Health and safety in Construction

Construction sites are arguably the most physically challenging and riskiest places to work. Each year, the Health and Safety Executive estimates as many as three percent of those working in the construction industry (around 60,000 to 70,000 workers) report an injury at work - far higher than in most other employment sectors.

In this blog, we cover some of the legal requirements regarding health and safety within the UK's construction industry.

Two other health and safety regulations are particularly relevant to the UK’s construction industry:

The Building Act 1984: As the primary legislation, its purpose is to ‘secure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in or about buildings, and of others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings.’

The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015: Rooted in an EU Directive, it includes the following wording: ‘The person(s) responsible for co-ordination on the site shall ensure that employers and self-employed persons apply the general prevention principles, particularly in respect of the situations described, and that the health and safety plan is taken into account when necessary. They shall also organise co-operation between employers in matters of health and safety and check that the working procedures are being implemented correctly, as well as ensure that no unauthorised persons enter the site.’

The state of health and safety in the UK's Construction industry

Within construction there is a broad range of jobs, some more hazardous than others. Certain groups of these workers are more likely to be at risk of work-related ill health. For example, in the skilled construction and building trades occupation group, approximately 4.8 percent of workers suffer from an illness they believe was caused or made worse by their work in the sector.

When addressing workplace injuries, the report shows that approximately 64,000 construction workers sustained an injury at work each year between 2014 and 2017. Of these cases, 32 percent were to workers in construction buildings, 58 percent were to workers in specialised construction activities, and 10 percent were to workers in civil engineering. A total of 196 construction workers were fatally injured over the course of 2016 and 2017, with nearly 50 percent of these injuries caused by a fall from a height. There were also four fatalities to members of the public involving construction work.

The Labour Force survey found on average, stress and musculoskeletal disorders account for approximately 80 percent of the work-related ill health cases in the construction sector. Each year, around six in a thousand workers reported suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety they believed was work-related. A research report published by the Office for National Statistics also indicates the risk of suicide among low-skilled male labourers, particularly those working in construction roles, was 3x higher than the male national average.

The construction industry also has the largest percentage of fatalities resulting from cancer in the workplace, approximately 3,500 each year; the majority caused by past exposure to asbestos (over 2,500 annual deaths from mesothelioma) and silica - two carcinogens associated with lung cancer and mesothelioma.

The importance of addressing health and safety risks

Addressing health and safety problems isn’t just vital to protect construction workers, it’s also important for construction companies. The health and safety of workers have implications not only for productivity and profitability but also because companies themselves risk being:

• Fined by the Health and Safety Executive
• Banned from working at all, through the issue of prohibition notices
• Prosecuted and even convicted of negligence
• Sued for accidents, death, injury and disability

Additionally, non-compliance with guidelines and regulations or ignoring health and safety issues leads to any of those actions above and will drastically damage a company’s reputation by stripping them of accreditations or memberships of leading industry bodies. For these reasons, it is definitely within the employer’s best interest to ensure legal health and safety standards are implemented and maintained within their workplace.