Accidents and workplace deaths

Home » News & Knowledge » Accidents and workplace deaths

The recent story of a man in his 40s at the Hinkley Point C construction site serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by construction work.

As we have many regulations and safeguards in place on construction sites in the UK, it is safe to assume that workers are largely safe and protected. However, accidents, serious injury and deaths do still happen.

Indeed, the government statistics for 2021 indicated that 123 workers were killed in workplace accidents, of which around a quarter occurred on construction sites.

One death is too many, but compare that to the reported deaths of migrant workers in construction work in Qatar, since they won the right to host the World Cup in 2010 (6,500 according to the attached article published in the Guardian last year).

It is clear that the work that has been done over many decades has made construction work in this country much more safe, but it is important not to be complacent. I had a case recently for a gentleman who had worked in senior roles for much of his life.

He found himself in a position where he had to take a lower role in a new firm. The culture at this firm was such that shortcuts were taken and important safety procedures and equipment were ignored.

On a particular day, he was working over a large open hole (approximately 25’ in diameter and 10’ deep). He did question the lack of harnesses and was subjected to jovial ‘banter’ of the kind that suggested he shouldn’t be worried and should get on with the job. He therefore proceeded to carry out the task he had been assigned and, sadly, in the process he fell down the hole and sustained serious injury.

Despite the fact he questioned the lack of safety equipment, he did not refuse to do the job without precautions in place. Sadly, far too often we all take risks without our own safety for fear of appearing to lack bravery or because we feel embarrassed at being the only one to stand our ground.

Changes will not be made in an unsafe workplace if employees allow risks to be taken. Indeed, when the workplace ‘culture’ encourages shortcuts or ignores failings, the situation can often worsen very quickly and become very dangerous.

We don’t know what caused the fatality at Hinkley Point C, and thankfully deaths do not happen as frequently as in countries where health and safety is not taken seriously enough. It is always worth remembering, however, that the smallest compromise on safety can have catastrophic consequences.

It is also always better to highlight concerns quickly, rather than feeling nervous about being the only employee to speak up.

The recent story of a man in his 40s at the Hinkley Point C construction site serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by construction work.

Further reading

WHAT TO DO NEXT