By Marcus Hale · Published 15 November 2026 · 3 min read
More than a fifth of construction contractors admit their written health and safety policies frequently differ from actual site practice, according to new research. A survey of 500 contractors revealed significant gaps in competence checks, near-miss reporting and on-site enforcement across the UK supply chain.\n\n## Background\n\nThe research was commissioned by Veriforce CHAS and conducted by 3Gem in July 2026. It found that while 90 percent of respondents rated overall health and safety standards as good or excellent, 22 percent said written policies often or very often differ from what happens on the ground. A further 42 percent said this happens rarely or never. The study also highlighted inconsistencies in pre-start checks. While 57 percent of contractors are asked for health and safety policies, only 45 percent are typically required to provide evidence of competence, qualifications or training. Other checks were even less common. Only 42 percent are asked for building safety policies, 38 percent for insurance documentation, and 37 percent for SSIP certification. Just 24 percent are asked for details regarding their subcontractor arrangements.\n\n## Industry implications\n\nThe findings expose a dangerous reliance on paperwork over practical safety management. Contractors identified a lack of on-site enforcement as the primary barrier to meeting safety requirements, cited by 26 percent of respondents. This was followed closely by insufficient training at 25 percent and poor communication at 24 percent. The Building Safety Act 2022 has fundamentally changed compliance requirements, with 84 percent of respondents stating the legislation has altered how they demonstrate competence. However, the survey indicates that supply chain verification remains weak. Only 22 percent of firms carry out an annual pre-qualification questionnaire or regular compliance review for their subcontractors.\n\n## What contractors should do now\n\nFirms must urgently review their onboarding processes to ensure they are verifying actual competence rather than just collecting policy documents. Principal contractors should implement regular, unannounced site audits to close the gap between written procedures and daily operations. Furthermore, companies must foster a culture where near misses are accurately reported. Ari Fatah, technical standards manager at CHAS, warned that failing to properly demonstrate and verify competence can create significant regulatory, operational and reputational risk.\n\n## Expert view\n\nThe disparity between policy and practice is the most concerning takeaway from this data. As Fatah noted, where near misses go unreported, organisations can appear to have a positive safety record when the reality of onsite safety could be very different. The fact that 61 percent of respondents believe the principal contractor carries the greatest responsibility under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 shows a fundamental misunderstanding of shared dutyholder responsibilities. Only 25 percent correctly identified that responsibility is shared across all parties.\n\n## What happens next\n\nLooking forward, 41 percent of contractors believe better training and competence will have the greatest positive impact on compliance over the next five years. The industry must prepare for stricter scrutiny from the Building Safety Regulator and the Health and Safety Executive. Companies that fail to align their site practices with their written policies will increasingly find themselves exposed to enforcement action and exclusion from major public sector tenders.
Sources
- Contractors flag gap between policy and site — Concrete Connect
- One in five contractors say site safety practices do not match written policies — Construction Buzz
