Construction is one of the highest-risk sectors in the UK. Workers on building sites, civil engineering projects, demolition sites, and infrastructure projects face work at height, heavy plant, moving vehicles, excavations and electrical hazards together, on sites that change every day. The law governing construction sites is correspondingly specific.
Common Causes
- Falls from height — the largest cause of construction deaths and serious injuries, from scaffolding, ladders, roof edges and fragile surfaces (see fall from height claims)
- Falling objects — where exclusion zones, netting and toe boards were missing
- Plant and vehicle accidents — excavators, dumpers, forklifts and cranes striking workers on foot, often through poor site traffic management
- Scaffold collapse — from improper erection, overloading or no inspection
- Trench and excavation collapse — where support or shoring wasn’t in place
- Electrical contact — overhead lines, buried cables and temporary site wiring
- Manual handling — blocks, cement bags, timber and awkward postures
- Harmful substances — including asbestos and silica dust
Who May Be Liable?
On a construction site several parties usually share responsibility, and your solicitor will look at who actually controlled the conditions that caused your accident — which isn’t always who pays your wages:
- Your direct employer — safe system of work, training, PPE and maintained tools under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and PUWER 1998
- The principal contractor — under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM), responsible for coordinating safety across the whole site and the construction phase plan, even if you worked for a subcontractor
- Other contractors — who created or ignored the hazard
- The client — who must appoint suitable contractors and allow enough time and resources
- The site occupier — under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957
- Plant and equipment suppliers — for equipment supplied in an unsafe condition
Construction sites concentrate several of the most dangerous activities in one place, so the claim that follows often crosses more than one category. Where powered plant or work equipment caused the injury, machinery accident claims deal with the PUWER 1998 duties that apply to it. Where blocks, cement or timber were lifted or moved by hand, manual handling injury claims turn on whether the lift was assessed at all. Where the accident was a fall, fall from height claims explain the Work at Height Regulations 2005 duty — falls remain the single largest cause of workplace deaths in Great Britain.
A claim can be brought against more than one party. If your employer says a bigger contractor controlled the site, that usually just means the claim is aimed at the principal contractor. Agency workers, subcontractors, labour-only and genuinely self-employed tradespeople are generally owed a duty of care by whoever controls the site. If your employer has gone out of business, its employers’ liability insurer usually remains liable and can be traced through the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office.
What to Do After a Construction Site Accident
- Report it to your supervisor and the site manager the same day and make sure it is in the accident book; ask for a copy
- Photograph the location, the hazard and your injuries; ask the principal contractor in writing to keep CCTV and any defective equipment
- Take the names and employers of witnesses — on multi-trade sites they move on quickly
- See A&E or your GP and say the injury happened on a construction site, and how
Types of Injuries
- Fractures and crush injuries
- Head and brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Amputations
- Burns and electrical injuries
- Respiratory disease
- Fatal injuries
Construction workers usually earn skilled trade rates, so a serious injury that stops you returning to physical work can produce very large future earnings losses — often the largest part of the claim, alongside rehabilitation, care, and home or vehicle adaptations.
Evidence That Helps
- Photographs of site conditions, equipment or the hazard, taken as soon as possible
- Which company controlled the area or task where the accident happened
- The construction phase plan, risk assessments and method statements
- Scaffold and plant inspection records
- Witness details and any RIDDOR report
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is actually responsible for my accident on a construction site?
It depends on who controlled the conditions that caused it — your direct employer, the principal contractor responsible for coordinating site safety under CDM 2015, or another contractor. More than one party can be liable at once.
I'm an agency worker, subcontractor or self-employed — can I still claim?
In most cases, yes. Agency workers, subcontractors, and genuinely self-employed workers on a construction site are generally still owed a duty of care by whoever controls the site conditions and the work they're carrying out.
What if my employer says a bigger contractor controlled the site, not them?
This doesn't end your claim — it usually just means the responsibility sits with the principal contractor or another party rather than your direct employer, and your solicitor will identify the correct target.
Can I claim if my employer has gone into liquidation?
Usually, yes. Employers must hold employers' liability insurance, and the insurer normally remains liable after the business closes. Your solicitor can trace the insurer through the Employers' Liability Tracing Office.
Does the inherent risk of construction work limit what I can claim for?
No. The regulations governing construction sites exist precisely because the work is high-risk. An accident is not an accepted cost of the job if it resulted from someone failing to meet their legal duties.
Primary legal and safety sources
This guide is checked against official sources. The applicable law and limitation rules depend on where in the UK the accident happened.