Lanarkshire's Young People Reminded To Stay Safe During Summer Break
The contractor for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP), is reminding young people in North and South Lanarkshire to ‘Stay Safe’ during the summer holiday and to stay away from any ongoing construction works.
All main roads connected with the M8 M73 and M74 were opened to traffic on 1 June 2017 and are operating at full capacity. But works including planned maintenance activities, as well as essential finishing and snagging works, are still being carried out until at least September across the network.
Construction machinery, unstable land, heavy goods vehicles and open excavations are just some of the typical hazards that could be encountered on a construction site.
SRP General Manager Gabriel Valtueña-Ramos said: “We are a responsible company and, as such, the safety of the local community, road users and our workforce is of paramount importance to us.
“A construction site could be seen as an attractive place for young people to explore, especially as the summer holidays are upon us. Therefore, we are reminding young people of the inherent dangers that exist within live construction sites and are urging them to stay safe by staying away.”
The project’s Health and Safety Manager, Lesley Baird, added:
“Construction sites often attract children as they look like huge adventure playgrounds but that couldn’t be further from the truth – sites often have unseen dangers.
“The M8 M73 M74 site is vast and borders many of the local communities across North and South Lanarkshire, therefore we would like to remind parents, guardians and carers to warn their children and to encourage them to stay away from the site.”
SRP has produced a health and safety poster as a reminder which is displayed on the Transport Scotland website.
Lesley added: “We barrier off or cover holes and pipes and ensure vehicles and heavy plant are secured and keys are removed to immobilize them. However, sudden changes in the weather, like bursts of heavy rain, can create muddy pools that could prove impossible to get out of.
“We maintain a policy of ‘Looking for an Incident Free Environment’ (LIFE), which we promote heavily across our sites but, while everything is being done to make these areas safe, we also need parents to play their part.”
The M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project will remain fully operational during the holiday period and, where no work is taking place, the site will be secured using a variety of methods, including on-site security and fencing.
The new and improved motorways across the project are now capable of operating at full capacity while bringing safer roads, less congestion and a better quality of life for road users and local communities.
Road users are saving up to 20 minutes off journeys at peak times on the busiest sections of the M8 each day and reduce journeys through Raith Junction of up to 15 minutes. Other key benefits include more reliable journey times, enhanced safety and reduced emissions.