Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors visited 219 sites in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside over four weeks from 14 February. Formal enforcement notices had to be issued to 41 of them.
With some sites getting more than one notice, inspectors issued a total of 56 prohibition notices and 59 improvement notices. Nearly half related to unsafe work being carried out at height.
HSE principal inspector for construction Wayne Crumpton said: "This is the fifth year of the inspection initiative and it is disappointing to find construction sites taking the same unnecessary risks with their workers' lives.
"Although there were examples of good practice, which the industry can learn from, the fact that we found unsafe conditions on half of the sites we visited in the three counties is simply unacceptable.
"Companies have a responsibility to protect their workers, to help rid construction of its reputation as being one of Britain's most dangerous industries."
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