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The results are in from the Health & Safety Executive's month-long tour of construction sites and its not looking good.

Over September the HSE visited a total of 2607 construction sites where refurbishment or repair work was taking place, and found that safety standards were not being met on 1105 sites - that's nearly half of the total amount!

This news doesn't come as a big surprise when you consider the earlier photos the HSE released of some of the sites they visited (which can be seen here and here), but on 644 sites practices were so poor that enforcement action was needed to protect workers. 539 prohibition notices were served ordering "dangerous activities to stop immediately", while a further 414 improvement notices were issued to order a rise in standards. The most common problems identified included failing to protect workers during activities at height, exposure to harmful dust and inadequate welfare facilities.

Heather Bryant, HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction said: "It is disappointing to find a significant number of sites falling below acceptable health and safety standards, where our inspectors encountered poor practice this often went hand in hand with a lack of understanding.

"Through initiatives like this we are able to tackle underlying issues before they become established and we will continue to work with the industry in an effort to drive up standards.

"However those who recklessly endanger the health and lives of their workforce can expect to face tough consequences."

Via Construction Enquirer