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Modern Slavery: Quick Facts

In England and Wales, modern slavery is defined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (and similar legislation within Scotland and Northern Ireland). It includes the following crimes.

• Slavery (whereby someone exerts ownership over another person).
• Servitude (where someone is obliged to provide services through coercion and cannot change their position).
• Forced or compulsory labour (where someone is forced to provide work or services under the fear of a penalty).
• Human trafficking (arranging or helping someone to travel with the intention of exploiting them on arrival).

Modern slavery, which encompasses forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking, is a heinous crime still taking place in the UK. Perpetrators exploit their victims, using them as a commodity for economic gain. It is often hidden in plain sight, taking place in workplaces such as car washes, construction sites, fields and factories across the country.

Construction is a high-risk industry for modern slavery. The reasons are several-fold. The sector has a high reliance on temporary, agency and migrant workers, and workers are often employed in low-skilled jobs that attract the minimum wage. This type of employment already brings with it a high risk of exploitation, but the industry’s business models exacerbates the situation by relying on tight margins and a race to the bottom when contracting work. This combination can price out high ethical standards, and create an environment that criminality can infiltrate.

This topic covers the supply chain transparency requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, as well as specific information on how slavery can be tackled within construction.

Harm caused by vibration

• Depending on the situation, vibration can be whole-body or, more commonly, hand–arm vibration.
• Symptoms can appear after only a few months in some people but can take several years in others.
• The first sign of a hand–arm problem may be just a tingling in the affected fingers.
• In the longer term, damage may occur to blood vessels, nerves, muscles, tendons, and body organs.
• Excessive hand–arm vibration can lead to “vibration white finger” resulting in damaged blood vessels, circulatory problems, pain and possibly gangrene. Workers can find it hard to hold items.
• Whole-body vibration can lead to a range of seemingly unrelated medical problems, such as headaches, blurred vision, back ache, irritation, fatigue and digestive issues.
• The harm caused can affect a person’s attention to safety in the workplace and therefore increase the likelihood of an accident occurring.

Hand–arm vibration damage is mostly caused by hand-held power tools, for example

• rotating hand tools used for cutting and grinding
• percussive hand tools used for riveting, chipping, hammering, drilling, etc.

Whole-body vibration can be caused by, for example:

• long-term driving over uneven ground
• sitting or standing on platform or equipment that vibrates or has repetitive impacts.

• If available, select tools with vibration-absorbing features.
• When using a tool which causes vibration, break the task up with other work activities.
• Know the maximum amount of time the tool can be used to keep within safe exposure limits.
• If you think you are suffering ill effects from vibration, cease the activity, speak to your line manager or supervisor and seek medical advice if necessary.
• Where possible, keep plant that can cause vibrations away from public areas.
• Do not leave doors, hoods, etc open on plant or leave plant or equipment running unnecessarily.
• Do not use poorly maintained plant or tools.
• Any work that may create significant vibrations should be planned to minimise potential nuisances to the local community.
• Do not ignore complaints from the local community. Respond politely and pass the complaint onto the appropriate line manager.
• Do not undertake activities that could cause damage to nearby structures through vibration unless approved by a line manager.
• Routinely check equipment according to manufactures instructions.

What is working at height?

Any work situation where you could fall and injure yourself and others. So it includes working above or below ground level on platforms, trap hatches, on top of vehicles as well as ladders and roofs.

Hazards to consider when working at height

• The type of work.
• How many people will be working at height and for how long.
• Whether there are different access points and bottlenecks.
• Whether falling objects (such as dropped tools) present a danger.
• How far is the potential fall and therefore risk of injury.
• What equipment can mitigate the risk (eg guard rails, toe boards, harnesses) and how often are they inspected/maintained.
• To what extent the weather (rain, ices, snow, wind, sun) will affect working conditions, surfaces and safety.
• The competency of the workers involved.
• Evacuation and emergency procedures.

Before working at height

• Consider whether the work can be done from the ground, or even if parts of it can be done on the ground.
• Before any work at height or access onto a roof, fragile materials should be identified, and control measures defined and implemented.
• Roof-edge barriers (or scaffold), also known as edge-protection, must be erected to prevent people and materials falling.
• Any ladders used for access to the area where work at height is taking place must extend at least one metre above the stepping off point and must be secured.
• Where access ladders rise above nine metres, a safe intermediate platform must be provided.
• Ladders must be rested at the correct angle (1 unit out of 4 units in height).
• Training must be provided for workers.

Safe working on roofs

• Only competent operatives may be used for roofing work.
• Crawling boards or ladders must be provided and used where the roof is liable to collapse under a person’s weight or the roof is sloping with a pitch over 10 degrees.
• Where work is of short duration and the provision of guard-rails and toe boards is impracticable, safety harnesses must be used with suitable anchorage points provided.
• Openings must be covered or guarded, if removed for the passage of workers or materials, it should be replaced immediately.

Questions for employees