More than 70 people die on construction sites a year

An MPs' committee said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should do more to press contractors about the issue.

It was unacceptable 70 construction workers were killed yearly, with thousands more suffering injuries, the Commons public accounts committee said.

The HSE has statutory responsibility for the enforcement of health and safety law.

Public accounts committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "The UK construction industry has a better health and safety record than other EU countries.

Maximum penalties

"But the industry's record is still worse than in any other UK sector and accounts for one-in-three fatalities from workplace accidents."

He added that the executive should "trial a mixture of approaches" from "blitz visits" to better assessment of the impact its work is having on accident trends.

The committee suggested the HSE should consider asking the home secretary to seek a direction from the new sentencing advisor panel on framing a guideline for health and safety offences.

"Breaches of health and safety regulations are serious criminal offences and legislation provides for penalties, including unlimited fines in some circumstances", the committee said.

"Courts have, however, tended not to impose maximum penalties available".