Government responds to Donaghy report into construction deaths

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said:

“I would like to thank Rita Donaghy and her team for their excellent work and their wide ranging recommendations. I hope that the action set out in the response further improves the safety record in the construction sector and provides comfort to the families of those who have been killed by construction-related accidents.

“This response is not an end in itself though, and we must continue to work together – government, business, unions and workers – if we are to ensure that jobs in construction are as safe as any other.”

Rita Donaghy’s report contained 28 far-reaching recommendations for improving safety in the construction industry, covering safety representatives, building control, the legal system, training and competence, and public procurement.

The Government fully accepts 23 recommendations made by Rita Donaghy including support of Common Minimum Standards throughout publicly funded construction projects; mutual recognition between pre-qualification schemes; and support for greater worker participation. It will look further at the recommendations to introduce more legal duties on company directors and to extend licensing regulations to the construction industry.

The Department for Work and Pensions commissioned Rita Donaghy’s inquiry to see what more could be done to reduce deaths and increase safety in the construction industry.