Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group has launched an important awareness campaign aimed at engaging primary school children about the dangers of entering a construction site.
Hill is rolling out the campaign to all primary schools nationwide during Child Safety Week, 3-9 June, which is run by the Accident Prevention Trust. The campaign is centred around an educational video featuring Hill’s safety mascots, Jack and Jill, who demonstrate to children the rules that must be observed around building sites.
Child safety is a vital topic for the housebuilding industry; the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that each year, two or three children die after gaining access to building sites, and many more are injured.
The video, along with downloadable activity worksheets, will be accessible on Hill’s website, and the housebuilder will be engaging directly with primary schools in proximity to its current and forthcoming developments.
The initiative is supported by the Home Builders Federation (HBF), as well as the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Rhodri Williams, Technical and Sustainability Director at HBF, said: “Health and safety is vital in our industry, particularly as our members engage with communities where homes are being built.
“We are pleased to see child safety given a platform promoting awareness of best safety practices and protecting children. This will complement existing health and safety site practices in fostering safer communities for all.”
Lucie Wright, Head of Strategy at CITB, said:“Engaging with children to demonstrate the need for health and safety on a construction site is not just important for their wellbeing, but also provides an opportunity to introduce and promote the construction industry to younger generations – an urgent need for the industry.”
“Having workers that are trained and qualified in health and safety standards is vital for ensuring an employer’s workforce can keep themselves and those around them safe. It’s brilliant to see The Hill Group launch this initiative and raise awareness of health and safety on construction sites for children.”
The campaign was launched at Newport Primary School in Essex. Hill’s Charlotte Blair, the presenter on the awareness video, was on hand to deliver an assembly to the school on the importance of construction site safety with the help of mascots, Jack and Jill.
The assembly included a screening of the campaign film to all of the children and teachers at Newport Primary School which is located near Hill’s highly sustainable Hollymead Square development, where the housebuilder has collaborated on various school community activities since starting on site in February.
Rebecca Littler, Group Sales and Marketing Director at The Hill Group, commented “A construction site may seem like a fun place to explore for young children, but the risks of entering can be extremely serious.
“As a responsible housebuilder committed to prioritising health and safety, we actively engage and inform local communities about the work that we do, and site safety is a particularly important message to share.
“I’m very grateful to Newport Primary School for allowing myself, Jack, and Jill to present to the children, and we look forward to rolling out the campaign to more schools over the weeks ahead.”
Sherlyn Ramsey, Interim Head Teacher at Newport Primary School, commented: “It’s wonderful to see The Hill Group working towards safeguarding children in this way and informing them of the risks posed by construction site activity.
“The assembly was a great success, with the awareness video and campaign messages able to convey vital information in a fun and informative way to primary school children of all ages.”
Some readers may still recall an awful accident in Muirhouse back in August 1999, when brother and sister William (6) and Danielle (5) Welsh were killed by a reversing lorry when they played hide and seek on a construction site off Pennywell Road.