Serious concerns revealed over adequacy of site safety training

Nearly 34% of construction professionals feel that site safety standards have declined, according to a survey

Inadequate safety training has topped the list of causes of accidents on UK construction sites in a survey of 500 industry professionals.

The survey, commissioned by SafeSite Facilities, which delivers site safety products to construction companies nationwide, found that 34% of respondents said site safety standards had declined.

When asked to name the cause of most accidents on site, the top eight were:

1. Inadequate safety training
2. Inadequate risk management
3. Poor on-site communication
4. Inadequate safety fencing
5. Safety risks around modular buildings
6. Mental health challenges
7. Working at height
8. Machinery

The survey, conducted by Censuswide across August and September 2025, reached UK construction professionals aged 18-55.

Dr Lowellyne James, HSEQ manager at Safesite Facilities, added: “These findings are cause for concern. To address these issues, construction businesses must go beyond training and consider competency, looking at training, qualifications, and experience.

“Construction businesses must consider if employees are competent to work on site, safely, with no harm to the environment, to ensure better quality outcomes for the company and its stakeholders.

“In the current economic climate, many businesses have been realigning their focus towards survival, which is basically looking at the bottom line.”

The survey's results were not all bad news for the industry. It found that 57% of construction workers thought safety standards had improved over the last five years, with 9% saying they had remained stable.

In addition, 84% rated safety on site as ‘good’ and 69% said they felt safe on site.

However, there are lessons to be learned from the results regarding training and preparedness.

When asked, ‘How safe do you feel on site?’ 68.5% felt safe, 23% were neutral, and 8% felt unsafe. However, this increased to 14% for site supervisors, 13% for cost estimators, and 12% for surveyors, who reported feeling unsafe.