What's your role in construction work?
Quick check to understand your safety responsibilities
Why construction safety matters
Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the United Kingdom. Despite employing around 5% of the workforce, it accounts for over 30% of all workplace fatalities. In 2023/24 alone, 51 construction workers were killed at work — one death every week.
Behind these statistics are real people. Workers who left home expecting to return. Families destroyed by preventable accidents. Businesses ruined by prosecution and civil claims.
The vast majority of construction deaths are preventable. Falls from height, being struck by vehicles or objects, and structural collapse consistently top the list — all hazards that proper planning, equipment, and supervision can control.
The human cost
Every year in UK construction:
- 51 workers killed (2023/24) — mostly from falls, struck by objects, or trapped by collapse
- 54,000 non-fatal injuries — broken bones, crush injuries, lacerations
- 79,000 workers suffer work-related ill health — musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory disease, dermatitis
- 2.2 million working days lost to injury and ill health
Construction workers are 4 times more likely to be killed at work than the average worker, and 2.5 times more likely to suffer a serious injury.
The business cost
Poor construction safety doesn't just harm workers — it destroys businesses:
- Unlimited fines for health and safety offences (average £150,000+ for fatalities)
- Imprisonment for directors and managers (up to 2 years, or life for manslaughter)
- Civil claims averaging £200,000+ for serious injuries
- Project delays from prohibition notices and investigations
- Reputation damage affecting future contract wins
- Insurance premium increases or loss of cover entirely
The HSE's "Fee for Intervention" means you pay £163 per hour for inspector time when they find a material breach. A single site visit finding multiple issues can cost thousands before any prosecution.
Construction site hazards
Construction sites contain a concentrated mix of hazards rarely found together elsewhere. Understanding these hazards is the first step to controlling them.
Falls from height
Falls remain the leading cause of death in construction, accounting for around 40% of all fatalities. Common scenarios include:
- Falls from scaffolds — often due to incomplete platforms, missing guardrails, or overloading
- Falls through fragile roofs — skylights, roof lights, and deteriorated sheeting
- Falls from ladders — often misused for work that needs a safer platform
- Falls into excavations — inadequate edge protection or barriers
- Falls from mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) — overturning, ejection, or struck by obstacles
Fragile roofs kill more workers than any other fall hazard. Never assume a roof is safe to walk on. Treat all roofs, roof lights, and skylights as fragile until proven otherwise.
Key controls:
- Avoid working at height where possible (design it out)
- Use collective protection (scaffolds, edge protection, safety nets)
- Use personal protection (harnesses) only as a last resort
- Ensure proper training and supervision
- Inspect equipment before each use
Learn more: Working at Height Regulations | Scaffolding Safety | Ladder Safety
Struck by moving vehicles and objects
The second leading cause of construction fatalities. Workers are killed by:
- Site vehicles — dumpers, excavators, lorries reversing
- Falling materials — loads dropped from cranes, materials falling from scaffolds
- Collapsing structures — during demolition or alteration work
- Flying debris — from cutting, grinding, or explosive work
Key controls:
- Separate pedestrians from vehicles (barriers, designated routes)
- Use trained banksmen for reversing operations
- Establish exclusion zones beneath lifting operations
- Secure materials and tools at height
- Plan demolition sequences to prevent uncontrolled collapse
Excavation collapse
Excavations are deceptively dangerous. Soil weighs around 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre — a small collapse can crush and suffocate a worker in seconds.
Hazards include:
- Collapse of trench sides (the most common cause of excavation deaths)
- Contact with underground services (electricity, gas, water)
- Falls into excavations
- Flooding or water ingress
- Undermining of adjacent structures
Key controls:
- Never enter an unsupported excavation over 1.2m deep
- Use trench boxes, shoring, or batter sides to safe angles
- Locate and mark all underground services before digging
- Provide safe access and egress (ladders at regular intervals)
- Inspect excavations daily and after any event affecting stability
Structural collapse
Construction work often involves altering, supporting, or demolishing structures. Poor planning leads to catastrophic collapse.
Risk factors:
- Removing structural elements without temporary support
- Overloading floors or scaffolds beyond design capacity
- Inadequate assessment of existing structures
- Unplanned demolition sequences
- Weather affecting temporary structures
Key controls:
- Obtain structural engineering advice before altering load-bearing elements
- Install temporary propping before removing support
- Follow planned demolition sequences
- Monitor structures during work for signs of distress
- Consider weather effects on temporary works
Hazardous substances
Construction workers encounter numerous hazardous substances. Long-term exposure causes occupational diseases that may not appear for years.
Common hazards:
- Silica dust — from cutting concrete, stone, brick. Causes silicosis and lung cancer
- Asbestos — in buildings constructed before 2000. Causes mesothelioma and lung cancer
- Wood dust — from cutting MDF, hardwoods. Causes nasal cancer
- Cement — causes serious chemical burns and dermatitis
- Solvents and adhesives — neurological damage, liver and kidney disease
- Lead — in older paintwork and pipework. Causes neurological and reproductive harm
Occupational lung disease kills far more construction workers than accidents. Silica dust alone is estimated to cause 500 deaths per year. Dust control isn't optional — it's life-saving.
Key controls:
- Eliminate hazardous substances where possible (use alternatives)
- Use wet cutting or on-tool extraction to control dust
- Provide appropriate RPE (FFP3 minimum for silica)
- Never disturb asbestos without proper survey and controls
- Provide washing facilities and enforce hygiene standards
Learn more: What is Asbestos? | Duty to Manage Asbestos | What is COSHH?
Manual handling injuries
Construction involves constant lifting, carrying, and handling of heavy materials. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common construction illness.
Risk factors:
- Heavy loads (blocks, boards, equipment)
- Awkward postures (working overhead, in confined spaces)
- Repetitive tasks (bricklaying, finishing work)
- Long carries over rough ground
- Working in cramped conditions
Key controls:
- Use mechanical handling wherever possible (forklifts, hoists, trolleys)
- Plan material deliveries to reduce handling
- Break down loads into manageable sizes
- Provide training in manual handling techniques
- Rotate tasks to reduce repetitive strain
Learn more: Manual Handling Regulations | Manual Handling Risk Assessment
Plant and equipment
Construction plant causes deaths and serious injuries through:
- Contact with moving parts — unguarded machinery, rotating equipment
- Overturning — excavators, telehandlers, MEWPs on uneven ground
- Struck by swinging loads — crane operations, excavator buckets
- Electrocution — plant contacting overhead power lines
- Crushing — between plant and fixed objects
Key controls:
- Only competent, trained operators to use plant
- Daily pre-use checks on all equipment
- Establish exclusion zones around operating plant
- Identify overhead and underground services before work
- Ensure all guards and safety devices are in place
Electrical hazards
Electricity kills quickly and silently. Construction electrical risks include:
- Contact with overhead power lines — cranes, tippers, scaffolds
- Contact with underground cables — excavation work
- Use of temporary electrical installations — poorly maintained, exposed to weather
- Portable equipment — damaged cables, wet conditions
Key controls:
- Identify all electrical services before work starts
- Use cable locators and safe digging practices
- Maintain 110V supply for portable tools
- Regular inspection and testing of temporary installations
- RCD protection on all circuits
Learn more: Electrical Safety in the Workplace
Site organisation and management
A well-organised site is a safe site. Poor planning and chaos cause accidents.
Site layout planning
Before work starts, plan the site layout to:
- Separate people and vehicles — designated walkways, crossing points, barriers
- Provide safe access — routes clear of hazards, adequate lighting
- Locate welfare facilities — convenient but away from hazardous areas
- Plan material storage — stable stacking, clear of access routes, protected from weather
- Establish secure compound — prevent unauthorised access and theft
Traffic management
Site vehicles cause many fatalities. Effective traffic management includes:
- One-way systems where possible
- Designated reversing areas with trained banksmen
- Speed limits enforced throughout
- Separate pedestrian routes with barriers
- Adequate visibility at junctions and crossings
Reversing vehicles are involved in around 25% of construction vehicle deaths. Eliminate reversing where possible. Where unavoidable, use CCTV, sensors, and trained banksmen.
Housekeeping
Poor housekeeping causes slips, trips, falls, and fires. Standards must include:
- Clear access routes at all times
- Materials stored safely, not blocking routes
- Waste removed regularly (daily minimum)
- Trailing cables avoided or protected
- Spillages cleaned immediately
Welfare facilities
The law requires minimum welfare facilities on all construction sites:
| Facility | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Toilets | Sufficient numbers, kept clean, with toilet paper |
| Washing | Hot and cold (or warm) water, soap, towels or dryers |
| Drinking water | Readily accessible, clearly marked |
| Rest area | Shelter from weather, seating, means to heat food |
| Changing | Somewhere to change and store clothing |
| First aid | Adequate first aid equipment and trained personnel |
Welfare facilities must be available before any construction work starts. "We'll sort it out later" is not acceptable — and it's illegal.
Contractor responsibilities
Every contractor has legal duties regardless of their size or the nature of the work.
Planning and preparation
Before starting any work, contractors must:
- Assess the risks — identify hazards and determine controls
- Prepare method statements — for significant or high-risk activities
- Check competence — ensure workers have necessary skills and training
- Obtain permits — where required (hot work, confined space, etc.)
- Coordinate with others — if multiple contractors on site
During the work
While work is underway:
- Supervise adequately — appropriate to the risk and worker experience
- Monitor compliance — ensure safe systems are being followed
- Provide and maintain equipment — in safe working condition
- Respond to changing conditions — weather, ground conditions, discoveries
- Report incidents — accidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences
CDM Regulations
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to all construction projects. As a contractor, you must:
- Plan, manage and monitor your work to ensure safety
- Ensure workers are competent and adequately supervised
- Provide information, instruction and training
- Comply with any construction phase plan
- Cooperate with the Principal Contractor and other contractors
- Report anything likely to endanger health and safety
If appointed as Principal Contractor, you have additional duties to coordinate all contractors on site, prepare the construction phase plan, and manage overall site safety.
Learn more: CDM Regulations Topic | Principal Contractor Duties
High-risk activities requiring specific controls
Some construction activities carry significantly higher risks and require specific control measures.
Working at height
Any work where someone could fall a distance liable to cause injury requires specific controls under the Work at Height Regulations 2005:
- Avoid working at height where possible
- Prevent falls using collective protection (guardrails, scaffolds)
- Minimise consequences using nets, airbags, or personal fall protection
Fall Protection Hierarchy
| Method | Example | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid | Assemble at ground level, use extendable tools | Always the first consideration |
| Collective protection | Scaffolds, edge protection, safety nets | Where work at height cannot be avoided |
| Personal protection | Harnesses with fall arrest | Only where collective protection impracticable |
Always work through the hierarchy. Harnesses are a last resort, not a first choice.
Learn more: Working at Height Regulations | Roof Work Safety
Lifting operations
All lifting operations must be:
- Properly planned — by a competent person
- Appropriately supervised — by a competent person
- Carried out safely — using suitable equipment
Lifting equipment must be:
- Of adequate strength and stability
- Marked with safe working load
- Examined by a competent person (6-monthly for equipment carrying people, 12-monthly otherwise)
Confined space entry
Confined spaces (tanks, chambers, excavations, ducts) present risks of:
- Toxic or flammable atmospheres
- Oxygen depletion
- Flooding or engulfment
- Difficulty of rescue
Entry requires:
- Risk assessment and safe system of work
- Atmospheric testing before and during entry
- Adequate ventilation
- Rescue arrangements in place
- Permit to work system
Hot work
Cutting, welding, and other hot work presents fire and explosion risks. Controls include:
- Permit to work system
- Removal or protection of combustibles
- Fire extinguisher immediately available
- Fire watch during and after work (minimum 1 hour)
- Isolation of flammable atmospheres
Demolition
Demolition is one of the highest-risk construction activities. It requires:
- Structural survey before work
- Detailed method statement
- Competent contractor with demolition experience
- Pre-weakening only under engineering supervision
- Exclusion zones and public protection
Training and competence
Competent workers are essential for construction safety. Competence means having:
- Skills — the practical ability to do the work safely
- Knowledge — understanding of hazards and controls
- Experience — appropriate to the complexity of the work
- Training — formal instruction where required
Mandatory training and cards
Various card schemes verify competence for construction work:
| Scheme | Coverage |
|---|---|
| CSCS | General construction operatives and supervisors |
| CPCS | Plant operators |
| PASMA | Mobile access tower users |
| IPAF | MEWP operators |
| SSSTS/SMSTS | Site supervisors and managers |
Holding a card is not proof of competence for a specific task. Cards verify training and qualifications — you must still assess whether the individual is competent for the specific work.
Induction and ongoing training
All workers must receive:
- Site induction — before starting work on any new site
- Task-specific briefings — for hazardous or unfamiliar work
- Toolbox talks — regular refreshers on key safety topics
- Refresher training — when skills need updating
Common questions
Falls from height are the leading cause of construction fatalities, accounting for around 40% of all deaths. This includes falls from scaffolds, roofs, ladders, and through fragile surfaces. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to avoid work at height where possible, use collective protection like guardrails where it can't be avoided, and only use personal fall protection as a last resort.
Yes. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess the risks to workers and others who may be affected by their work. For construction, this typically means task-specific risk assessments for each type of work, plus site-wide assessments for general hazards. Risk assessments must be reviewed when circumstances change.
Construction sites must have toilets, washing facilities with hot and cold water, drinking water, rest facilities with shelter and seating, somewhere to change and store clothing, and first aid provision. These must be available before work starts — not 'sorted out later'. The facilities must be maintained in a clean and orderly condition.
HSG150 is the Health and Safety Executive's comprehensive guidance document on health and safety in construction. It covers managing common construction hazards including falls, excavations, demolition, hazardous substances, and manual handling. It also explains CDM Regulations and provides practical guidance for clients, designers, and contractors.
Yes. CDM 2015 applies to all construction work regardless of size, except work carried out for a domestic client on their own home. Even a one-day job on commercial premises triggers CDM duties. The duties are proportionate to the risk, but they still apply. Contractors must plan, manage and monitor their work to ensure it's carried out safely.
You must notify HSE (using form F10) when the construction phase will last longer than 30 working days AND have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point, OR when the work will exceed 500 person days. Notification must be made before construction work starts.
PPE requirements depend on the hazards present. Common construction PPE includes safety helmets (mandatory on most sites), safety footwear with toe and midsole protection, high-visibility clothing, gloves appropriate to the task, eye protection for cutting and grinding, hearing protection in noisy areas, and respiratory protection for dusty work. PPE is a last resort after other controls.
Scaffolding must be inspected by a competent person before first use, after any event liable to affect stability (such as strong winds), and at regular intervals not exceeding 7 days. Inspections must be recorded in writing. Any scaffold that fails inspection must not be used until defects are corrected.
All construction workers need training appropriate to their tasks. This includes site induction for every new site, task-specific training for hazardous work, and ongoing refresher training. Many clients require CSCS cards as evidence of basic health and safety awareness. Specific tasks like operating plant, using MEWPs, or erecting scaffolds require formal qualifications.
Everyone has responsibilities. The client must make suitable arrangements and appoint competent duty holders. The Principal Contractor must plan, manage and coordinate the construction phase. Contractors must manage their own work safely. Workers must follow safety rules and use equipment correctly. Designers must eliminate or reduce risks through design. Cooperation between all parties is essential.
HSE guidance and resources
Essential reading: Our complete guide to HSG150 explains the HSE's key construction safety guidance in detail — what it covers, who needs it, and how to apply it on your projects.
The Health and Safety Executive provides comprehensive guidance for construction safety:
HSG150: Complete Guide
Our comprehensive guide to HSG150 — what it covers, who needs it, and how to use it effectively.
HSG150: HSE Reference
Summary of the HSE's official HSG150 document with link to download.
INDG344: Slips and Trips in Construction
Guidance on preventing slips, trips and falls on construction sites through good housekeeping and planning.
HSG33: Safety in Roof Work
Essential guidance for anyone involved in work on roofs, including fragile surfaces and edge protection requirements.
HSG85: Slinging and Signalling
Best practice guidance for crane operations, including selection of lifting accessories and signaller duties.
Real enforcement examples
Construction company fined after worker falls through roof
A worker fell 8 metres through a fragile roof light while carrying out roof repairs on an industrial unit. He suffered life-changing spinal injuries.
- ✗No risk assessment for the work
- ✗Fragile surfaces not identified or marked
- ✗No edge protection or crawling boards provided
- ✗Workers not informed of fragile roof light locations
- ✗Inadequate supervision of the work
- ✗No method statement for the roof work
The contractor was fined £180,000 plus costs. HSE inspector stated: 'This serious incident could easily have been prevented if basic safety measures had been put in place. Falls through fragile surfaces are entirely foreseeable and must be planned for.'
Every roof must be treated as containing fragile surfaces until proven otherwise. Proper planning, edge protection, and crawling boards prevent falls. Never rely on workers 'being careful'.
Source: Based on HSE prosecution records
Director imprisoned after excavation collapse kills worker
A worker was buried when an unsupported trench collapsed. Despite attempts at rescue, he died from crush injuries and asphyxiation.
- ✗Trench over 2 metres deep with no support
- ✗No risk assessment for excavation work
- ✗Workers not trained in excavation safety
- ✗Previous warnings from HSE about unsupported trenches ignored
- ✗Director aware of unsafe practices but took no action
The company was fined £500,000. The director received a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, plus 200 hours community service. HSE stated the death was 'entirely preventable'.
Trenches collapse without warning. Soil is heavy — even a small collapse can kill. Never enter an unsupported excavation over 1.2m deep. Directors who ignore safety risks face personal prosecution.
Source: Based on HSE prosecution records
Related sectors and content
Construction safety intersects with many specialist areas:
Construction Sector
Complete guide to health and safety for construction businesses.
Builders
Practical guidance for builders and small construction firms.
Roofers
Working at height, fragile surfaces, and fall protection for roofers.
Related topics
- CDM Regulations — Duty holder responsibilities for construction projects
- Working at Height — Preventing falls, the leading cause of construction deaths
- Asbestos — Managing asbestos in construction and refurbishment
- Manual Handling — Reducing musculoskeletal injuries from heavy work
Key articles
- What is CDM? — Understanding the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
- Client Duties under CDM — Your responsibilities when commissioning construction work
- Construction Phase Plan — What it is and what goes in it
- Working at Height Regulations — Legal requirements for preventing falls
- Scaffolding Safety — Safe use of scaffolds on construction sites
Downloadable resources
Construction Safety Checklist
Comprehensive checklist covering site organisation, hazard controls, welfare, and documentation.
Construction Phase Plan Template
Template for preparing the construction phase plan required by CDM Regulations.
CDM Duty Holder Checklist
Quick reference checklist for clients, designers, and contractors under CDM 2015.
Working at Height Checklist
Pre-work checklist for any task involving work at height.
Construction safety is complex and the stakes are high. If you're unsure about your legal duties, need help with CDM compliance, or want to improve safety standards on your sites, consider engaging a competent health and safety advisor with construction experience.
Disclaimer: This guidance is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Construction health and safety law is complex and varies depending on your specific circumstances. For complex projects or if you're unsure about your duties, seek professional advice from a qualified health and safety consultant. The law in this area is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and breaches can result in prosecution, unlimited fines, and imprisonment.