CJ Construction Blog

A long-overdue fall in construction fatalities looks on the cards. The HSE will not publish official figures for the year-ending March for several months, although monthly accident figures already indicate fatalities will be below the 72 recorded last year.

After several years of bitterly disappointing numbers, this is a real morale booster to those who have worked tirelessly to change attitudes and raise awareness.

Whether this is down to changes in safety regulations, higher fines, the slowdown or successful campaigns like the HSE's Shattered Lives initiative remains to be seen.

What is evident now is that construction, for so long embarrassed by its appalling record, has raised the bar at both senior management and site level. There is still much to do, but who, a decade ago, would have thought a contractor the size of Balfour Beatty would have the courage to set itself up a Zero Harm target for 2012.

Likewise, at the lower end of the spectrum, who would have thought scaffolders would set up a whistle-blowers line to police their own sector, alerting the HSE about rogue contractors?

The HSE should also get full marks for recruiting an extra 30 inspectors, albeit on two-year contracts. The industry needs greater enforcement now, if only to ensure the unscrupulous do not benefit from cutting corners in the recession.

After all, it is not the size of the fine, but knowing you will get caught that acts as the ultimate deterrent.