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Concerns remain despite site deaths fall

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Construction union UCATT has said it is 'extremely concerned' that the 20 per cent reduction in construction deaths last year could be reversed as the industry emerges from its current lull. The provisional Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures revealed that in 2012/13 there were 39 fatalities involving construction workers, compared to 48 construction fatalities in 2011/12. But Steve Murphy, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'Workers are still being killed when the construction output is at its lowest level for a generation. It is essential that everyone involved in construction, the employers, the government, unions and the HSE work together to ensure that deaths are further reduced and that the industry becomes safe for all workers.' UCATT said it is 'extremely concerned' that as the industry begins to recover from recession and new workers and companies enter the industry, deaths will increase. It adds that its concerns are heightened by the government's 'deregulation and anti-red tape agenda.' General secretary Steve Murphy said: 'The government's policies are making workplaces more dangerous. Safety laws are being cut and inspections are being reduced. Employers who ignore safety laws, know they are unlikely to be caught. This will increase workplace dangers, especially as the industry becomes busier.' The improved all-industry statistics, which saw deaths fall from 172 to 148 (Risks 612), masked some more worrying trends. The waste and recycling industry recorded 10 fatal injuries - double the previous year's total and significantly above the five-year average of six deaths.

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