Nearly one in five construction sites visited across Britain have been subject to enforcement action after failing safety checks.

In a month long initiative, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited a total of 2363 sites where refurbishment or repair work was taking place and saw 2976 contractors.

631 enforcement notices were served across 433 sites for poor practices that could put workers at risk, with 451 notices ordering that work stop immediately until the situation was put right.

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Philip White, HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction, said: "This initiative has once again shown us that the majority of construction employers do take their responsibilities to their workers seriously.

"However, our inspectors also encountered numerous examples of poor practice, from lack of edge protection on stairwells and scaffolding to unsafe storage of flammable materials and inadequate personal protective equipment. None of these are acceptable on a modern construction site.

"HSE will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers against reckless employers. It is they who continue to make construction one of the most dangerous industries in which to work."

(CD)