Site fire safety rises, injuries stall

The research from fire safety training specialists, CE Safety, requested the latest data from the HSE to uncover the number of fire safety hazards found at construction sites across Great Britain, the number of enforcement notices issued, and both fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by fires or explosions. 

The HSE is the enforcing authority for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 within the construction sector, however, in most other workplaces, enforcement of this Order is carried out by local Fire and Rescue Services. The HSE also enforces the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), which apply to construction projects of all sizes, from domestic renovations and extensions to large-scale commercial developments.

Data acquired from the FOI request to the HSE finds that fire safety efforts improved by 37% from 2023/24 to 2024/25 across construction sites in Great Britain. 

In 2023/24, there were a total of 536 fire safety failures. Of these, 82 were recorded as incidents of non-compliance for ‘fire and explosion risk’, and 454 related to ‘general fire precautions’. 

However, in 2024/25, there were a total of 361 fire safety failures. Of these, 48 were recorded incidents of non-compliance under the umbrella of ‘fire and explosion risk’, and 313 related to ‘general fire precautions

Looking at the number of notices issued as a result of non-compliance, in 2023/24, 92 notices were issued (63 improvement notices, 29 immediate prohibition notices), and in 2024/25, 50 notices were issued (38 improvement notices and 12 immediate prohibition notices).

Despite the increase in fire safety standards, the number of injuries was only reduced by one incident. In the year 23/24, there were 15 non-fatal injuries caused by exposure to fire or explosion, and 14 in 24/25.

Furthermore, the figures provided by the HSE showed that two people, who were not workers, were killed in explosions on construction sites in 2024/25. 

Looking at the regions with the most reports of fire safety non-compliance, the South East of England topped the list with the highest number of fire safety failings, with 61 counts in 2024/25. Of these, 9 were for ‘fire and explosion risk’, and 52 were for ‘general fire precautions’. 

Across the two categories ‘fire and explosion risk’ and ‘general fire precaution’, these were the five regions with the highest counts of non-compliance in 2024/25:

• South East – 61
• London – 57
• Yorkshire – 41
• East – 40
• North East – 35

Breaking this down for each category, in 2024/25 for ‘fire and explosion risk’, Scotland was the worst offender with 11 counts, followed by South East, East (6), London (6) and South West (5).

Under the category ‘general fire precautions’, the top 5 non-compliance spots went to South East again (52), London (51), Yorkshire (37), East (34) and North East (34). 

Fire safety training specialist Gary Ellis at CE Safety comments, “Guidelines in construction are in place for a reason. Hazards are endless, and risks are ever-present, so it is a good thing that the HSE approaches fire safety violations seriously, because those who flout the rules are not, and this potentially comes with a high cost, either to buildings, projects or lives.

“The construction sector is a dynamic working environment, where continuous change is taking place, and because of this, the fire risk is constantly evolving. Having strong fire safety principles in place, which are monitored and enforced on site, will reduce the risk of serious fires and explosions.

The full report can be found at: https://cesafety.co.uk/news/new-data-reveals-reality-behind-fire-safety-on-construction-sites/