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With the influx of migrant workers in the UK the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have just announced their latest campaign; they are hoping to inform all the Polish construction workers in the City of London about the Health and Safety Regulations of the Country.

Philip White, HSE’s Chief Inspector of Construction admits that many foreign workers including Polish construction worker’s, are not yet aware of the full extent the Health and Safety regulations. Therefore HSE have enlisted the help of specialised outreach workers from the Polish community who will work in conjunction with the HSE to help/inform all Polish construction workers.

Recent research showed that migrant workers had:

1. Limited knowledge of our countries Health and Safety Regulations
2. Many migrant workers have not heard of HSE, or know what they do
3. Many employers are unaware of the problems faced by migrant workers

The HSE want to tell all migrant works that they get the same protection under the HSE as indigenous workers whether they are here legally or not, they also want to tell their employers that under the Health and Safety at Work Regulation they have a duty to protect all their workers.

As an employer you must:

1. Explain all the dangers to new employees and make sure that they are fully aware and understand all the dangers.
2. If an employer has migrant workers on their site, they must make sure that they know all the Health and safety signs and sirens and have a clear understanding what they mean.
3. Proper training must be given on any new machine or proper licenses must be obtained to drive any moving machines to a satisfactory level.
4. All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be given free of charge to all workers, and personal hygiene facilities must be provided such as toilets with washing facilities and clean drinking water.

As all employees are subjected to the same dangers in the workplace, you have a duty to look after your own Health and Safety and that of your colleagues or actions that may affect them.

Simon Hester, the HSE Project Manager, said, “We have had a very positive response from everyone we have talked to in the Polish community so far. Our aim is a rapid and clear change in workers’ understanding of their rights and how to make complaints”