2009-04-29

By Editor, CIR

More than half of the deaths in the construction industry last year involved small firms, data shows.

In 2008, 229 workers of all types were fatally injured in the UK, with 72 deaths occuring in the construction industry according to the Health and Safety Executive.

More than half of the builders who died at work were employed by smaller firms, with a workforce of fewer than 50 people.

The building workers' union Ucatt is calling for tighter regulation and more stringent penalties, including jail sentences, for bosses who neglect health and safety.

Ucatt's general secretary, Alan Ritchie, says: "The HSE must introduce a zero-tolerance approach to safety, and pressure needs to be applied all year round on small construction companies."

The union claims that a major proportion of construction work is subcontracted and most of the industry's two million workers are self employed. This results in smaller firms competing aggressively for contracts on price and often neglecting safety issues.

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