FOUR hundred children at a North Yorkshire primary school have been given a special lesson on the dangers and hazards of construction sites.

Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, which includes the David Wilson Homes and Barratt Homes brands and is behind the Barley Fields development in Barlby, near Selby, visited Barlby Community Primary School to talk about the importance of health and safety on building sites.

The presentation was led during a special assembly by the Barley Fields site manager, John Atkin.

It included information on safety warning signs, building site machinery, protective clothing and more.

Mr Atkin said afterwards that Barratt Developments was committed to working closely with the local communities where it was involved in building developments.

“This is why it is so important that we inform children on the importance of health and safety on construction sites, which are often mistaken for playgrounds,” he said.

“It was really refreshing to see that the pupils had lots of questions and were keen to learn more about how we build houses and the potential risks to look out for.”

The school’s headteacher, Jillian Baker, said: “It’s great to see such a reputable housebuilder get involved with the community and deliver important messages such as health and safety on construction sites.

“John did a fantastic job presenting to the children. He managed to answer all of their questions whilst delivering it in such a way that all 400 pupils were able to easily understand.”

The talk came just before the period of greatest risk on building sites, as children enjoy their long summer holidays and are on the lookout for somewhere new and exciting to play.

With the risk that they might view a construction site as an adventure playground, parents have been urged to make sure they know where their children are during the holidays.

The NHBC (National House Building Council) has also warned builders they must ensure they have taken all reasonably practicable measures to prevent injury to a child who may gain entry to their site.

It said that warning children, parents and guardians of the possible dangers via a letter drop and school visits were useful means of getting the safety message across and, on arrival at the site each day, builders were advised to look for signs of unauthorised entry, such as damaged fencing and broken windows and earth mounds and timber being used as ramps.

Barratt’s talk was given at Barlby school just prior to the launch of the second phase of its Barley Fields development, which the firm says offers convenient living solutions for families in an area benefitting from excellent primary and secondary schools.