The construction industry has been warned that unsafe sites will result in enforcement action after three falls involving workers this month.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome told the House of Assembly that one of the accidents involved a worker falling 30 feet from scaffolding, another involved a steelworker falling to the level below the one he was working on and a third involved a fall from the second storey level of a ladder.

He told MPs on Wednesday: "Since March 1, three workers have been injured in accidents on work sites. That is three accidents too many."

He added: "Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of death, disability and injury in construction in Bermuda. Over 70 percent of the occupational accidents incurred in Bermuda are as a result of falls.

"Every year far too many construction workers suffer a major injury following a fall from height. Most of these incidents, and the personal loss and suffering the case, can be avoided."

The Minister said health and safety inspectors and environmental health officers would be targeting the risk of falls from height "this year and in the days and weeks ahead".

He said: "Where poor standards and risks to persons working at height are identified, appropriate enforcement action will be taken, including serving notices and/or prosecution."

Alex DeCouto, president of the Construction Association of Bermuda, told The Royal Gazette he agreed with Mr. Bascome that any accident was unacceptable.

He said the Island already had very specific guidelines and regulations in place, along with penalties and enforcement protocols. "Construction is inherently risky, hence the need for specific H&S (health and safety) regulations," he said.

Mr. DeCouto asked: "While three is too many this month, what do the statistics say over the longer term? I don't believe this information is published, if it is even kept, and that is what we should be using to direct policy, not responding to what may be a coincidentally high month.

"If there will be heightened vigilance, will this involve all ranges of work sites? All too often the larger work sites are targeted by H&S, where contractors spend heavily on safety gear and equipment, while smaller job sites are not given the attention they might need.

"An accident is just as likely, if not more so, to happen on a small job site where workers might have less safety training and/or poor equipment."

Mr. DeCouto said the relationship between health and safety inspectors and construction industries was excellent.

He added: "There are H&S officers that regularly visit job sites all over the island, and to be honest, they could probably use some additional resources to ensure better coverage, so this renewed interest in safety from Government will likely be seen as a blessing."

Mr. Bascome told the House of Assembly that the cooperation of all workers was needed. "The actions that they take to work safely at height will save a life," he said.