CONIAC was established in 2003, to advise the HSE on the protection of people from health and safety hazards within the building, civil engineering, and engineering construction industries. Its membership comes from the HSE, employers, employees, and key industry stakeholders, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
It is chaired by the Chief Inspector of Construction. This is their first website which is an important step in helping the industry move forward post-pandemic as CONIAC seeks to be at the forefront of occupational health and safety in the construction industry.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) felt it was of paramount importance to support the development of a website, sponsoring the new site so the wealth of information and guidance produced by CONIAC could be freely available to the industry.
CIC’s Health and Safety Committee
CIC Chief Executive - Graham Watts welcomes the new site saying, "CIC has had a long-standing relationship with CONIAC who are heavily involved with CIC’s Health and Safety Committee. CONIAC has produced a range of expert tools and support for the industry and CIC knew it was important to create an online home for CONIAC and a place for them to share this abundance of intelligence."
WWT initiative is hosted within the site which comprises 16 regional groups across Great Britain
The website will also showcase the work of their four working groups: Tackling ill health, Managing risk well, Keeping pace with change, and Supporting small employers.
In addition, the Working Well Together (WWT) initiative is hosted within the site, which comprises 16 regional groups across Great Britain, which will be an instrument for engagement with micro-businesses and SME’s in construction.
New and emerging risks
HSE Acting Chief Inspector of Construction - Mike Thomas speaks on the importance of the new site, "As part of our vision within HSE’s People and Places strategy we acknowledge the changing world of work, bringing with it new and emerging risks. We also recognize that more needs to be done to tackle occupational ill health, while continuing to ensure that standards of safety are properly managed and maintained."
Mike Thomas adds, "CIC, CONIAC, CONIAN, and the associated working groups and networks will continue to be at the forefront of our collaborative efforts with the wider industry to address these issues. We all strive to make the construction industry a safer and healthier place to work, and this new website will provide CONIAC with the platform to showcase the excellent work being undertaken in pursuit of these goals."