With a long history in delivering the best training and guidance in the temporary and permanent suspended access industry, SAEMA monitors the latest developments in the construction sector, particularly regarding worker health and safety, sustainability and equality.
We are pleased to share the comprehensive annual safety report from the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC). It contains accident statistics, analysis and plans to further improve scaffolding industry safety standards.
The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members, employing more than 16,000 operatives collectively, reported just 81 incidents in 2020, the second lowest figure recorded. This means that 99.5% of NASC member-employed operatives went through the year accident and injury free.
There were no operative fatalities, for the eighth consecutive year.
For the 2021 Safety Report, the NASC collected more detailed accident information than ever before from its Contractor members. This enabled the NASC to delve deeper into the statistics, identifying a number of trends and common causes of accidents and injuries.
The Report shows, for example, that the main causes of slips and trips were human error (55%), followed by poor site housekeeping and poor ground conditions (both 19%), and that 69% of all recorded operative falls from height were suffered by those in the 31-40 age bracket.
Armed with this data, the NASC is now working towards addressing the various issues identified.
Robin James, NASC Managing Director, said: “The 2021 Safety Report shows NASC Contractor members continue to work to the highest standards – with just 81 incidents reported. It should be remembered that during 2020 members were faced with challenging Covid-19 related working conditions, with operatives forced to significantly change the way they worked on site.
“Members rose to this challenge, not only continuing to operate wherever possible – in line with Government guidance – but also ensuring safety standards were not compromised.”
Lynn Way, NASC President, added: “Whilst we’re proud of the headlines figures contained within this year’s Safety Report, this publication is intended to be much more than just a line in the sand, an annual yardstick to measure general safety success against previous years.
“It is also a way in which we can learn why incidents occurred with a view to developing ways in which to reduce them – benefiting both NASC members and the wider scaffolding and construction industries.
“To support this endeavour, this year we changed the way in which we gather accident information from NASC members. As a result, this year’s analysis is boosted by a more defined and detailed set of accident returns. This extra information has enabled us to delve much deeper into the 81 incidents reported, identifying potential causes and trends hidden beneath the figures and making recommendations that we hope will lead to safety improvements throughout the industry.”