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PRESS RELEASE Battersea Crane Action Disaster Group • Monday 13 August 2007 • no embargo

Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group Fights for Action on Crane Safety

The Battersea Crane Disaster Action Group welcome positive moves from the tower crane industry following last Thursday’s Crane Sumit in London. The action group were pleased to be invited to the summit, organised by the Strategic Forum last week, to put forward concerns the general public have on crane safety.

The BCDAG’s manifesto for the meeting featured 5 key points:

• That HSE resources are insufficient to ensure crane safety
• That enforcement of the law on building sites is insufficient
• The crane safety legislation is insufficient
• That there is a lack of centralised data on cranes
and
• That there is a lack of regulation on crane age or usage

After the meeting the group welcomed the meeting as a useful start to addressing public fears about the use of tower cranes. Group member Julia Brandreth, who represented the BCDAG at the industry summit said, “We think this meeting is a good start in terms of the industry working together to end tower crane fatalities. However, there’s clearly a long way to go and improvements will need to be judged by results.”

BCDAG Secretary Liliana Alexa echoed this, saying, “action is what’s important. We’re now looking for clear and decisive action from the tower crane industry. Words alone are not enough.”

The BCDAG welcome the Strategic Forum’s commitment to ‘robust and thorough examination and maintenance regimes’ but believe that these need to be clearly defined. They also welcomed the commitment to improving operator working conditions.

Some areas identified as crucial by the BCDAG have not formed part of the industry’s seven point plan. Julia Brandreth said:

“One key area we raised at the meeting is that there should be no victimisation of workers who raise legitimate health & safety concerns or refuse to operate hazardous equipment. Such workers should be seen as a help not a hindrance to the industry – a huge cultural change is required on this issue and we’re looking for the Strategic Forum to do all in its power to drive through this change. We’re also disappointed that the Strategic Forum’s action plan doesn’t include reference to age and usage of cranes. This was a key issue at the meeting and is a key area of concern for the public. We’d like to see clear industry guidelines in this area. There’s going to be a huge increase in building work in London over the next 10 years. No one – building workers or members of the public – should be killed in this work.”

The BCDAG welcomed the Strategic Forum Chair John Spanswick’s commitment to action on safety and to further meetings being held on a 6 monthly basis. They look forward to attending the next meeting to see what progress has been made.

For further information, contact Julia Brandreth julia@bwtuc.org.uk 07940 578219 or Liliana Alexa on 07859 047677.

The Hazards Campaign, c/o Greater Manchester Hazards Centre, Windrush Millennium Centre, 70 Alexandra Road,
Manchester, M16 7WD . website www.hazardscampaign.org.uk