Swearing is no f***ing problem

Swearing on site is considered acceptable by a narrow majority of Contract Journal readers. And industry leaders believe a formal ban on swearing is unenforceable.

In the latest CJ Question poll, 51% of the 1,476 respondents said that the use of bad language on site was not a problem. However, 44% said that that swearing was wrong.

Lisa Atkinson of Wrekin said: "Swearing is acceptable, but only if members of the public or sensitive people are not in the vicinity."

D Murray-Smith of Llewellyn added: "If you banned swearing on site, there would be a labour shortage in the very near future."

The issue of swearing on site arose after Wates signed a "no swearing" clause in its contract with Twin Valley Homes in Blackburn. The conditions ban any worker from using bad language on site (CJ 22 January).

Graham Watts, chief executive of the Construction Industry Council, believes swearing is a fact of life. "The reality is that if casual swearing is okay on primetime TV, then there is no chance of stopping it on building sites or anywhere else for that matter. However, abuse is entirely unacceptable."

Andy Walker, communications director of the Association of Consulting Engineers, said: "The use of inappropriate language should be covered by existing Respect for People guidelines and basic common sense. The occasional curse is rarely a problem, but the persistent use of foul language demeans both the user and others affected."

And Suzannah Nichol, chief executive of the National Specialist Contractors Council, said: "It is quite sad that Wates has had to introduce a 'no swearing' rule. This is obviously the client's experience of the construction industry - and not one to encourage parents and teachers to recommend the industry to children."