety Toolkit (26713 k)
Issued: 16-09-2004

This free “slips and trips” booklet, poster and DVD set has been produced by HSENI in partnership with CEF. Each year many construction workers are injured following a slip or trip while they are on a building site. Most of these accidents could be avoided if everyone on site did their bit to make the workplace safer. If you would like a copy of the DVD for use at toolbox talks or laminated A3 copies of the poster to display on your sites or a hard copy of the booklet then please contact HSENI.

Dead Slow - Understanding the risks from slow moving vehicles

In this clip you will find re-enactments of three events where people have been hurt by slow moving vehicles at work
Issued: 05 11 2007

Is Your Fork Lift Truck Being Used Safely?

This free leaflet has been produced by HSENI as part of its Workplace Transport Safety Initiative. There has been a recent spate of fatal accidents involving lift trucks. They are the workhorses of virtually every type of workplace and are increasing in number and application. The leaflet addresses the main questions lift truck users should be asking themselves with respect to their drivers, lift trucks, premises and tasks. The main laws which apply to lift trucks and sources of more detailed information are listed.
Download Is Your Fork Lift Truck Being Used Safely? (244 k)
Issued: 29-09-2004

LPG (normally sold as butane or propane) is supplied as a liquid under pressure and subsequently vapourised for use as a fuel. The main hazards associated with LPG are leakage (as gas it will sink to the lowest possible level) followed by ignition (when mixed with air it is highly flammable and potentially explosive). This leaflet details simple but effective safety steps that can help prevent serious accidents.
Download Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Safety Pays Information Sheet (19 k)
Issued: 10-06-2003

The construction industry has a poor health and safety record. Serious injury and death happen regularly as a result of construction work. This affects not only workers, but also members of the public. Good management of the construction process is essential to help prevent accidents and ill health in the industry. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 (CDM) place new duties on clients, planning supervisors, designers and contractors, to plan, co-ordinate and manage health and safety throughout all stages of the construction project. This booklet summarises the requirements of the CDM Regulations.
Download CDM - How the Regulations Affect You and A Question of Competence (61 k)
Issued: 10-06-2003

Falls from heights are a major source of fatal and major injury accidents and as such this is an area of great concern to HSENI. In order to create a safer working environment for roof workers it is essential that everyone involved in the construction process plays an active part in raising standards. This strategy sets out the contribution expected from each of the main players involved.
Download Introduction of Close Hung Safety Nets - Strategy Document (22 k)
Issued: 10-06-2003

Hazardous substances are not only used or produced in factories, they can be found in offices, shops, hotels etc.. They may be used directly in the workplace like paints and cleaning agents eg bleach, or they may arise from the work process itself in the forms of fumes and waste products. Contact with, or exposure to hazardous substances at work can result in discomfort, pain, time off work and even death eg skin irritation, dermatitis or skin cancer from frequent contact with oils. This leaflet contains a checklist that describes the steps that need to be taken to control the risks from hazardous substances present in the workplace.
Download The Control of Hazardous Substances - Safety Pays Information Sheet (33 k)
Issued: 10-06-2003