Preventing injuries on construction sites

For construction businesses, common hazards such as falls from height or trips and slips can pose risks to their employees’ health and the commercial health of their business. If not well managed, the business's reputation can also suffer as a result.

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) state 47,000 construction workers sustained non-fatal injuries at work between 2021 and 2024. The same figures show that deaths in construction accidents accounted for more than a third of all industries surveyed.

Slips, trips or falls on the same level of ground accounted for a quarter of accidents between 2021 and 2024. This was closely followed by:

• Falls from a height (20%)
• People being injured while handling or carrying something (18%)
• People being struck by a moving or falling object (12%)

Falls from height were by far the most common cause of fatalities among construction workers, accounting for more than half (52%).

It’s not just site hazards that contribute to staff absence or ill health. The HSE estimates that around 2.5 million working days were lost to self-reported workplace illness or injury in 2023/24. More than half of these reports were musculoskeletal issues, and 18% of them involved work-related stress or anxiety.

Changing sites

Managing workplace risk in the construction industry is further complicated by the fact that sites are constantly changing. On any given day there could be multiple types of tradespeople, a mix of self-employed and permanent contractors with different levels of experience and safety knowledge. While there are specific measures businesses can take to manage individual risks, the HSE advises that it helps to start with the big picture.

“Look around your workplace for things that could cause harm,” it advises. “Ask yourself how people are using equipment, are they working in disorganised or unsafe ways? Is your workplace in a suitable condition, for example are walkways always clear?”

Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), argues that safety is built on good and positive cultures. “These cultures will have workers who are aware of hazards and risks, are well trained, steeped in competency, and drilled in dialogue, through consultation and conversations,” she says.

“Communications need to be clear, constant, heard by everyone on site and have provision for two-way feedback. Think about your workers, think about their language and learning styles, and how you can best get health and safety messages across. Risk assessment findings, toolbox talks, signage, briefings, and personal stories all help to instil these important messages and learnings and, ultimately, save lives.”

Involving workers

Getting workers involved in preventing risk is a win-win, ensuring that everyone has a role to play in making the site safer. This starts with knowing what the hazards are in the workplace, who might be at risk, and how these risks might be prevented. From there, managers can decide what further actions to take and who should carry them out.

Workers might also have ideas on ways accidents can be prevented. So, discussions on workplace safety should be encouraged, as should recording of all near misses. The HSE provides a downloadable ‘near-miss book’ that businesses can use.

“Real health and safety training goes beyond the checklist,” adds Ruth Wilkinson. “It needs to be hands-on and scenario-based; it must be something workers remember when it matters most. Make the training part of normal performance conversations taking place within processes and systems of work. Make it what you do.”

When considering any type of risk, the HSE advocates creating a “hierarchy of controls”. This encourages staff to work through different steps that must be followed systematically. For example, working from height would begin with deciding whether it was essential. If it was, workers should then follow a list of prevention measures, such as ensuring guard rails are in place, attaching a harness, or having a soft-landing system.

Fragile surfaces are another common cause of accidents. Again, if it’s deemed necessary to work near such hazards, businesses would need to provide fall restraints and landing precautions, alongside warning notices on any approach to the fragile surface. The HSE also advises working closely with clients to agree how such work will be managed.

Insurance cover

Even with all these checks and balances in place, investing in sector-specific cover is worthwhile. This will complement a risk-aware workforce where workers feel valued, listened to, and protected.

Ultimately, demonstrating a strong commitment to health and safety will earn your business the trust of stakeholders, clients, and the wider public. All of this is good for your bottom line.

Ruth Wilkinson concludes: “A positive safety record reflects strong governance and responsible leadership, which builds credibility and makes the organisation more attractive to investors, partners and prospective employees. Safe environments generally boost productivity and allow employees to focus on their roles without undue concern for their physical or psychological safety.”

Source
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/construction.pdf