Monday, January 14, 2008

UK construction leaders give site supervisors two years to complete new health & safety course

Twelve of the UK’s top construction firms have given their full support to a new ConstructionSkills health and safety course for construction health and safety supervisors.

The new course for construction safety managers has received the full backing of the Major Contractors Group (MCG), which comprises 12 of the UK’s largest construction firms. MCG members carry out in excess of £20 billion worth of construction work per annum between them. And MCG has said that all supervisors on its sites should attend the new health and safety training course devised by ConstructionSkills, the sector’s skills council.

The two-day site supervisors’ safety course, which covers environmental and welfare issues, has been devised to provide supervisors with a full knowledge of current UK legislation applying to construction activity.

Site supervisors have two years to obtain the qualification, which will be part of the ConstructionSkills' ‘Site Safety Plus’ set of courses. From 2010, MCG member companies will be adopting a zero-tolerance policy on all their sites with regard to having course certification.

This announcement is being greeted as a sign of the MCG’s greater commitment to health and safety training, and it will result in thousands of supervisors undertaking the course by 2010. Course Certification will be valid for up to five years after which time training must updated.

The Site Safety Plus programme will be delivered across the UK through 130 approved training providers.

The Major Contractors Group comprises Bovis Lend Lease Ltd, Costain Group Plc, Galliford Try Plc, HBG Construction Ltd, Kier Group Plc, Morgan Sindall Plc, Shepherd Group, Skanska UK Plc, Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd, The Miller Group Ltd, VINCI Plc and Wates Group Ltd.

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