Major poster campaign to cut unnecessary toll of eye injuries

A new campaign aimed at cutting the number of eye injuries in the construction industry was today launched by a leading charity for the blind.

Up to 350 accidents every year lead to construction workers suffering some form of major trauma to one or both eyes – many of which are preventable simply by following existing health and safety guidelines.

Now the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, with the support of Miller Construction and Sand Project Management, has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of wearing the appropriate eye protection while working on site.

“As a charity, we are obviously best known for helping people who are already blind or partially sighted,” said Steve Muxworthy of Guide Dogs for the Blind. “But we’re also firm believers that prevention is better than cure.

“Too many people suffer long-term, debilitating eye injuries caused by accidents on construction sites that if existing health and safety guidelines were adhered to, could have been prevented.

“The aim of this campaign is simply to remind all workers of the importance of taking simple precautions and wearing the appropriate level of eye protection while working on site.”

The charity has been supported by Miller Construction and Sand Project Management, both of which have helped fund the campaign and urged their respective supply chains to display the new awareness poster.

Simon Butler, area director of Miller Construction, said: “When people regularly work in a dangerous working environment, like a construction site, it’s all too easy to become complacent about health and safety.

“However, a constant reminder on site from someone like Guide Dogs For The Blind, who regularly work with people blinded in industrial accidents, really hammers the message home. That’s why we were only too pleased to support this initiative.

“We started by holding a presentation day for around 120 of our supply chain, during which we told them of the dangers to eye safety and urged everyone to follow basic procedures.

“This campaign is not about calling for new rules or regulations, or about making procedures stricter, it is just about ensuring everybody throughout the industry adheres, as we do among our own staff, to existing guidelines.”

Nick Bunford, director at Sand Project Management added: “This is an important initiative which is taking practical steps to reduce the number of eye injuries which occur in the construction industry.

“The only way this can work, however, is if all companies from the grass roots upwards get behind and support this initiative. We are inviting all construction companies to join Sand in this initiative to demonstrate that as a sector we can work together to reduce these injuries”

Steve Muxworthy added: “In practical terms, if somebody goes blind in their 20s, it will cost our charity in the order of £400,000 to provide them with a guide dog for the rest of their life.

“If we can prevent just one unnecessary accident by displaying posters and drawing workers’ attention to the proper precautions they need to take, then this campaign will have been a success.”

To receive an electronic copy of the poster to display on site, please email Angela Shear on angela.shear@guidedogs.org.uk or call 07717 815575.

ENDS

For an image of the poster, or for any further information, please contact:
Chris Marritt at Beattie Communications
0161 932 1023
07730 812631
chris.marritt@beattiegroup.com

Notes to editors:

Miller Construction is part of the Miller Group – the UK’s largest privately-owned housebuilding, property development and construction businesses. For more information visit http://www.construction.miller.co.uk.

Sand Project Management Ltd is an independent consultancy which aims to add value to our clients’ core business throughout the building process. For more information visit http://www.sandprojectmanagement.com.