New figures reveal that the annual number of fatalities involving self-employed construction workers has risen to 27
The incidence of fatal injuries among self-employed construction workers has almost doubled in the past five years.
Health and Safety Commission statistics reveal 27 fatal injuries were reported during 2006/07, compared with 14 for 2002/03.
In July the HSC revealed there were 77 construction fatalities in 2006/07, equivalent to a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 workers. The finalised figure for 2005/06 was 60. In 2006/07, 32% of worker fatalities across all industry occurred in construction.
Last year HSE issued 20% more notices, and the industry was fined more than £13m for flaunting health and safety laws.
Speaking as the health and safety statistics emerged, new HSC chair Judith Hackitt said: “The rising enforcement figures show that negligence in workplace health and safety is not tolerated.
"We must remember that with each injury or fatality there is a personal cost and suffering attached and we all therefore need to focus on the real health and safety agenda, not the trivia.”
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