Employers in Greater Manchester may want to ensure their workers have as up-to-date electrical qualifications as possible so that their health and safety responsibilities are met.

A new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) initiative found that more than a quarter of construction sites in the county failed safety inspections carried out last week.

Electrical qualifications are one way in which companies can ensure their staff who carry out work on electrical systems are as competent as possible.

Checks by inspectors were undertaken at 163 construction sites over a two-day period in Trafford, Manchester and Salford.

Unsafe electrics was one issued picked up by the HSE team, which may indicate the importance of electrical training courses.

"We will continue to make unannounced visits to sites, and take enforcement action when necessary, until the message gets across. It simply isn't worth taking risks to try and save money," explained HSE principal inspector for construction in Greater Manchester Polly Tomlinson.

The HSE visits individual businesses for a number of reasons, including after an incident has taken place or a complaint been made.