The jury is still out on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) record on prosecutions resulting from construction fatalities following Ucatt’s Levels of Convictions report and the HSE’s counterclaims. The results paint a confusing picture of the actual number of convictions.

In this climate, the CDM regulations, which came into force last month, have an important contribution to make, as they make clear who is responsible for health and safety. With roles more clearly defined, in the event of an accident it may be easier to establish whether a conviction should be brought and make clearer the current discrepancies between Ucatt and the HSE.

Tim Willis, the Wilkes Partnership

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