In the year to 31st March 2014 there were 881 official inspections of construction sites in Scotland. In the previous year there were 1,248 and in the year before that (2011/12) there were 1,250.
The data is contained in the response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the construction union Ucatt to the Health & Safety Executive.
Ucatt regional secretary Harry Frew said: “Construction inspections save lives. Without the expectation of inspections, construction employers are even more likely to ignore safety laws which put lives at risk and will lead to more injuries on construction sites.”
Mr Frew added: “The HSE’s budget has been under attack and has been cut by a third since 2010, but that still does not explain why there has been such a sharp drop in inspections in Scotland. Construction workers need to have answers.”
Although the number of inspections fell by 30% in Scotland the overall figure across Scotland, England and Wales increased. There were a total of 11,303 inspections in 2013/14 compared with 10,577 in 2012/13.
Inspections in the northwest region fell by 13%. There was also a small drop in inspections in Wales for the second consecutive year.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
