Unite FOI Demonstrate Low HSE’s ‘Proactive’ Construction Inspections

A series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests made by the trade union Unite has highlighted a significant decline in the number of ‘proactive’ inspections that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made in the construction sector since 2013/14.

Research into Unite

The research has found that the HSE’s unannounced inspections of construction sites have declined by 31% in less than a decade.

Unite has highlighted the figures because it says that construction remains one of the most hazardous sectors in Great Britain and points to the latest HSE statistics, which show that 30 construction workers died in the workplace in 2021/2022.

HSE statistics

The HSE’s latest statistics also reveal that the construction sector was responsible for around 25% of the total number of fatal injuries to workers.

The union’s FoI requests found that the HSE undertook 11,303 unannounced inspections in 2013/14 but that number dropped to 7,793 in 2021/22.

The data gleaned showed that the biggest regional decline was in Wales where inspections had dropped by 57%, Unite said. After Wales, southeast England (51%) and London (46%) saw the biggest drops. 

Reduced enforcement on Unite

Unite said that it also found the HSE had significantly reduced the number of enforcement notices that it had issued to employers to improve safety conditions after an on-site inspection. The union said that the number had declined from 2,293 in 2013/14 to 1,119 in 2021/22.

‘The HSE must explain and justify the sharp decline in construction inspections,’ said Unite’s national officer for construction Jason Poulter.

‘For too many employers, it is only the fear of being caught which ensures they follow safety laws.’

Response from HSE

In response, an HSE spokesperson told IOSH Magazine: ‘The number of inspections we carried out while COVID-19 restrictions were in place was inevitably lower. The number has increased significantly in the last year, focused on sites with the highest risk to workers. Inspections are only one part of what we do to keep workers safe.’

The HSE added that during the pandemic, Great Britain’s OSH regulator undertook more than 400,000 Covid-safe spot checks to ensure businesses were following government guidelines.

My professional view

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is SteveK_Cutout-657x1024.png

We all have a duty to not only ensure our own health and safety but that of our colleagues and a working culture should encouraged whereby employees feel able to speak up about any concerns they may have and it should not be the fear of being caught which ensures that employers follow safety legislation.

If you have any questions relating to this or any health and safety concerns, I’d be more than happy to have a discussion.

Information relating to managing risk and risk assessments at work can be found here.

Another article on health and safety news is available here.

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Picture of Steve Kilburn
Steve Kilburn
I initially trained as an industrial chemist working in a variety of manufacturing environments eventually moving into quality management which grew to encompass environmental and occupational health and safety management systems. I hold a Masters Degree in Health and Safety law and Environmental Law and a Post Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Waste Management and I am a Graduate Level Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). In my spare time I enjoy reading, my favourite author is Stephen King, and listening to music, generally from the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
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