An investigation by construction union UCATT has shown that five out of the seven construction fatalities in London last year were migrant workers.
These figures mean that migrants made up 71% of construction deaths in the capital during 2014/15, the most recent reporting year.
The high percentage of migrant fatalities was revealed when UCATT researched the names of the deceased workers, as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not record the nationality of workers who suffer a fatal accident.
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UCATT has called on the HSE to review its reporting methods so that the the industry is made more aware of the additional risk faced by migrant workers.
A spokesperson for UCATT told Construction Manager: “If migrant workers are new to the construction industry or are used to different ways of working then they are at greater risk of injury. This is heightened if there are language issues that are not fully addressed.
“We believe that the nationality of people who suffer fatalities is important. If this is not registered then a potentially essential piece of information into who is most at risk of injury and death on site is being missed.”
UCATT also wants to see the industry examine safety requirements, following the evidence it has correlated on migrant worker deaths.
Jerry Swain, regional secretary for London and the south east, said: “Each of these deaths was an individual tragedy. It is essential that issues such as different safety standards and methods of working in countries, language issues and whether the deceased were new to the construction industry are properly considered in order to prevent future fatalities.
“This is simply not going to happen if the HSE continues to fail to address and record the nationality of workers who suffer a fatal accident.”
One area where UCATT has called for reform is in the CSCS health and safety test. Rather than a simple tick box exercise, UCATT believes that worker should not start on a site until they have completed a minimum of a one-day safety course.
Swain added: “Anyone can be taught to pass a tick box exam. That does not mean that they will not endanger themselves or their colleagues when they are working in construction. A proper safety course with a thorough assessment of a worker’s understanding of safety must be the minimum requirement before they go on site.
