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Two men seriously injured in London steelwork and scaffolding collapse

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Two men have been seriously injured after steelwork collapsed onto scaffolding erected on a town hall at a construction site in West London. Dozens of police, fire and ambulance vehicles attended Hammersmith town hall in King Street after the incident at around 5.30pm on Wednesday. According to reports, both men had suffered ‘life-threatening injuries and were rushed to a major trauma centre “as a priority”. The Metropolitan police have said the men were taken to a central London hospital, and the Health and Safety Executive had been informed. A source told Scaffmag: “The steelwork collapsed and took the scaffolding down with it, when the steelwork failed it knocked over the cherry picker the steelworkers were working on.” It is believed that one of the steel erectors was thrown 30m from the cherry picker and the other was still attached by his harness.

The London ambulance service said: “An investigation has been launched after two men were injured after scaffolding attached to Hammersmith town hall collapsed late on Wednesday afternoon.

“Officers from the Metropolitan police attended along with firefighters.”

How can Tube-Lock benefit your company?

Tube-Lock® can revolutionize the way you are designing and erecting scaffolds. By combining simplicity and strength, Tube-Lock holds many benefits over traditional tube and fitting scaffolding.

Tube-Lock® tubes are regular 48,3mm scaffolding tubes, fitted with two cast iron Tube-Lock pieces. Because of the Tube-Lock ends, tubes can be connected with each other by a twisting motion, visibly locking them in place. No tools nor additional parts are required to make or secure the connection. 

This provides many advantages.

Because the two tubes can be joined by a twisting motion, it is a fast and easy way to connect tubes together. This leads to faster erection and dismantling times for the entire scaffold. 

Furthermore, no additional parts nor tools are needed. No longer needing sleeve couplers and joint pins means that there are no spare parts that need to be transported. Additionally, you don’t have to invest in sleeve couplers and joint pins as you no longer need them.

This also eliminates the risk of sleeve couplers breaking, getting lost or getting stolen. And you don’t have to service the sleeve couplers anymore. Tube-Lock connections are completely maintenance-free. 

Another logistical advantage is that Tube-Lock comes in standard lengths from 1 meter or 4ft up to 4 meters or 13ft. Because of this flexibility, it prevents the necessity of cutting the tubes to length. 

The maximum length of 4 meters means the maximum weight of a Tube-Lock tube is 16 kg. This leads to less strain on scaffolders, which is essential because of the strict Occupational Health and Safety regulations. 

Additionally, there is no need to stagger joints, Tube-Lock is as strong as a continuous tube. The connection may even be submitted to pull force. Using Tube-Lock tubes leads to a smooth tube connection over the full length of the tube. This makes it possible to use couplers anywhere on the tube. Even on the Tube-Lock connection. 

Van Thiel United Ltd. can make Tube-Lock tubes out of your (used) scaffolding tube!

In their innovative production facility, they can turn your (used) scaffolding tube to Tube-Lock tubes! This means you can update your own material without enormous investments. Even the repair of existing Tube-Lock stock is possible. And they now offer a special discount on the conversion of your scaffolding tube!

Have a look at www.thielscaffolding.com for more information, or contact [email protected] to hear more about all possibilities!

Amber heat alert puts scaffolding site welfare in focus

Scaffolding firms are being urged to review hot-weather controls as an amber heat-health alert remains in force across large parts of England.

The alert covers London, the South East, South West and East of England until 8pm on Tuesday 23 June. Yellow alerts are also in place for the East Midlands and West Midlands.

The warnings come as temperatures are expected to rise again over the weekend, with hot and humid conditions forecast across parts of the country.

For scaffold contractors, the issue is not simply comfort. Heavy physical work, direct sunlight, limited shade and PPE can quickly increase the risk of dehydration, fatigue and reduced concentration.

That matters on sites where workers are handling materials, climbing lifts or carrying out work at height.

Amber alert in force

The UK Health Security Agency said the amber alert reflects the likely effect of sustained high temperatures on health and social care services, particularly for people who are more vulnerable to heat.

The alerts are not a legal warning requiring sites to stop work. But they provide a clear signal for employers to reassess conditions and make sure controls are in place before temperatures peak.

The Health and Safety Executive says employers must assess temperature-related risks for outdoor workers and put suitable controls in place.

Its guidance includes moving work to cooler parts of the day where possible, providing more frequent rest breaks, making shade available, and ensuring workers have free access to cool drinking water.

The HSE also advises firms to make sure workers understand the early signs of heat stress, including loss of concentration, cramps, severe thirst and fainting.

The UK has no legal maximum working temperature for outdoor workers.

Employers are still required to protect workers from adverse weather and assess risks under general health and safety law. That places the responsibility on contractors to decide when conditions require changed working hours, additional breaks, altered tasks or extra supervision.

For scaffold firms, planning needs to go beyond a reminder to drink water.

Supervisors should consider which tasks involve the heaviest physical effort, which areas of the site have little shade, and whether workers can take genuine breaks away from direct sun and heat radiating from steel, concrete or plant.

PPE also needs attention. Required protection cannot be compromised, but firms should consider whether lighter and more breathable compliant options are available for hot conditions.

Research points to June risk

The alert comes as tradesman insurer Protectivity publishes research claiming that June contains 5 of the 10 calendar dates most likely to see temperatures reach 27°C or above during working hours.

The company’s analysis identified 20 June as the second highest-risk date in its dataset, behind 12 August.

Protectivity examined historical weather data across UK cities, counting days where temperatures reached 27°C or more for at least 2 hours between 6am and 6pm.

Its research placed St Albans at the top of its ranking with 47 days above that level. The City of London followed with 45 days, while Oxford and Cambridge recorded 37 each.

The figures are company analysis rather than an official heat-risk ranking. But they support the wider point that hot-weather planning cannot wait until July or August.

Chris Trotman, underwriting manager at Protectivity, said: “Five of the 10 most dangerous dates in our dataset fall in June, and yet June is often when sites are running at full capacity with no particular heat protocols in place.

“Self-employed tradespeople in particular, who make up the largest self-employed workforce of any sector in the UK, have no employer to mandate rest breaks or enforce a heat policy on their behalf.”

What scaffold firms should do

The most useful response is practical.

Firms should check forecasts before shifts begin, schedule demanding work for cooler parts of the day where possible, provide easy access to water and shaded rest areas, and make sure supervisors are watching for early signs of heat stress.

Workers returning from time away or new to physically demanding work may also need time to adjust to hotter conditions.

Hot weather does not automatically mean work must stop. But where temperatures, humidity, workload and PPE combine to affect a worker’s health or ability to work safely, firms need to act.

AT-PAC opens Darwin branch to support northern Australia projects

AT-PAC has opened a new branch in Darwin, Northern Territory, giving contractors in northern Australia local access to scaffold stock, rental equipment and technical support.

The company said the branch will support projects across oil and gas, mining, energy, infrastructure, defence and marine sectors.

The site is in Berrimah, around 15 minutes from Darwin city centre, according to AT-PAC Australia and Pacific.

AT-PAC said holding Ringlock system scaffold locally should reduce delivery times for customers working on remote and industrial sites across the Northern Territory and nearby regions.

The Darwin operation will provide scaffold sales and rental, alongside engineering input and project planning support.

For contractors, the practical benefit is having material closer to site. Northern Australia’s industrial projects can involve long transport distances, particularly where scaffold requirements change during a job.

AT-PAC said the branch will be staffed locally and backed by its wider Australian supply and engineering network.

Part of wider Australian growth

The Darwin opening follows AT-PAC’s recent expansion in Adelaide. The company has also operated branches in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Gladstone.

AT-PAC became part of Umdasch Industrial Solutions in 2025, following its earlier integration into the Umdasch Group.

The company said its Australian branch network is intended to give industrial customers quicker access to equipment and technical support where major projects are taking place.

JR Scaffold Services leads access project at Glasgow Royal Infirmary

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JR Scaffold Services has completed a specialist scaffold and temporary roof project at the B-listed Walton Building at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

The Scottish contractor installed custom-designed double-gabled scaffolding on each side of the building before forming a temporary roof to support essential roof renovation works.

The project required a multi-stage plan due to the building’s location within a live hospital site. Roads around the work area had to remain open throughout to allow safe access for pedestrians, traffic, ambulances and deliveries.

The Walton Building is also within the Glasgow Central Conservation Area and sits above a historic tunnel system. As a result, the scaffold base had to be designed as a non-load bearing solution to keep weight off the areas above the tunnels.

Built from beams

The access design was produced by Gallery Access Solutions, with support from Coltart Earley Architecture.

The solution used the base as a foundation for the double-gabled scaffold, with the structure built off beams to deal with limited access around the building.

Once the scaffold was in place, the team installed a temporary roof that could be rolled over the Walton Building roof safely. Materials were moved up the structure using an electric palletiser, which helped raise materials part-way up the building.

JR Scaffold Services said Contracts Director John Jack led the project, supported by several experienced members of its scaffold team.

Lead contractor role

Evan Horne, Estimator for JR Scaffold Services, said the company had taken on a wider role than is usual for a scaffolding business.

“We were the lead contractor on this particular project, which is quite unusual for a scaffolding company,” he said.

“However, we took these new challenges in our stride, looking after aspects of the project such as construction phase plans, traffic management plans and providing assets including signage and welfare facilities for our trade contractors.

“We worked closely with the client and our partners, and, despite the unique and complex challenges of this particular project, we delivered the job on time and, most importantly safely.”

Training before site work

JR Scaffold Services also carried out project-specific training before the site works began.

The company recreated the designed scaffold solution at its own yard to help newer scaffolders understand the temporary roof arrangement before working on the live hospital site.

Some team members were also sent to other temporary roof projects, including work at St Fillan’s Church in Houston, to build further experience before the Glasgow project.

Owen Stoney, Temporary Roof Advisor for JR Scaffold Services, said: “Because of the size and complexity of this job, we thought it was important to provide familiarisation and awareness training for our whole team.

“We built the gabled scaffold in our new yard and replicated the structure they were going to be building on in Glasgow.

“This allowed our team to work with the materials before they went live on site, giving them an understanding and awareness of how the structure would come together.

“We worked closely with the architects and designers to ensure that everything was set up in a way that provided safe access for the work to take place, while also protecting those using the areas surrounding the site.”

UK construction will need 41,200 extra workers a year, CITB warns

The UK construction industry will need an average of 41,200 extra workers each year between 2026 and 2030 to meet expected demand, according to new figures from the Construction Industry Training Board.

CITB’s latest Construction Workforce Outlook predicts that construction activity will remain weak in 2026 before growth returns from 2027.

The annual report, published on 17 June, sets out expected construction demand over the next 5 years and the impact this could have on the industry’s workforce.

It forecasts UK construction output growth of -0.2% in 2026, before rising to 1.8% in 2027 and 2.8% in 2028. Growth is then expected to ease slightly, with forecasts of 2.3% in 2029 and 2.1% in 2030.

The strongest average annual growth over the period is expected in public new housing, at 3.6%. Infrastructure and private new housing are both forecast to grow by 2.5% a year on average.

Growth expected from 2027

The forecast supports recent market data from Glenigan, which also pointed to a recovery in construction starts from 2027 after a difficult start to 2026.

Scaffmag reported earlier this week that Glenigan expects UK construction starts to fall by 1% in 2026 before rising by 11% in 2027 and a further 4% in 2028.

Glenigan’s forecast also said activity could be 13% higher than 2025 levels by the end of its forecast period, with stronger pipelines expected in housing, public sector work, civils and utilities.

Taken together, the 2 reports point to the same pressure point for contractors: workloads are expected to recover, but the industry may not have enough skilled workers ready when demand returns.

Recovery brings fresh labour pressure

For scaffolding and access contractors, that creates a familiar problem. A stronger market from 2027 would bring more tender opportunities, but it would also increase pressure on labour, training and supervision.

CITB estimates the UK construction workforce stood at 2,606,380 in 2025. It is forecast to rise to 2,681,800 by 2030.

But the report says growth alone does not tell the full story. The industry also needs to replace workers leaving construction and deal with regional and occupational gaps.

Across the 5-year period, CITB says the sector will need about 206,000 additional workers. That is equal to 1.6% of the 2025 workforce each year.

The forecast comes after a difficult period for construction, with short-term uncertainty and cost pressures continuing to affect activity.

CITB said the industry faces a difficult balance: dealing with current business pressures while making sure it has enough skilled workers to meet future demand.

Training pipeline under strain

Tim Balcon, CITB chief executive, said the Outlook gives industry and government the evidence needed to plan for future skills demand.

“Our latest Construction Workforce Outlook highlights where construction skills demand is expected to grow, offering the evidence needed to guide workforce and skills planning in a period of significant opportunity and challenge,” he said.

“The construction industry is faced with balancing short-term business uncertainty while ensuring there are enough skilled workers to meet the expected demand for longer-term opportunities.

“Together, alongside government and industry stakeholders, we can ensure the construction industry is equipped to deliver for the UK’s future.”

The Outlook also links the workforce issue to wider delivery targets, including housing, infrastructure and retrofit work.

CITB said too few people are entering construction, too many experienced workers are leaving, and productivity gains have not been enough to close the gap.

The report follows recent government announcements on construction training, including a £600m investment package and wider support through youth employment and jobs schemes.

Mark Reynolds CBE, co-chair of the Construction Skills Mission Board, said the report gives employers a clearer view of the workforce needed across key trades and professions.

He said it showed “significant demand for new people to join our industry” and should give employers more confidence to recruit and train new entrants.

Mark Farmer, a member of the Construction Skills Mission Board and the Construction Leadership Council, said the industry still had to deal with weak trading conditions while preparing for future demand.

“The latest Construction Workforce Outlook published by CITB indicates that despite industry currently grappling with challenging economic conditions, longer-term needs to replenish and sustainably grow the workforce remain,” he said.

“Bridging the gap between current capacity to employ and train and the imperative to build a future ready workforce remains the central challenge.”

CITB has produced the Construction Workforce Outlook since 2006/07. The latest report includes UK-wide data, national and regional forecasts, an interactive tool and downloadable reports.

Tickets go on sale for 2026 Scaffolding Excellence Awards

Tickets and tables for the 2026 Scaffolding Excellence Awards are now on sale, with the gala evening due to take place on Friday 11 September in Manchester.

The awards will be held as part of ScaffEx26, which returns to Manchester Central on 10 and 11 September.

The annual dinner brings together scaffolding contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, training providers and other industry figures for one of the main social events in the sector’s calendar.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by comedian and broadcaster Dara Ó Briain, best known for Mock the Week, Blockbusters, Robot Wars and Stargazing Live.

The 2026 awards will use the same 9 categories as last year, covering projects, design, products, services, apprenticeships and long-term contribution to the scaffolding and access industry.

One change has been made for this year’s event. The Apprentice of the Year Award has been renamed the Wayne Connolly Apprentice of the Year Award, in memory of the former NASC president and CISRS chairman, who died in December 2025.

The move recognises Connolly’s long service to the sector, including his work around training and standards.

Judging will be chaired by Dr James MacFadden, senior responsible CSA engineer at Sellafield.

Dr MacFadden said the 2025 entries had shown a strong standard across project delivery, leadership and teamwork.

He said the awards were a way to recognise “hard work and professionalism that often goes unseen”.

He added that he was pleased to chair the judging panel again, with experts from across the industry involved in the process.

Tickets and tables are available now here, with organisers expecting demand to be high.

UK construction starts tipped to rise after difficult start to 2026

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UK construction activity is expected to recover from 2027 after a difficult start to the year, according to Glenigan’s Summer 2026 Construction Forecast.

The report predicts underlying project starts, covering schemes under £100m, will fall by 1% in 2026 before rising by 11% in 2027 and a further 4% in 2028.

That would leave activity 13% higher than 2025 levels by the end of the forecast period.

Glenigan said the short-term picture remains weak, with investors and developers reassessing planned schemes following a volatile six months for the UK and global economy.

But the construction intelligence firm expects improving economic conditions, stronger public spending and renewed private investment to support a wider recovery from next year.

Allan Wilen, economics director at Glenigan, said the sector had faced “a turbulent few months”, with projects being reviewed and rescheduled.

He said activity was expected to strengthen from 2027 as confidence returns across private and public sector markets.

“There are some particularly exciting growth areas as Government funding is released and investor appetite starts to return to the market,” he said.

“Contractors will need to be quick off the mark as more favourable conditions are finally felt.”

Public sector work expected to rise

Education and health are forecast to be among the stronger areas of growth.

Education project starts are expected to rise by 8% in 2026, followed by 20% growth in 2027 and a further 5% in 2028.

Glenigan said school construction will continue to dominate, supported by clearer funding for rebuilding and refurbishment work across ageing education estates.

Health work is also forecast to recover. Starts are expected to rise by 9% this year, another 9% in 2027 and 14% in 2028.

The forecast points to increased capital funding, deferred NHS schemes and work linked to estate repairs, diagnostic hubs and community care facilities.

Civils and utilities provide further support

Hinkley Point C – Credit: EDF Energy

Civil engineering activity is expected to remain flat in 2026 before rising by 15% in 2027.

Glenigan said water, energy and transport work should support the sector over the forecast period.

Water investment is expected to increase following Ofwat’s approval of £104bn of upgrades and repairs between 2025 and 2030.

Electricity networks, renewables, offshore wind and nuclear projects, including Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, are also expected to support demand.

Transport infrastructure is forecast to strengthen from next year, helped by funding for road maintenance, rail upgrades, HS2 and the TransPennine Route.

Offices and industrial work show mixed picture

Office starts are expected to rise by 21% in 2026, making the sector one of the stronger performers this year.

Glenigan said demand is being driven by high-quality, energy-efficient office space, flexible working requirements and data centre development linked to artificial intelligence.

However, office activity is forecast to fall by 11% in 2027 after recent growth, before returning to a 4% rise in 2028.

Industrial work is expected to fall by 9% this year, before rising by 16% in 2027 and 5% in 2028.

Demand for logistics space, business investment and planning policy changes are expected to support the recovery.

Housebuilding tipped for 2027 recovery

The UK government is asking industry for views on plans to merge CITB and ECITB into a single training body to address ongoing skills shortages.

Private and social housebuilding are both expected to finish 2026 in negative territory.

Private housing starts are forecast to fall by 5% this year, while social housing is expected to fall by 3%.

Glenigan expects private housing to rebound by 13% in 2027 and 5% in 2028, supported by lower borrowing costs, better consumer confidence and planning reform.

Social housing starts are forecast to rise by 8% in 2027 and 4% in 2028.

The report said higher Government funding, changes to the Social Housing Rent Cap and faster Building Safety Regulator approvals should help more schemes move forward.

Retail and leisure still under pressure

Retail construction is forecast to rise by 1% in 2026, followed by 10% growth in 2027 and a 4% fall in 2028.

Glenigan said supermarket work is expected to remain the largest part of retail activity.

Hotel and leisure starts are forecast to fall by 12% this year, before rising by 11% in 2027 and slipping by 1% in 2028.

The sector has been hit by cost pressure, weaker margins and uncertainty affecting travel and hospitality investment.

Glenigan said a recovering economy and lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure could help operators bring forward delayed schemes.

For scaffolding and access contractors, the forecast points to a market that may remain uneven through the rest of 2026, before stronger tender pipelines begin to appear in 2027.

Scaffolding takes centre stage at Arc Project’s 24-hour warehouse race

Midland Scaffolding Services has helped deliver an unusual event project after building a 270 sq m scaffold projection screen for Arc Project’s 24-hour treadmill race in north London.

The structure formed part of Arc Project 4, known as The Treadmill Factory, which saw 50 teams compete on manual treadmills inside a former World War Two tank factory.

The event, staged on Saturday 30 May, brought together running, music, lighting and projection inside the industrial venue.

For MSS, the brief was to create the main projection screen at the rear of the event space.

30 metres wide

The scaffold screen measured 30 metres wide and 9 metres high.

MSS said it believes the structure could be one of the largest projection screens built using scaffolding and monarflex, although that claim has not been independently verified.

The project was structurally calculated by Chris at Apex Scaffold Design and designed by MSS contracts director Ben Ekins.

A 6-strong MSS team erected the structure in a single day using Cuplock system scaffold, complete with a Cuplock staircase.

Superclad Monarflex was then cut to the frame, pulled tight and finished smooth to give the projection team a clean surface for video mapping.

The screen had to be ready quickly so the lighting and projection teams could begin setting up the visual content for the event.

Factory race

Arc Project 4 was a 24-hour indoor treadmill relay, with runners competing from 10 am on Saturday until 10 am on Sunday.

The format saw teams of 4 rotate across the event, with each team using a manual treadmill and aiming to cover the greatest distance over the 24-hour period.

The race environment changed throughout the event, with lighting, darkness, heat, sound and DJ sets used to create a demanding setting for the runners.

The scaffold screen became a major part of that environment, carrying projected imagery throughout the race and turning the factory wall into a visual backdrop for the event.

Ben Ekins also took part in the race the morning after overseeing the scaffold design, joining the runners on one of the treadmills.

Different use for scaffolding

MSS said the project showed how scaffolding skills can be used beyond conventional construction work.

The company said event structures, creative installations and temporary production spaces all need the same planning, speed and attention to detail seen on building sites.

In a statement, MSS said: “When James, Sonni and Hamish needed someone to help make their vision structurally possible, we wanted to deliver.

“Scaffolding is structure, possibility and problem solving. It can be the backbone behind experiences people talk about long after the event has finished.”

The company added that the AP4 project was “something different” for the team and showed how temporary scaffold structures can support large-scale creative events as well as construction projects.

Layher UK brings open morning series to Livingston

Layher UK is bringing its regional open morning series to Scotland later this month, with an event planned at its Livingston depot.

The free event will take place on Wednesday 24 June 2026 from 10am to 1pm at Layher Ltd, 3 Letham Road, Houstoun Industrial Estate, Livingston.

The company said the morning is open to existing customers, potential customers and wider industry professionals, including scaffolding contractors, main contractors, housebuilders, temporary works engineers and health and safety teams.

Visitors will be able to view a range of demo structures in the depot’s updated demonstration area and speak with Layher staff about product supply, technical support and project planning.

XR demonstration

The event will begin with coffee and bacon rolls from 10am, followed by a SIM2Field XR demonstration at 10.30am.

The app uses augmented reality to bring scaffold drawings into the site environment, giving teams a clearer view of complex designs before work begins on site.

Layher said the demonstration will show how digital tools can support scaffold planning and communication between design teams, site teams and clients.

From 11am to 1pm, visitors will be able to walk through the demo area and see Layher’s core product range.

The company said staff will be available throughout the morning to discuss how its products and support services can be used across different project types.

Free to attend

Layher Livingston will also run a time-limited promotional offer for attendees, with details due to be announced on the day.

Attendance is free, with refreshments included, but spaces are limited.

Those wishing to attend are being asked to register in advance through Layher’s online sign-up form.

Scaffolder ‘lucky to be alive’ after CCTV captures skylight fall

CCTV footage showing the moment a scaffolder fell through a warehouse roof skylight has been released by the Health and Safety Executive.

The video captures James Cranswick, 26, stepping onto a skylight while working on the roof of a warehouse in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

Seconds later, he falls more than 6 metres through the roof, landing on a pallet truck before hitting the concrete floor below.

Mr Cranswick suffered head lacerations, a broken arm and a broken leg.

HSE described the footage as “harrowing” and said Mr Cranswick was “lucky to be alive”.

Fall happened during edge protection work

Mr Cranswick was working for Clover Access Systems Limited at the time of the incident.

He was part of a team installing temporary scaffolding edge protection at the warehouse unit when the fall happened.

An HSE investigation found that Clover Access Systems Limited and STM360 Limited had failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the work being carried out by scaffolders on the roof.

The regulator said there were no measures in place to prevent workers falling from the edge of the unit or through fragile parts of the roof.

The skylights were described as almost invisible to Mr Cranswick, who was unaware of the fragile elements on the roof.

HSE warns over fragile roof work

HSE said the risks linked to fragile surfaces are well known across construction.

Its roof work guidance sets out a clear hierarchy for those in control of work at height. The first step is to avoid the need to access fragile roofs wherever possible.

Where access cannot be avoided, suitable protection must be used to prevent falls through fragile materials.

Two companies fined

Clover Access Systems Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

The company was fined £26,000 and ordered to pay £2,866 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 4 June 2026. HSE said the company is now in liquidation.

STM360 Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the same regulations. It was fined £53,300 and ordered to pay £3,167 in costs.

HSE inspector Shauna Halstead said: “Mr Cranswick is lucky to be alive after this incident.

“His fall was wholly avoidable; the risks associated with work on, or around fragile surfaces are well-known, and HSE guidance is available to assist companies in complying with the law.

“Everyone working in construction should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where roof work is not properly managed, as workers should not be needlessly put in harm’s way.”

NASC safety report shows zero member fatalities as workforce passes 20,000

NASC contractor members recorded zero operative fatalities in 2025, according to the organisation’s latest Safety Report.

The 2026 NASC Safety Report, published today to coincide with NASC Safety Day, is based on RIDDOR accident data submitted by all NASC contractor members.

The report shows 82 reportable accidents across a combined workforce of 20,168 operatives employed by 332 contractor members.

NASC said this equated to one RIDDOR accident for every 470,000 operative hours worked.

Accident rates remain below 10-year average

The trade body’s Accident Incident Rate stood at 4.07, while its Accident Frequency Rate was 0.21. Both figures remain below the 10-year averages of 5.2 and 0.26 respectively.

The figures come as NASC membership continues to grow. Contractor membership rose to 332 in 2025, while the number of operatives working for NASC contractor members passed 20,000 for the first time.

The report also sets the figures against wider construction safety data. It cites Health and Safety Executive figures showing 35 fatal injuries in construction in 2024/25, the highest number of any industry sector.

Falls from height remained a major concern across construction. According to data referenced in the report from the No Falls Foundation and HSE, falls from height accounted for 35 lives lost in Great Britain in 2025, representing 28% of all workplace fatalities.

Slips and trips now lead accident causes

Within NASC contractor member data, the most common causes of injury were slips and trips on the same level, manual handling, and falls from height.

Slips and trips were the leading cause, with 25 reported incidents in 2025, up from 21 in 2024. Manual handling injuries fell slightly, from 22 to 20. Falls from height involving persons reduced from 19 to 17.

The report said 88.5% of reportable accidents occurred on site, with 11.5% taking place in yards.

Of the 82 RIDDOR accidents involving operatives, 28 were specified injuries and 54 were over-seven-day injuries. Fractures were the most common injury type, occurring in 46% of all RIDDOR accidents.

The report also found that 14 of the 17 falls from height were from under 4m, while 3 were from 4m or above. The highest reported fall was 22m. One further fall from a scaffold was arrested by a safety harness.

Mark Collinson, Head of Technical at NASC, said recording zero operative fatalities among contractor members was an “encouraging outcome”, particularly as the contractor member workforce had grown to record levels.

“These results reflect NASC members’ commitment to recognised best-practice guidance, investment in competence and high standards on site,” he said.

“But safety is never something we can take for granted. Every RIDDOR affects a person, a family and a workforce. The report gives us useful insight, but what matters most is how we act on it: identifying trends, improving guidance, sharing learning and supporting members to keep improving.”

NASC Group CEO Clive Dickin said the report reflected decades of work by members, committees, clients, training partners and the wider industry.

“There is no room for complacency,” he said. “Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in our country, and the sector must keep raising standards.”

Smaller firms record higher accident ratio

The report said smaller and medium-sized contractors continued to account for a higher proportion of RIDDOR reports relative to workforce size.

It said companies with between 1 and 200 operatives contributed around 50% more RIDDOR accident reports than would be expected based on their share of the workforce. Larger companies, particularly those with more than 200 operatives, reported proportionally fewer incidents.

The report suggested this may reflect differences in management structure, with larger companies more likely to have dedicated safety teams, greater resources and higher levels of supervision.

Alan Harris, chair of NASC’s Health and Safety Committee, said training support remained a priority, particularly as smaller companies continued to join the organisation.

He said NASC would maintain focus on manual handling, slips and trips, and falls from height, while placing renewed attention on falling materials during 2026.

The Safety Report has been published alongside NASC Safety Day, which brings together member companies, safety professionals and industry experts for talks, demonstrations and discussion.

NASC said feedback from the event will help inform the next phase of its safety guidance.