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Alder Hey site probed over injuries

A spate of accidents have left workers with broken bones and other injuries

Safety inspectors have begun investigating a Liverpool hospital construction site after a spate of accidents have left workers with broken bones and other injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive team went into action a week after construction union Ucatt raised serious concerns over safety at the Alder Hey hospital site and contractor Laing O'Rourke's refusal to even discuss letting in union safety reps.

Five workers were injured in the fortnight before Ucatt's complaint - three seriously enough that the incidents had to be reported to the HSE, including one who suffered a crushed pelvis.

The union said negotiations on health and safety were being "obstructed" by Laing.

Ucatt general secretary Steve Murphy welcomed the probe.

"However this is retrospective action and we want to prevent accidents occurring in the first place," he said arguing the best way to do that was with union reps on site.

Mr Murphy said he'd tried in vain to talk about safety with Laing last autumn and was still eager for a meeting.

The contractor is renowned for using the Consulting Association blacklist in the past and Ucatt suggested to the Commons Scottish affairs select committee - which is investigating blacklisting - that Laing has been keeping union members off site.

The union also said many of the 300-strong Alder Hey workforce are employed through payroll companies and are therefore technically self-employed.

This means they receive no holiday pay, sick pay or pension contributions, and can be sacked instantly.

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