Preventing child injury on construction sites

Children can be drawn to construction sites out of curiosity. Partially completed structures, machinery, climbing opportunities and hidden spaces can be alluring, often driven by natural curiosity, imagination and a sense of adventure - particularly during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

Tragically, recent incidents have demonstrated the devastating consequences when children gain access to construction and development sites.

We've produced a new Loss Prevention Standard (LPS), Preventing Child Injury on Construction Sites: Addressing Curiosity, Access and Harm Prevention, which provides practical guidance to help identify, assess and control these risks.

Why effective risk management matters

While health and safety measures are designed with workers and authorised visitors in mind, construction companies must also consider the risk posed to members of the public, particularly children who may be attracted to access sites.

The LPS highlights the importance of understanding why children are attracted to sites, duty holders' responsibility for site safety, assessing foreseeable risks and implementing effective controls that prevent access and reduce the potential for serious injury.

“By understanding child behaviour, anticipating unauthorised access, and adopting a layered approach to security, we can significantly reduce the risk of children accessing construction sites and being exposed to harm.”  Gill Milner, Head of Risk Management – Casualty Classes

The consequences of inadequate protection

In 2020, a 10-year-old boy and some friends entered a construction site in Drumchapel, Glasgow. He fell around six metres into a manhole and passed away from head injuries and drowning.

Subsequent investigations identified repeated problems with damaged perimeter fencing and previous incidents involving children accessing the site. It was later concluded that improved site security, risk assessment and communication between contractors could have potentially prevented the tragedy.

When preventable tragedies lead to liability

The courts have also demonstrated that organisations may face liability where foreseeable dangers aren't adequately addressed. In 2005, a 12-year-old boy climbed onto a school roof and fell through a brittle skylight, suffering serious injuries. The court found the council liable due to the dangerous condition of the premises created, particularly as the risks had previously been identified and preventative measures could've been implemented.

Key areas addressed by the new standard

Our new Loss Prevention Standard encourages a proactive approach, including:

• Understanding the factors that may increase the risk of children accessing construction sites, such as proximity to schools, parks and residential areas
• Clear allocation of site responsibility with all parties, supported by documented controls
• Maintaining adequate perimeter security and investigating evidence of previous unauthorised access
• Identifying hazards that could be attractive to children and implementing appropriate control measures  
• Reviewing security arrangements outside of operating hours
• Effective communication between contractors and site managers
• Regularly reviewing risk assessments as site conditions change
  
  

When incidents lead to a claim

The consequences of a serious injury involving a child can be far reaching.

"Incidents of this nature can have serious consequences, ranging from potentially life-changing injuries to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigations and enforcement action, exposing businesses to substantial fines and, in some cases, criminal prosecution. The resulting claims can be complex, costly and possibly cause significant reputational damage.

Making sure there's robust site security and effective measures in place to prevent unauthorised access is essential. However, if the worst happens and an incident does occur, it's important to notify your insurer as early as possible and provide as much information as you can, so we can support your customer from day one.” Sharon Sykes, Claims Manager Technical - Liability

Staying one step ahead
 

When supporting construction clients, preventing access by children should remain a key area of risk management focus.

The tragic consequences seen in recent incidents demonstrate that robust site security, effective risk assessment and prompt action when vulnerabilities are identified can save lives.

Our new Loss Prevention Standard provides practical guidance to help businesses better understand these exposures and implement effective controls to reduce the risk of harm.