HSE figures reveal that there were 72 deaths in the construction industry in the year to April 2005.
Seventy-two workers died in the construction industry in the past year, the highest number for three years, figures revealed this week.
The figure, the HSE’s final calculation of industry fatalities in the year to April 2005, is one higher than the previous year’s total of 71 deaths. However, a continued rise in employment has seen the rate of fatalities per hundred workers fall by 3%.
Rosi Edwards, HSE acting chief inspector for construction, said that the continuing high number of deaths was unacceptable, and pledged the support of the HSE to drive through safety reform in the industry.
She said: “We can take some encouragement from the continuing decrease in the rate of fatalities, but the fact remains that 72 workers were killed in incidents, most of which could have been prevented with sensible risk control. This is unacceptably high; every fatality is one too many. The HSE will continue to work with the industry to gain improvements in the management of health and safety in order to reduce deaths, injuries and ill-health caused by work.”
