As school holidays approach, construction companies across the region are being urged to take additional precautions to keep children safe this summer. While rare, children have tragically lost their lives, and others have been injured, after making their way on to unsecure and unsafe construction sites. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is calling on the construction industry to prevent children from accessing construction sites during the school holiday period, to stop children being injured or worse in pursuit of innocent fun and curiosity. HSE is reminding those in control of sites that they have a duty to do everything they can to keep children out of the site and away from danger, with the following specific steps particularly relevant to child safety:• Where necessary, to reflect the nature of the site and the surrounding area, ensure suitable perimeter fencing or hoarding is erected.• Regularly check and review site security to ensure fencing or hoarding is maintained and kept in good order.• Secure sites adequately when finishing work for the day.• Barrier off or cover over excavations and pits.• Isolate and immobilise vehicles and plant and if possible, lock them in a compound.• Store building materials (such as pipes, manhole rings, and cement bags) so that they cannot topple or roll over.• Remove access ladders from excavations and scaffolds.• Lock away hazardous substances. The school holiday period serves as a timely reminder that site security is not only a legal responsibility but a vital part of protecting local communities, especially when schools are closed and children have more free time to be outside. HSE has a range of guidance and further information available to help manage the risks: Protecting the public HSE’s Mike Thomas said: “Construction site managers should check their sites are secure, and in areas where children live and play, they should remain vigilant and ensure that the risks to children are properly controlled. “Construction sites are places of work and contain numerous hazards, all of which can pose a dangerous threat to anyone entering without permission. Clients and contractors must ensure that unauthorised access onto sites is prevented, both during and outside working hours. ”HSE publishes latest work-related fatal injury and mesothelioma death statistics HSE has published its latest statistics on work-related fatal injuries and mesothelioma deaths. This year the regular annual update is complemented by new analysis, comparing the level and trend of fatal injuries to workers in GB with those in 35 countries worldwide. Work-related fatal injuries In the last year, 126 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain. HSE’s annual data release covers the period from April 2025 to March 2026.The total of 126 worker deaths is a decrease of 2 fatalities from the previous year (128).Apart from the years affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the number of worker deaths in 2025/26 is provisionally the lowest number recorded in a single year. The most common causes of fatal injuries are falls from height (31), being struck by a moving vehicle (24), and being struck by a moving object (21).You can find out more in our fatal injury statistics press release. International comparisons of work-related fatal injuries Results from a new experimental analysis have been published, comparing fatal injury rates in Great Britain with 35 other countries. The results provide further evidence that Great Britain remains one of the safest places to work. As these are official statistics in development, HSE welcomes feedback on their use or refinement. You can submit your comments via email. Mesothelioma deaths HSE has also published the annual figures for Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos.2,146 people died from the disease in 2024, which is lower than the average of 2,508 deaths per year during the period 2011 to 2020.
