CONSTRUCTION sites in York and North Yorkshire are to be assessed by health and safety inspectors to check the risk of falls from height.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE), inspectors, will visit sites over the next two weeks as part of a national blitz under the "Don't Fall For It", European Union Campaign, to tighten up working conditions on construction sites.

According to the HSE, falls from height are the biggest cause of death, disability and injury in the British construction industry, accounting for almost half of all deaths and nearly a third of major injuries in 2001 and 2002.

In York alone, 11 construction workers were injured due to falls from height in that period.

Inspectors will look to see that work at height has been eliminated where possible, that correct equipment is used and safety harnesses are suitable and adequate, among other things.

The inspection will seek to prevent fatal falls such as an incident in May 2000, when a Malton worker died when he fell from the roof of the MFI building in Foss Islands Road, York.

Simon Pickering, 20, crashed through a fragile roof light on to a concrete floor several floors below.

Two companies were fined in court over Mr Pickering's death.

Gordon MacDonald, HSE's regional director for Yorkshire and North East Division, 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.

"Where we find unsafe work at height we will not hesitate in taking enforcement action."

Updated: 10:41 Monday, June 02, 2003