Construction workers are six times more likely to be killed at work than any other employee, a government agency has warned.

Construction deaths

In the last 10 years nearly 900 construction workers and over 50 members of the public were killed as a result of construction work

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said construction deaths accounted for 32% of all workplace deaths in the UK in the year to 31 March 2002.

Despite "countless" health and safety initiatives and campaigns the industry remained dangerous, it said.

It added that almost all of the deaths and injuries were foreseeable and preventable.

On Thursday, the HSE will launch a discussion document aimed at improving safety across the industry.

Worst record

Although down on the previous year, provisional figures from the HSE show there were 79 fatal injuries to construction workers in the year to 31 March 2002.

The figures show 47% of fatal injuries to construction workers were caused by falls from height, 15% were struck by a moving or falling object and 14% were struck by a moving vehicle.

Construction deaths

Three-quarters of those people killed at work are self-employed or work for a contractor that employs 15 people or fewer Half of the deaths happen on sites with fewer than 15 workers

An HSE inspection initiative in London earlier this year of 223 sites resulted in 110 prohibition notices and 11 improvement notices.

Four sites were so badly managed work was stopped altogether, it said.

The secretary of state for Work and Pensions, Andrew Smith, said: "Preventing people from being harmed by construction work and enabling people to continue in work after illness or injury is a vital task. "

The discussion document follows on from the work of a "Construction Safety Summit" in February 2001.

The summit "Turning concern into action", was in response to growing concern about the industry's poor health and safety record.

Improvement targets

Last year, the construction industry set the following targets to improve safety.

It said it would reduce:

• Fatalities and major injuries by 40% by 2004/2005 and 66% by 2009/10

• Work-related ill health by 20% by 2004/2005 and 50% by 2009/10

• Working days lost from work-related injury and ill health by 20% by 2004/2005 and by 50% by 2009/10.