The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) with Western Isles Council and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) are hosting a Safety and Health Awareness Day in Stornoway (April 25).

The event brings together employers, contractors, safety professionals, suppliers, professional bodies, local authorities, the Health and Safety Executive and small firms to raise awareness of the key health and safety issues facing the construction industry.

The free event is taking place at Lews Castle College, Stornoway It will help those attending identify the hazards and risks they face at work, ask questions on health and safety and the law. Topics being covered are Working at Height, manual Mechanical Handling, welfare and hand arm vibration syndrome and noise.

Practical demonstrations will be given on these topics by safety professionals from within the industry. Those attending will also have the opportunity to benefit from the shared experience of other participants.

The event is aimed at those running a small building or contracting company who would like practical advice to avoid risks on construction sites.

Today's event coincides with an HSE initiative to reduce deaths and injuries caused by falls from heights. Work at height remains the single most significant cause of fatal incidents on construction sites in Great Britain (GB): responsible for over half of all construction related deaths during 2003/4.

In Scotland in 2003/4, 466 employees suffered major injuries/fatalities while 845 were off work through injury for over three days in the construction sector. A provisional summary of fatal incidents in the construction industry in Scotland during 2004/5 is given in Notes to Editors below.