The Health and Safety Executive has questioned a Ucatt report that claims the number of firms convicted over the deaths of construction workers has fallen dramatically.
The study says the percentage of deaths that resulted in a conviction fell from 42% in 1998/9 to 11% in 2003/4.
It also says 105 (21%) of the 504 construction deaths in the period from April 1998 to March 2004 resulted in a conviction.
Geoffrey Podger, the HSE鈥檚 chief executive, questioned the figures. He said: 鈥淚t seems that some of the statistics are inaccurate, for example, in 2002/03 the report says that there were 12 convictions. We are aware of about 30 such convictions.鈥�
He also denied having targets for prosecutions, saying every case was considered on its merits.
Ucatt claims that a recent HSE internal audit estimated that prosecutions ought to occur three times more often than they do.
Alan Ritchie, the union general secretary, said: 鈥淭he failure of the HSE to prosecute companies who kill their workers is profoundly shocking.鈥�
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