Construction union UCATT are calling for far higher levels of safety awareness on the final stages of major retail projects, following two recent accidents at the Stratford City Shopping Complex, which opened yesterday, Tuesday 13th September.

Last week two serious accidents occurred at the site. In the first accident on Monday 5th September a worker fell from a ladder, sustaining back injuries. In the second accident on Friday 9th September a worker suffered severe burns after being electrocuted.

In the final stages of the project there have been 8,000 workers on the site, the vast majority of whom were shop fitters. The site has 300 shops. Rather than being one major project it has effectively been 300 small projects.

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UCATT have been taking a proactive and preventative role in reducing accident risks on the site. In recent weeks the UCATT convenor on the site has been working seven days a week to ensure that workers were not being placed at risk.

Despite the recent accidents and a tragic fatality in late 2009 the site has a generally good safety record. It recently passed a million man-hours without a reportable accident, the fourth time it has achieved this landmark.

Jerry Swain, Regional Secretary of UCATT's London and South East Region, said: "The two recent accidents at the Westfield site are of extreme concern. UCATT has been working diligently around the clock in a proactive manner in order to prevent accidents from occurring. These accidents underline just how dangerous the industry is, particularly when workers are required to work long hours in a rush to finish a project."

(CD/GK)