MILWAUKEE® study finds low-quality equipment, persistent poor working practices and unmitigated risk are still putting construction workers in constant and unnecessary peril.

A new report from industry-leading manufacturer of power tools, accessories and hand tools MILWAUKEE® has found that risk remains unacceptably high on European construction sites, harming workers, employers and the wider sector alike.

The report, ‘Building a Safer Future,’ draws on a specially commissioned Europewide poll of 3,200 construction professionals. It identifies that only around a third (37%) feel totally safe when workers are on site. This is hardly surprising in an industry long regarded as the Continent’s most dangerous.

Worker=experience supports this claim, with more than half (52%) of construction workers reporting at least 1-5 accidents over their careers and a notable minority of 200 respondents claiming to have had more than 10.

Across 14 countries, the findings reveal a consistent pattern: workers arrive at their sites each day with the fear that today could be the day a major incident occurs. The most common of these are working at height (50%), objects falling from height (42%), slips and trips (41%), and faulty tools and equipment (37%).

Indeed, while ‘faulty tools and equipment’ isn’t the highest-ranked risk, it’s a key factor that amplifies other top hazards like slips, trips, and falls; making it a root cause of unsafe sites that demands immediate attention.

Workers are unknowingly risking their lives

This insecurity has helped create a worrying situation which is damaging worker health, well-being, and productivity. The impact then cascades to employers and projects, leading to delays, serious injuries, and even fatalities. Nowhere is this lack of confidence more visible than in the bad practice of ‘self-modification’ of tools, gear, and equipment which is endemic across Europe’s construction sites. Almost half of the sampled respondent (47%) stated they had altered or enhanced gear they perceived as inadequate to help them do the job.

According to Adrien Piriou, Director Hand Tools, Storage & PPE EMEA at MILWAUKEE®, “As the report states, it’s an understandable undertaking given the lack of protection people feel on-site, but an unnecessary one, especially as premium, customisable options are now mainstream. PPE, tools, and equipment have been designed for a specific purpose and rigorously tested and certified. Once someone tampers with them, they compromise their capabilities.

“Nowhere is this more so than when it comes head protection, especially helmets where self-customisation effectively renders its defence redundant. Likewise, the trend for creating a ‘Swiss Army Tool’ pushes these devices beyond their original remit and capabilities, putting the user and colleagues’ physical wellbeing at higher risk from malfunction.”

This highlights a need for a broader discussion on education and skills, as noted in the Report, which found less than half (42%) receive ‘lots of training’. Many workers receive the basics on tools, equipment, and PPE, but it’s sometimes incomplete, leaving them without full knowledge of proper procedures; another avoidable risk.

The industry can fix this situation

The Report identifies that whilst persistent levels of fear and insecurity are unacceptable, they are almost always avoidable and that construction businesses have a role to play in helping to address the situation.

When asked to rank what measures could be taken to protect workers on-site, the most popular response was ‘providing better tools and equipment, with more safety functions’ (54%). This was closely followed by the ‘supply of better quality and more comfortable PPE (48%) and ‘increasing training and guidance around the correct use of tools on site’ (42%).

The answers clearly highlight how much value workers place in the tools, equipment, and PPE they’re supplied with. It also indicates that employers need to make a reasonable investment in these products and resist buying on cost alone, not only to make site personnel feel safer but also to help them do their jobs better.

As Piriou concludes, “Construction currently accounts for a fifth of Europe’s occupational fatalities, not to mention the massive number of injuries and near misses. In many cases, these accidents could have been avoided, and a key takeaway for readers should be that investing in premium tools, equipment and PPE can help reduce the probability of catastrophe.

“The workforce is a business’ most valuable commodity and choosing higher-quality, ergonomically designed and more rigorously-tested solutions will result in a safer workplace and better outcomes. As we look ahead to next year, we want to join forces across the European construction sector to affect a radical shift in procurement attitude, positioning quality over cost and build a lower-risk future for all.”

To read the full ‘Building a Safer Future’ report, click here.

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