Construction Fire Safety Compliance Improves, But Injuries Remain Stable: New FOI Data Uncovers State of Fire Safety on UK Construction Sites.

Fire safety failures on construction sites dropped by 37% year on year
Despite the compliance improvements, injuries barely moved, from 15 non-fatal injuries in 2023/24 vs 14 in 2024/25.
The South East had the most failures overall (61), followed by London (57) and Yorkshire (41).

And are standards improving or are there failings that put buildings at risk and people in danger?

CE Safety has researched latest industry data in an effort to uncover the state of fire safety practices in the construction industry in England, Scotland and Wales, and whether managers are adhering to strict guidelines.

Here we publish our unique findings from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), gathered via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

What our study tells us:

When checked, how many construction sites in Great Britain had fire-related hazards identified?
How many enforcement notices were issued after fire safety failures on construction sites?
How many injuries caused by fire or explosions were reported?
Which regions of Great Britain were ranked best and worst for fire safety on active construction sites?

The HSE enforces the CDM (Construction, Design and Management) Regulations 2015, which apply to construction projects large or small, from single home renovations to large-scale commercial developments. A project becomes notifiable to the HSE if construction work is scheduled to:

Last longer than 30 working days AND have more than 20 workers on site simultaneously at any point, OR
Exceed 500 person-days of construction labor (e.g., 50 people working for 10 days, or 5 people working for 100 days).

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the government body’s job is to ensure the general safety of all construction taking place, as risks tend to be high, including the threat of fire, with duties that can involve hot work, live wires or the presence of flammables and combustibles.

Construction site bosses are obliged to mitigate fire risks for the duration of a project, as well as secure a detailed plan of action should fire break out. Failing to put adequate procedures in place can have devastating consequences, as well as result in notices issued or legal action to those responsible.

Illustrating the importance of implementing strict fire safety procedures on construction sites and the extent to which fires can happen, in 2023, two workers in Reading had to be rescued from a building development by a crane after a fire broke out:

What does fire safety look like across the construction industry?

Records show that, overall, fire safety efforts improved significantly year-on-year between 2023/24 and 2024/25, with varying levels of compliance across regions.

When the HSE carried out inspections in the financial year 23/24, there were 82 recorded incidences of non-compliance under the umbrella of ‘fire and explosion risk’, and 454 relating to ‘general fire precautions’ – totalling 536 failures.

However, only 92 notices were issued out of that number (63 improvement notices, 29 immediate prohibition notices.)

The following year’s records (24/25) shows there were 48 recorded incidences of non-compliance under the umbrella of ‘fire and explosion risk’, and 313 relating to ‘general fire precautions’ – totalling 361 failures.

This is a 37% improvement from the year before, with 50 notices issued by HSE (38 improvement notices and 12 immediate prohibition notices.)

Despite the increase in fire safety standards, the number of personnel injuries only improved very slightly, reducing by only 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.

The HSE’s figures showed that two people were killed in explosions on construction sites in 2024/25. We know they were not workers, but no further details were given.

The chart below details the data in relation to workplace fire-related injuries:

Regions with the best and worst fire safety on construction sites

The HSE breaks down breaches into two categories: ‘fire and explosion risk’ and ‘general fire precaution’.

Taking into account both groups for last year (24/25), the areas with the most reports of non-compliance is as follows:

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

Under the ‘fire and explosion risk’ term only, South East is the place that fared worst in the HSE records for fire safety compliance, ranking in second place in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, with 14 and 9 breaches respectively.

In top place for 2024/25 for the same bracket of ‘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 checks for ‘general fire precautions’ only during inspection, the top 5 non-compliance spots went to South East again (52), London (51), Yorkshire (37), East (34) and North East (34).

The importance of complying with fire safety protocols on construction sites

Breaching fire safety regulations in the construction industry can lead to disruptive project delays and huge legal costs.

Just as we outline in this workplace fire safety article, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all businesses who fail to provide adequate measures can face fines or prosecutions too.

A recent high-profile example of this is when a construction firm was fined £165,000 for repeatedly failing fire safety checks during a warehouse renovation project. There were several failures identified by both the HSE and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, including no fire detection systems in place, an inadequate safety plan and no means of raising the alarm in the event of a fire.

Why fire safety failures happen

Fire safety training specialist at CE Safety, Gary Ellis, said: “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.

“Construction sites by their very nature are more dangerous than other places where people live and work, and it is estimated there are more than 300 fires on sites every year.

“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 explosion.

“It is not actually that difficult to comply with fire safety regulations. It’s about understanding the extent of your responsibilities, getting the right training and proactively putting things in place.

“If you work in construction you won’t have to look far for examples of how things can go wrong when efforts weren’t put in. Don’t let that be on your conscience or the reason your project fails.

“If your site doesn’t have an up to date, site specific, fire risk assessment, right know, your potentially one spark away from disaster.”

Quick snapshot of basic fire safety protocols in construction

If you’re in the industry and in charge of fire safety, here’s a basic breakdown of the areas you should look at, under the CDM (Construction, Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

Risk assessments – These are vital to identifying issues on a site, giving you chance to thoroughly investigate the potential hazards. Make sure this is very specific to your site and consider all phases of the project and ensure to keep it updated. This is key in adhering to protocols and the HSE will always look at this during inspections.
Control ignition sources – Depending on the kind of work going on, be especially mindful of reducing fire risk around hot work, electrics and heating equipment.
Minimise flammable materials – Pay attention to anything in this category on site, making sure to store it properly in designated areas, try to keep the time it is around to a minimum and make careful preparations when it is.
Provide automatic fire detection and suppression systems – With the help of your risk assessment, have a clear understanding and plan about what fire detection is appropriate on site, such as fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Make sure everything is tested regularly, accessible, clearly labelled and provide any necessary training.
Provide firefighting equipment – Adequate and appropriate equipment, such as extinguishers and/or hoses, should be available where needed, as laid out in your risk assessment. These should be serviced and maintained regularly, and staff should be competent and confident in using them, ideally having received practical training on how to do so.
Have clear escape routes in place – Either identify them or create them, then communicate evacuation plans with everyone on site.
Develop a construction phase plan (CPP) – This is a mandatory document that’s tailored to your project and includes all safety arrangements and risk management.
Training – All staff and visitors in attendance should be provided with basic fire awareness training when first arriving on site, usually carried out as part of an induction programme.

It is also important to follow the guidance set out in HSG 168: Fire Safety in Construction, published by the HSE, as well as the Joint Code of Practice on the Protection from Fire of Construction Sites and Buildings Undergoing Renovation, published by the Fire Protection Association (FPA) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The Joint Code of Practice is widely recognised by insurers and is designed to meet insurers’ fire risk management requirements. Failure to follow its recommendations could affect insurance cover and, in some circumstances, may invalidate a policy.

New data reveals reality behind fire safety on construction sites