Construction safety roundup: October 2026

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Four construction cases reached court in England and Northern Ireland in October, three of them after a worker died. We start with a roof fire in Staines-upon-Thames, where four workers escaped down a single ladder. In every case, the planning fell short.

In court

Hot works fire on a roof, Staines-upon-Thames

On 26 July 2024, sparks from welding set light to uncovered rigid foam insulation on the roof of a 14-storey apartment block under construction. Four workers escaped down a single ladder. HSE found there was no RAMS for the work, no hot works permit, no fire extinguishers and no alarm. C Watkins Plumbing Ltd was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £8,270 costs at Staines Magistrates' Court on 29 October 2026, for breaching regulation 15(2) of CDM 2015. (Source: HSE)

HSE pointed contractors to HSG168, Fire safety in construction. It covers designing fire risks out where practicable, preventing fires starting, and keeping people safe if one does.

For hot works on a roof, the RAMS and the permit should cover at least:

Combustibles: what is stored or installed near the work, including insulation and membranes, and how it is removed, covered or protected before work starts.
Fire watch: a named person watching during the work and for a set period after it stops, with the area checked before the permit is closed.
Extinguishers: the right type, at the point of work, checked, with people who know how to use them.
Raising the alarm: how a fire is raised on that roof, and who calls the fire service.
Escape routes: more than one way down where possible, kept clear and briefed to everyone up there.
The permit itself: issued for a set area and time, signed off at the end, and briefed with the RAMS.

What it means: roof hot works needs its own RAMS and a permit covering all of the above before anyone strikes an arc.

Fatal fall through a floor, Gloucestershire

Carpenter Richard "Felix" Roper, 59, died in August 2022 after falling through a stripped first floor where joists were missing or not secured. W G Carter Ltd was fined £120,000 plus £5,247 costs at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 24 September 2026 for breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations. A prohibition notice was served. (Sources: HSE; Construction Enquirer)

What it means: RAMS for strip-out and floor works should treat missing or loose joists as a fall from height, with covers, edge protection or exclusion in place first.

Dumper overturn, Carrickfergus

John Traynor, 41, died in January 2022 when a 9-tonne forward-tipping dumper went into an aqueduct channel. At Laganside Crown Court on 2 October, John Graham Construction Ltd was fined £100,000 and IJ Lynn and Sons Ltd £45,000. HSENI said the RAMS, prepared shortly before work started after a late change, were not suitable and sufficient. (Source: Construction News)

What it means: when the job changes late, the RAMS must be reworked and re-briefed before plant moves, not patched on the morning.

Falling scaffold board, Belfast

Collection driver Samuel Magill, 60, died after being struck by a 2.4 m scaffold board that fell about 8 m while a scaffold was being dismantled. The exclusion zone was not adequately controlled. 7 Towers Scaffolding was fined £20,000. (Source: Construction News)

What it means: dismantling RAMS and the site TMP should show where drivers wait and load, and who keeps them out of the drop zone.

Separately, HSE is investigating a partial building and scaffold collapse in Banbury on 22 October that put two workers in hospital. (Source: Construction News)

Alerts and guidance

Part K call for evidence. The Building Safety Regulator wants views on Part K and Approved Document K (protection from falling, collision and impact: stairs, guarding, glazing and vehicle barriers). It is the first substantial review in more than 20 years and runs for 10 weeks from 19 October. (Source: GOV.UK)
Noise and vibration. HSE's campaign, launched on 13 October, urges employers to act on hand-arm vibration and hearing loss before the damage is done. (Source: HSE)
The bigger picture. HSE figures published on 1 July 2026 recorded 25 construction worker deaths in 2025/26 (provisional): the lowest on record, but still the highest of any sector. (Source: HSE)

Good news

Huddersfield Tunnels. BAM Ground Engineering's team on the Transpennine Route Upgrade won the Safety Performers Award at the EFFC Health & Safety Awards. Remote and mechanised drilling removed 2,480 person-hours of HAVS exposure. (Source: EFFC)
Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne. The Environment Agency's coastal scheme, with Binnies as Principal Designer, was named H&S Team of the Year at the IOSH Awards 2026: more than 49,200 hours worked with no lost-time injuries. (Source: Binnies)

Toolbox talk: exclusion zones

Use the Belfast case. Before any scaffold is struck or materials are lowered, ask: where is the drop zone, how is it marked, who controls it, and where do drivers and visitors wait? If nobody can answer, the work does not start.

Sources

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