The Guardian has reported that the names of construction workers killed on building sites, the companies they worked for and their causes of death are to be revealed for the first time after the Health and Safety Executive was forced to disclose details of construction-sector fatalities by the Information Commissioner.
The disclosure indicates that more than half the 72 builders who died last year worked at small companies employing fewer than 50 people, with a quarter of affected firms employing fewer than five people.
The building workers' union, Ucatt, says the figures highlight the effects of rampant casualisation in the industry, in which big building concerns subcontract major work and the bulk of the industry's 2 million workers are self-employed. The result, says Ucatt, is that small companies compete aggressively on price to win work, meaning safety standards are frequently compromised.
Last year, 229 workers of all types were fatally injured in the UK, with construction responsible for more than 30% of those deaths. More than 2,500 building workers have died in the past 25 years. Next month the government will publish a detailed analysis into safety in the sector.
The disclosure indicates that more than half the 72 builders who died last year worked at small companies employing fewer than 50 people, with a quarter of affected firms employing fewer than five people.
The building workers' union, Ucatt, says the figures highlight the effects of rampant casualisation in the industry, in which big building concerns subcontract major work and the bulk of the industry's 2 million workers are self-employed. The result, says Ucatt, is that small companies compete aggressively on price to win work, meaning safety standards are frequently compromised.
Last year, 229 workers of all types were fatally injured in the UK, with construction responsible for more than 30% of those deaths. More than 2,500 building workers have died in the past 25 years. Next month the government will publish a detailed analysis into safety in the sector.
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