Threat to health and safety

The pressure to reduce UK plant downtime is threatening health and safety during maintenance, according to 34% of maintenance professionals in a study of 176 maintenance engineers and managers by MAINTEC, a show dedicated to industrial maintenance and asset management, which takes place from 5-7 March at the NEC, Birmingham (preview page 16).

The study suggests that while health and safety is a big priority for 85% of organisations, with 63% saying is couldn't be any more important, it is coming under pressure. The drive to reduce plant downtime is a key factor with over a third believing this is compromising UK companies' health and safety in general, and a significant 23%, saying it is an issue in their own companies.

A further 24% say maintenance is a source of many accidents because unrealistic time pressures are placed on projects. The recession is cited, with 11% arguing that cuts are compromising health and safety.

Although time pressure is a key issue, according to 47% of the maintenance engineers studied, maintenance is hazardous in the first place because it is often outside the normal routine; 34% say it is because it involves outside contractors who operate to different standards while 24% feel it's because their own staff don't have a health and safety mindset or, according to 21%, that they cut corners.

When thinking of the places they have worked, those surveyed report that some of the biggest practical risks have been falls from height, disturbing asbestos, heavy falling objects and failing to follow isolation procedures.