SAFETY ALERT: HSE Inspection Surge & New 'Falls are Preventable' Campaign – Are You Ready?
By Alistair Thorne-Pritchard
Content Strategist & Engineering SME
If you are a site engineer or supervisor operating in the UK today, the margin for error regarding Work at Height Regulations has just vanished.
While safety is always paramount, the regulatory temperature has spiked significantly this week. The launch of a new, aggressive all-island enforcement campaign, combined with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) confirmation that it will maintain its target of 14,000 proactive inspections for the 2025-26 business plan, signals a clear message: regulators are moving from advisory warnings to immediate enforcement.
The risk is no longer just about potential accidents—it is about the immediate operational threat of site closures, prosecution, and the crippling costs of Fee for Intervention (FFI) charges if your temporary works and edge protection are found wanting.
The News: 'Falls are Preventable' Campaign Launches
On 16 February 2026, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), in partnership with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), and Spinal Injuries Ireland, initiated a two-week intensive inspection campaign titled "Falls are Preventable".
This all-island initiative is not a routine check-up; it is a direct response to tragic and unacceptable statistics. According to new figures released by the regulators, 68 lives have been lost due to falls from height across the island since 2016. Of those fatalities, 16 occurred in Northern Ireland.
Beyond the fatalities, the data on non-fatal incidents is equally alarming. In the last decade alone, Northern Ireland has recorded 524 falls resulting in significant injuries—an average of one serious incident every single week. These injuries often result in life-changing consequences, making it incredibly challenging for operatives to return to full work duties.
Julian Richmond, HSENI Principal Inspector, stated unequivocally regarding the campaign's intent: “These are not unavoidable tragedies – they are preventable. They should never happen... Unsafe work at height will not be tolerated.”
Inspectors are currently targeting sites of all sizes to enforce compliance on specific high-risk areas:
- Adequate risk assessments and safety planning: Ensuring these are not just written but communicated effectively on site.
- Worker competence: Verifying correct CSCS/CSR certification for all operatives.
- Equipment safety: Safe erection, use, and inspection of scaffolding and ladders.
- Fall prevention systems: The rigorous use of guardrails, harnesses, and safety netting.
- Emergency preparedness: Ensuring robust emergency response and rescue plans are in place.
The Analysis: What This Means for UK Engineering Workflows
While the specific "Falls are Preventable" campaign is led by HSENI and HSA, it operates within the wider context of the UK’s rigorous safety enforcement landscape. For engineers across Great Britain, this serves as a critical bellwether. The HSE (GB) has committed to maintaining its high volume of regulatory activity, with 14,000 proactive inspections confirmed for the 2025-26 cycle. Construction remains a primary focus sector due to its high hazard profile.
The Financial and Operational Risk
The immediate threat to your workflow is the Fee for Intervention (FFI). Following the rate increase in April 2025, the FFI hourly rate now stands at £183.
This cost recovery scheme applies the moment an inspector identifies a "material breach" of health and safety law. If an inspector finds a missing toe board, an unsigned scaffold tag, or an unbriefed operative, you are billed for every hour they spend identifying the breach, writing reports, and issuing notices.
A simple documentation failure can easily escalate into a bill totaling thousands of pounds. For example, a routine inspection that uncovers a systemic failure in edge protection could lead to days of investigative work, all billable at £183/hr, independent of any potential fines from prosecution. This makes non-compliance a direct hit to your project's bottom line.
The Shift to "Active" Management
Joan Flynn, Senior Construction Inspector at the HSA, highlighted a critical nuance in this campaign: “Most fatal falls happen during routine tasks where basic controls are missing.”
For site engineers, this means that having a generic Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) filed in the site office is no longer a sufficient defense. Inspectors are auditing for active engagement. They will bypass the site manager and ask the operative on the scaffold: "Do you understand the rescue plan?" or "When was this harness last inspected?"
If the answer is "No" or "I don't know," your management system is deemed to have failed. Flynn emphasizes that changing behavior on site is just as important as having the correct equipment; workers must feel empowered to speak up when something isn't safe.
Action Plan: Immediate Compliance Checks
To insulate your site from FFI charges and ensure worker safety, execute the following audit immediately:
Audit Temporary Works & Edge Protection
- Guardrails: Verify all guardrails are at the correct height (minimum 950mm) with no gaps larger than 470mm.
- Toe Boards: Ensure toe boards are present on all working platforms to prevent falling objects.
- Scafftags: Check that all scaffolding has a current "Scafftag" signed within the last 7 days. If it's not signed, it's not safe to use.
Validate Competency Cards
- Physical Checks: Do not assume compliance based on a spreadsheet. Physically check CSCS/CSR cards for all operatives working at height.
- Specialist Training: Ensure specific training is evidenced for specialized equipment (e.g., IPAF for MEWPs or PASMA for mobile towers).
Review the "Rescue Plan"
- Beyond 999: The Work at Height Regulations require a specific rescue plan—relying on "call 999" is non-compliant.
- Drill It: Drill the rescue plan with your team tomorrow morning. Ensure rescue equipment (e.g., rescue harnesses, inertia reels) is available on site and has been inspected.
Fragile Surface Review
- Identification: Identify all fragile surfaces (skylights, non-reinforced fiber cement sheets).
- Protection: Ensure they are either covered, guarded, or clearly demarcated with exclusion zones. This is a frequent cause of fatalities during roof work.
The Solution: Continuous Professional Development
Compliance is not a box-ticking exercise; it is a dynamic engineering challenge. To navigate the complexities of the 2026 inspection cycle and avoid the £183/hr FFI sting, site engineers must prioritize ongoing education.
Recommended Action: We strongly recommend that all site management teams review their internal training matrices. Ensure your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) includes specific modules on Advanced Temporary Works Design and Regulatory Inspection Readiness.
Many industry bodies, including the ICE and various safety associations, offer webinars and workshops focused on demonstrating "robust worker engagement" to inspectors. Engaging with these resources is the best way to keep your standards high and your sites open.
Stay safe, stay compliant, and keep your standards high.