Safety first for Miller Homes this summer

Miller Homes East Midlands is urging children across Lincolnshire to stay safe this summer by warning of the potential hazards posed by venturing unsupervised on to building sites.

The award-winning housebuilder, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary in housebuilding, has recently launched Falcon Heath, its first ever development in Lincolnshire, and is asking local children in search of fun and adventure to have themselves a risk-free summer by considering safer alternatives to playing on, or near to the site.

Malcolm Ceney, Miller Homes East Midlands production director, has expressed concern that not enough children are aware of just how important it is to stay away from building sites, as though they may seem exciting - they are definitely not playgrounds.

“Our own building sites are areas methodically designed for the purpose of the safe and efficient construction of new homes and are not suitable places for anyone to visit without being supervised by a trained construction professional, which is why children should never trespass onto the sites,” explains Malcolm.

To help illustrate the potential dangers of building sites to children and their parents, Malcolm has put together a brief summary of the top five dangers that they can represent for both children and adults:

Scaffolding and ladders may appear to be the best adventure playground in the world for children, but it is worth remembering that falling from even the first storey of a scaffold, is enough to seriously injure a child for life.

Excavations or holes on a site are dangerous for two reasons. Firstly, they can be tens of feet deep, with no obvious route of escape – and secondly, they can also part-fill with water, which makes them even more hazardous.

Although plant and machinery on site will always be switched off when not in use, there is a possibility that it could move if manipulated – and as these machines weigh tonnes, they can be extremely dangerous.

Building materials such as bricks, breeze blocks and roof trusses will always be stored around building sites, and although these will be stored safely and correctly for building use, if climbed on and pulled about, there is a real risk that they could collapse onto the children climbing on them.

Building sites are potentially hazardous places for anyone but trained professionals and perhaps the simplest way to pick up an injury is to trip or fall, as even the best kept sites will have stray pieces of wood, or muddy puddles – especially dangerous obstacles for excitable trespassing children.

Malcolm continues: “To really drive home to the children the full complexity of what occurs on site, we try to invite as many schools as possible to have supervised visits to let them see the wonderful process of how homes are built but also the massive safety risks involved.

“Every year Miller Homes East Midlands puts out a safe play message to keep children away from building sites, as however many fences, guards or other security provisions housebuilders employ to prevent any trespass, determined children will try to get in. Both parents and teachers play a big part in keeping children safe by really letting them know that building sites aren’t suitable play areas and repeatedly warning them of the dangers.”

The new Falcon Heath development is set in the beautiful, historic village of Dunholme, with the Lincolnshire Wolds on its doorstep and the city of Lincoln just five miles away.

Set to offer a range of properties, including three-bedroomed townhouses, semi-detached homes and four and five-bedroomed detached houses, the carefully-landscaped development is close to the village green.

If you would like find out more about the development, or to arrange a site visit for your school, visit millerhomes.co.uk/explore/eastmidlands.