The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and The East Midlands Working Well Together Group (EMWWT) are hosting two special workshops on 17 and 31 October at Bureau Veritas, City Gate East, Nottingham in a bid to reduce the high rates of fatalities and serious injuries in the construction industry.

In 2005/2006 there were 59 fatal injuries and 4419 major injuries to workers in construction. With this in mind HSE and the Working Well Together programme has organised two free half day events in Nottingham as the latest in a nationwide series of construction Safety, Health and Awareness Days (SHADs) to advise those in the business on good practice and safety procedures when on site.

These special Nottingham Managers Awareness Days are aimed at small/medium contractors, sole traders and the self-employed, who together make up 83% of the industry, giving them the opportunity to find out about the latest developments in improving health and safety.

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Samantha Peace, Principal Construction Inspector for Nottinghamshire, said: "Small companies can sometimes miss out on health and safety information and developments in best practice.

“Small contractors can underestimate the impact poor health and safety performance can have on their own lives and those who work with them and the financial impact on their business if things go wrong.

“They can find training expensive and difficult to arrange. If you run a small building, construction or contracting company, or if you are self employed, these free events are a must."

Areas of greatest risk on construction sites will be highlighted and the latest information on a variety of topics including: workplace, transport-traffic management, vehicle maintenance and legal responsibilities of managers.

The event will spread construction safety messages 'for the industry, from the industry' as these events involve partnership and support between HSE and large contracting companies from across the country, as well as Construction Skills, and the Federation of Master Builders.

Visit www.hse.gov.uk for further information.

(GK/SP)