A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed significant improvements in fire safety compliance across construction sites in Great Britain, with fewer enforcement notices issued during the past year.
The findings form part of a report published by fire safety training specialist CE Safety, which analysed HSE data covering fire safety hazards identified on construction sites, enforcement notices, fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by fires or explosions, and regional fire safety performance.
Non-compliance falls by 37%
According to the FOI data, fire safety non-compliance failures identified during HSE inspections fell by 37% between 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Enforcement notices also declined by 46%, falling from 92 notices in 2023/24 to 50 in 2024/25.
During 2023/24, HSE inspectors recorded 82 incidents of non-compliance alongside 454 general fire precaution failures, resulting in a total of 536 fire safety failures.
In 2024/25, this reduced to 48 non-compliance incidents and 313 general fire precaution failures, giving a total of 361 failures.
The South East recorded the highest number of non-compliance findings (61), followed by London (57) and Yorkshire (41).
Injuries remain largely unchanged
Despite what CE Safety described as “positive changes in standards” across construction sites, the report found that injuries resulting from exposure to fire remained largely unchanged.
There were 15 fire-related injuries reported during 2023/24, compared with 14 during 2024/25.
Fire safety remains a legal requirement
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, those responsible for construction sites must implement suitable fire risk mitigation measures.
These include maintaining up-to-date fire risk assessments, minimising the use of flammable materials, providing automatic fire detection and alarm systems, supplying appropriate firefighting equipment, and ensuring clear emergency escape routes are available.
Businesses that fail to provide adequate fire safety measures on construction sites risk enforcement action, fines and prosecution.
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.”
