Construction Management is the highest circulation construction-based publication serving the UK built environment.
News
Health and safety spot checks in construction hit record low
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
The number of HSE inspections have fallen by 32% over the last decade (Image Darren Baker via Dreamstime.com)
The number of unannounced inspections by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the construction industry has fallen to a record low, the second-largest trade union in the UK has found.
A freedom of information request made by Unite, which represents over 1.2 million members in construction, found that HSE carried out 7,647 unannounced inspections in 2022/23 – a 2% decline on the previous year when there were 7,793 inspections.
The number of inspections conducted by HSE has fallen by nearly a third (32%) over the last decade. In 2013/14, the safety watchdog made 11,303 proactive (unannounced) inspections.
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These are highly disturbing figures, levels of construction work aren’t decreasing, so how can construction workers be kept safe when inspections continue to decline?
“Construction remains the UK’s most dangerous industry and it is completely unacceptable for construction safety to be undermined in this manner.”
A HSE spokesperson said: “Britain continues to be one of the safest places to work in the world. Counting the number of inspections we carry out is not the only way that we measure impact. Over the past ten years we have focused on the areas of greatest risk and targeted our inspection activity using insight and intelligence.
“Our inspections are only one part of what we do to keep people safe. We use a range of regulatory tools to improve health and safety, such as working to influence industries and providing free, clear, and accessible guidance.”
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
Powered Access
CM, in partnership with IPAF, has launched a new survey to explore the industry’s views and experiences with powered access machines on construction projects.
This is not a first step towards a paywall. We need readers to register with us to help sustain creation of quality editorial content on Construction Management. Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings. Thank you.
