HSE fire safety enforcements drop but injuries remain the same, data shows
Summary
Latest HSE data shows a significant year-on-year fall in recorded fire safety breaches and enforcement notices on construction sites, but fire-related injuries have remained broadly unchanged. The article also notes two public fatalities in explosions in 2024/25 and highlights ongoing concerns about inspection capacity and enforcement levels.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors involved in site inspections, defect reporting, or project monitoring should note that fire risk remains a live issue even where enforcement activity has fallen. The findings reinforce the importance of checking fire precautions and compliance on construction sites, particularly where residential schemes are being built or refurbished.
Key points
- HSE-recorded fire safety breaches fell by 37% year-on-year.
- Enforcement notices dropped by 46%, from 92 to 50.
- Fire-related non-fatal injuries stayed broadly flat at 15 and 14.
- Two members of the public were killed in construction-site explosions in 2024/25.
- Concerns remain about reduced inspections and declining HSE inspector numbers.
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