 | ||
| Scott Ellis with with pupils Finlay Dalziel (left) and Anya Hudson |
PUPILS at a South Lakeland school have received a lesson in health and safety, telling them to stay away from building sites.
Now they are being invited to design a picture with a safety measure based on what they learned, for which prizes will be given.
The session at St Mark's Primary School in Natland was delivered by Scott Ellis, health and safety manager of Eric Wright Group.
The Preston-based group is parent company of Robert Hughes Ltd and Applethwaite, both based in Beresford Road, Bowness on Windermere, and who are jointly developing the former Holmes of Natland garden centre for housing.
The one-acre site will contain twelve family homes: six detached 4-bedroom houses, a pair of 3-bedroom semi-detached houses and a terrace of four affordable homes to buy, three with two bedrooms and one with three bedrooms.
The two-storey houses are arranged around two cul-de-sacs off Sedgwick Road. A new footpath along the full length of the former garden centre will improve pedestrian safety.
Mr Ellis showed a video called SPLAAT (Safe Play At All Times), which features children playing on a construction site, highlighting hazards. The forty pupils aged 10 and 11 were then asked to identify and discuss dangers.
Two volunteers, one boy and one girl, dressed up in personal protective equipment familiar on a building site: rigger boots, high visibility jacket, hard hat, goggles, mask, ear defenders and gloves.
Mr Ellis pointed out what trained builders have to wear to keep safe on a building site and contrast it with the T-shirts and shorts the children are likely to be wearing.
“The aim was to raise awareness of potential dangers to young people on a building site and dissuade them from using it as a playground,” he said.
“The competition will be judged in three weeks time,” he added.
Anyone wanting further information about the houses should contact Applethwaite on 015394 48866.
Picture courtesy of The Westmorland Gazette: Scott Ellis, health and safety manager of Eric Wright Group with pupils Finlay Dalziel (left) and Anya Hudson.
More information from Mike Glover, Lakes & Bay Communications, 015395-67628, or e-mail mikeglover@lakesandbaycomms.co.uk or head teacher Peter Barfoot 015395-60719