College helps students learn safety lesson

TELFORD College has pledged its support for the Health and Safety Executive's campaign to highlight the consequences of slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

As part of its ongoing programme of training in construction and building services, the Edinburgh college said it places a huge emphasis on health and safety.

David McNab, a lecturer who teaches the health and safety unit on the college's brickwork course, said: "Students realise that within the construction industry the highest number of fatal injuries or deaths are due to silly errors that can be avoided.

"Students are taught that they need to continue their awareness of health and safety when they are cleaning the workshops to avoid slips, trips and falls."

A total of 362 people were injured as a result of a slip, trip or fall in Edinburgh in 2006/07.

Of the total number of accidents, 314 involved a slip or a trip and 48 were falls.

HSE principal inspector Jim Skilling said: "We welcome the support for our 'Shattered Lives' campaign from Telford in educating the construction, building workers and engineers of the future about the dangers of slips trips and falls.

These can be viewed as minor, funny accidents but the effects are not."