BUILDING sites in Bury are to be blitzed by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors.

The aim of the campaign, which is taking place during the first two weeks of June, is to check on the risk of falls from height.

These incidents remain the biggest single cause of death, disability and injury in construction, accounting for almost half of all fatalities and nearly a third of major injuries in 2001-2.

During that period, there were nine such injuries recorded in Bury, three of them major, while in Greater Manchester as a whole the figure was 108. That was an average of more than two per week.

Now, Health and Safety Executive inspectors will be making unannounced visits to sites in Bury and the rest of the county to check on the risks of falls.

Vincent Joyce, HSE principal inspector for Greater Manchester, said: "Falls from height all too often result in the death or major injury of people working in construction.

"Often, these accidents could have been avoided if a safe system of work had been identified and properly used from the start.

"HSE inspectors will be visiting construction sites throughout nine Greater Manchester towns in an effort to reduce falls from height. Where we find unsafe work at height, we will not hesitate in taking enforcement action."

The blitz will focus on making sure that where such work is taking place or planned, a proper assessment of the risks has been carried out and the hierarchy of controls have been considered.

Inspectors will check that where elimination of work at height is not possible, the correct equipment has been selected.

In addition, they will also look to ensure that only competent contractors are used for work at height and that all jobs have been properly planned and thought through.

The HSE national inspection is part of Don't Fall For It, a European Union campaign.