Why Construction Health and Safety Matters
Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the United Kingdom. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the construction sector accounts for a disproportionate share of workplace fatalities and serious injuries every year. In the most recent published statistics, 30-40 construction workers were killed and thousands more suffered life-changing injuries on UK building sites.
These are not just numbers. Each statistic represents a person who left for work in the morning and did not return home that evening. Behind every fatality is a family devastated by preventable loss. The overwhelming evidence shows that the vast majority of construction accidents are preventable through proper planning, risk assessment, training and compliance with health and safety regulations.
UK Construction Safety Statistics
Understanding the scale of the problem helps explain why the CSCS test and health and safety knowledge are so important:
- Falls from height remain the leading cause of death, accounting for approximately 40-50% of all fatal injuries in construction each year
- Being struck by a moving vehicle or object is the second most common cause of construction deaths
- Collapse of structures and contact with electricity also cause significant numbers of fatalities
- Over 60,000 non-fatal injuries are reported in construction annually
- Occupational diseases caused by construction work (silicosis, mesothelioma, hearing loss, HAVS) cause more deaths than accidents, though they often take years to develop
- The estimated cost of construction workplace injuries and ill health to the UK economy is over £1 billion per year
HSE Enforcement in Construction
The HSE actively enforces health and safety law on construction sites. Inspectors can visit sites without prior notice and have powers to:
- Enter any workplace at any reasonable time
- Carry out inspections and investigations
- Issue Improvement Notices requiring action within a specified timeframe
- Issue Prohibition Notices stopping dangerous activities immediately
- Prosecute duty holders for breaches of health and safety law
- Recommend unlimited fines and imprisonment for the most serious offences
The HSE regularly conducts targeted inspection campaigns on construction sites, focusing on high-risk activities such as work at height, refurbishment work, and small sites where standards are sometimes lower.
Common Construction Site Hazards
This general health and safety quiz covers the broad range of hazards found on UK construction sites. Key topic areas include:
- Falls from height — from scaffolding, ladders, roofs, floor edges, through fragile surfaces
- Moving vehicles and plant — site traffic, reversing vehicles, lifting operations
- Hazardous substances — cement, silica dust, solvents, paints, appropriate PPE selection
- Manual handling — lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling heavy or awkward loads
- Electricity — overhead lines, buried cables, on-site electrics, 110V systems
- Fire — fire prevention, extinguisher use, evacuation procedures
- Noise and vibration — hearing damage, HAVS, exposure limits
- Excavations — trench collapse, buried services, access and egress
- Asbestos — identification, emergency procedures, licensed removal
This quiz is an excellent starting point if you are unsure which CSCS card you need or want to assess your general health and safety knowledge before tackling one of the full 50-question practice tests.
Not Sure Which CSCS Test You Need?
If you have come to this page unsure about which CSCS test to prepare for, here is a quick guide:
- General labourers and tradespeople — take the Operatives test
- Specialist trades (demolition, highways, tunnelling) — take the Specialists test
- Managers, supervisors and professionals — take the MAP test
For full details on all CSCS card types and their requirements, read our comprehensive CSCS card guide.