According to the Health and Safety Executive during 2010 / 2011, 17 children were injured and one child died after being on or around construction sites. The National Federation of Builders views these figures as shocking and aims to reduce them by working with members to educate children about the dangers of building sites.
The NFB’s multi-award winning and increasingly popular STAY SAFE, STAY AWAY safety poster competition for schools is this year sponsored by Building & Civil Engineering Benefit Schemes (B&CE), South West Builders’ Federation, Yorkshire Builders’ Federation and NFB local associations Birmingham and Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Lending their support to this worth while campaign is The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), the Health and Safety Executive and Construction Minister Mark Prisk
Schoolchildren across the country in key stages 1 - 2 (6 – 12 year olds) have been invited to take part and are now busy designing posters that warn of the danger of building sites and how to keep themselves, and others, safe and avoid injury. With the competition now in its ninth year a new element has been added. This year the NFB has launched a short stories writing competition to key stage 3 students (11 – 16 year olds) which aims to educate younger children of the dangers posed by construction sites. The competition will be running along side the traditional poster competition and will coincide with Child Safety Week (18 – 24 June 2012) when the winners will be chosen.
Last year the NFB launched a dedicated website to promote the dangers posed by construction sites and to continually raise awareness and educate young people. The website, www.staysafestayaway.co.uk hosted by the NFB’s safety mascot Norman the friendly builder, offers hints and tips on how to create the best possible poster for the competition as well as educating children through safety advice.
The closing date for submitting posters and short stories is Friday 8 June 2012 and an expert panel of judges will pick seven regional winners from both competition categories. From these regional winners one national winner will be selected. Winners of both competitions will receive a £500 donation to their school, as well as prizes aimed at supporting them in their education. National winners will also enjoy a tour of Westminster, where they will meet Jim Sheridan MP, the All Party Chair of the Health and Safety Group. Regional winning schools will be awarded with £200 in book tokens. The national winning poster will be displayed on NFB member construction sites across the country and the winning short story will be published on our Stay Safe Stay Away website.
Julia Evans, Chief Executive of the NFB said: “I am delighted that our campaign goes from strength to strength every year. For every child who is made aware of the dangers of building sites, it is potentially a life saved. Our members work hard to ensure that they operate responsibly and it is great to see thousands of schools passing on the message to pupils.”
Minister for Construction Mark Prisk added: “Building sites are dangerous places, not just for children. By educating them about the risks involved and teaching them how to stay safe, we can prevent serious accidents. I am pleased to see the NFB continuing its important work on the 'Stay Safe, Stay Away' campaign.”
Philip White, the Chief Inspector of Construction at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said ‘They look exciting. They look like the greatest of adventure playgrounds, so it’s understandable that some children are drawn to building sites. But they are not playgrounds. Building sites can be very dangerous places even for the people working there. For children and young people who shouldn’t be there and don’t properly understand the risks, what seems like an exciting adventure can all too easily end in tragedy We want children to enjoy playing outside during the school holidays, but it’s vital they stay safe and stay away from construction sites.”
Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of CAPT said: “These accident figures show that the message that building sites aren’t playgrounds is an important one to get across to children. NFB’s campaign is a welcome contribution during CAPT’s Child Safety Week as it will help to engage children and get them thinking about the good reasons to stay away from building sites.”
Previous campaigns have indirectly led to the very successful Considerate Constructors’ Scheme. This enables construction companies to demonstrate their consideration in raising awareness of the risks associated with construction sites, for the communities in which they build. The Stay Safe, Stay Away campaign has also won multiple awards for its work from the Public Relations Consultants Association in 2010 and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Commitment to Construction in West Yorkshire awards West Yorkshire awards for commitment to health and safety.
For further information please visit www.staysafestayaway.co.uk or contact marketing@builders.org.uk
