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Action urged over building deaths Action urged over building deaths
(10 minutes later)
The government is to host high-level talks in an attempt to take action over the number of deaths on building sites.The government is to host high-level talks in an attempt to take action over the number of deaths on building sites.
Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain arranged the meeting in London in response to an increase in the number of deaths over the past year. Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain arranged the meeting in London in response to a 28% increase in the number of deaths over the past year.
Mr Hain is expected to tell the meeting with unions, employers and safety officials that the rise in incidents is "not acceptable". He is expected to tell the meeting with unions, employers and safety officials that the rise is "not acceptable".
He is hoping to agree on a framework to be taken up by the construction sector. According to the Health and Safety Executive the number of deaths last year jumped from 60 to 77.
Health and safety
Mr Hain told the BBC health and safety regulations must apply to all construction sites.
"77 people were killed last year and it was a big jump by over a quarter on the deaths the previous year," he said.
"This is not acceptable and I am bringing together the industry, the health and safety executive, governments, together with the trade unions to agree on a new action plan making sure that health and safety on all building sites is paramount. "
Mr Hain is to call for building workers to have better skills and an understanding of health and safety issues.
He will also suggest that union health and safety representatives be appointed at every building site.
Safety could be improved if workers were employed by the company rather than self-employed, construction workers union Ucatt is expected to tell the forum.
The union says many self-employed workers, including migrants, are denied employment rights and do not have essential safety training.
Mr Hain said there was already general agreement on several areas including "the need to drive the informal economy out of the housebuilding sector", the importance of taking health and safety seriously and the need to take proper enforcement action.