One in five contractors say written safety policies differ from what happens on site

New report finds 90% rate construction health and safety standards as good or excellent, but only 45% are typically required to provide evidence of competence, qualifications or training before starting work

10 November 2026: One in five contractors (22%) say written safety policies often or very often differ from what actually happens on site, even though nine in ten contractors (90%) rate overall health and safety standards in construction as excellent or good.

The findings come from Veriforce CHAS’ Closing the construction compliance gap report which surveyed 500 contractors working in construction aged 18 to 70. The most commonly cited barriers to meeting safety requirements on site were a lack of on-site enforcement (26%), a lack of training and competence (25%) and poor on-site communication (24%).

Near-miss reporting presents a mixed picture

While 39% say near misses are reported more often than five years ago, almost a third (31%) say they are reported less often.

Ari Fatah, Technical Standards Manager at CHAS, said: “Where near misses go unreported, organisations can appear to have a positive safety record when the reality of onsite safety could be very different. On busy construction sites with moving vehicles, heavy equipment and multiple professions, reporting a near-miss can feel like reporting a non-incident. But failing to report them can allow unsafe practices to continue – effectively putting everyone onsite at risk.

"By encouraging a proactive safety culture, where there’s clear communication around health and safety and on-site enforcement, workers can feel confident raising near-miss and safety concerns. This means we’re able to identify areas for improvement and put controls in place before they lead to injuries or serious accidents.”

Competence evidence still lagging

Only 45% of contractors are typically required to provide evidence of competence, qualifications or training before starting work compared with 57% who must provide health and safety policies and procedures.

However, the research suggests expectations around competence are changing. 84% of contractors say the Building Safety Act 2022 and subsequent changes to Building Regulations have changed how their organisation demonstrates competence, with greater emphasis on providing evidence of skills, experience, qualifications or training- a positive development.

Fatah added, “Anyone carrying out or managing building work must have the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours for their role, while those appointing them must take reasonable steps to ensure they are competent. Failing to properly demonstrate and verify competence can create significant regulatory, operational and reputational risk.

“Independent verification and industry recognised certifications, such as Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and Common Assessment Standard (CAS), give a consistent baseline for assessing contractor competence and help drive higher standard across the industry.”

For more information on CHAS and to download the Closing the construction compliance gap report, visit: www.chas.co.uk/closing-the-construction-compliance-gap/