Time pressures threatening safety says Maintec survey

According to a new study among maintenance engineers and managers health and safety is a big priority for 85% of organisations, but 34% say time pressures are compromising safety in general with almost a quarter saying it is an issue in their own companies. A similar number argue that maintenance is a source of many accidents because unrealistic time pressures are placed on projects. The recession is also taking its toll, with more than one in 10 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 so 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 almost one in four (24%) feel it's because their own staff don't have a health and safety mindset or, according to over one in five (21%), they cut corners. One in five says the general perception among employees in their company is that health and safety makes their job harder, 13% see it as a necessary evil and 5% as a fuss about nothing. However, a heartening 49% say the general attitude is that health and safety is a good source of protection for workers, and over half (52%) say their workforce views health and safety as really important. The maintenance professionals surveyed on behalf of Maintec reported that the biggest practical risks have been falls from height (51%), disturbing asbestos (47%), heavy falling objects (46%) and failing to follow isolation procedures (45%). Not briefing external contractors properly has been a major health and safety risk for 47%, failing to issue work permits is cited by 50% while 38% say an issue has been simply outside contractors not knowing the operation as well as day-to-day staff.