by admin | Jul 15, 2026 | Construction Site Management, Health and Safety, Risk Assessment
A recent HSE prosecution following the death of an 18-year-old apprentice has highlighted the consequences of inadequate supervision, unsafe material storage and poorly managed lone working.
Apprentices are workers, not additional labour who can automatically be left to get on with a task. Employers and contractors must assess their capability, provide suitable training and supervision, and only allow them to undertake work that they can perform safely.
The legal requirements are particularly specific for anyone under 18, but the wider duties to protect, instruct and supervise apply to apprentices and inexperienced workers of every age.
Are Your Apprentices Being Properly Supervised?
Apprenticeships are essential to the future of construction. They give new entrants an opportunity to develop practical competence while helping employers build a sustainable workforce.
However, an apprentice is still learning. A qualification programme, CSCS card or completed site induction does not automatically demonstrate that someone can recognise every hazard, make safe decisions under pressure or work without supervision.
That point was reinforced by a recent HSE prosecution involving the death of apprentice joiner Chloe Bidwell. The 18-year-old was working alone at a renovation property when unsecured board materials fell and fatally crushed her. HSE found inadequate risk assessment, supervision, lone-working arrangements and material-storage procedures. The company was fined £50,000, while its managing director received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty under section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. (HSE Media Centre)
This was not a complex hazard requiring an unusual technical solution. It involved basic failures to identify how heavy board materials could fall, decide how they should be stored and ensure an inexperienced worker was properly supervised.
Young and inexperienced workers face additional risks
HSE advises that people who are new to a workplace can be especially vulnerable because they may lack experience, be unfamiliar with the environment, hesitate to raise concerns or be eager to impress colleagues and managers. HSE states that workers can be as likely to have an accident during their first six months as during the remainder of their working life. (HSE)
Age is only one factor. A 25-year-old starting their first construction job may need more support than a 17-year-old apprentice who has already completed a structured placement with close supervision.
A suitable assessment should therefore consider:
- Age and maturity.
- Previous construction experience.
- Familiarity with the particular workplace.
- Understanding of the task and its hazards.
- Physical and psychological capability.
- Ability to recognise when conditions have changed.
- Confidence to stop work and raise concerns.
- Language, literacy or additional learning needs.
The supervision level should be determined by the worker’s actual capability and the risk of the task—not simply by how long they have been employed.
What does the law require?
General employer duties
Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes providing safe systems of work and adequate information, instruction, training and supervision.
Directors and senior managers should also understand the potential personal consequences of neglect. Section 37 of the Act allows individuals to be prosecuted where a company offence occurred with their consent or connivance, or was attributable to their neglect. The recent apprentice case demonstrates that these provisions are not theoretical. (HSE Media Centre)
Construction-specific duties
Under regulation 15 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, contractors must provide workers under their control with appropriate supervision, instructions and information so that construction work can be carried out safely. (Legislation.gov.uk)
The wider competence requirements in CDM regulation 8 require contractors to possess the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability. In practical terms, an individual who does not yet have the experience needed for a task must work under suitable supervision while that capability is developed. (Legislation.gov.uk)
A card or certificate may provide useful evidence of training or qualification, but it does not remove the contractor’s responsibility to confirm that the worker can undertake the actual task safely.
Additional duties for workers under 18
The law defines a young person as someone under 18. Regulation 19 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to protect young people from risks arising from their lack of experience, lack of awareness of existing or potential risks, or incomplete maturity. Certain work must not be given to a young person where it exceeds their physical or psychological capacity or exposes them to specified serious risks, except in limited circumstances involving necessary training and competent supervision. (Legislation.gov.uk)
These additional requirements stop applying once the person reaches 18. However, the general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and CDM continue to apply, including the need to consider inexperience and provide appropriate supervision.
Workers under 18 also usually have enhanced working-time protections, including a 30-minute break when working more than four and a half hours, 12 hours’ daily rest and 48 hours’ weekly rest. (GOV.UK)
Is lone working by an apprentice automatically prohibited?
Health and safety legislation does not impose a universal ban on lone working. HSE’s general lone-working guidance requires employers to assess and manage the risks before anyone works without close or direct supervision. (HSE)
However, the HSE inspector involved in the recent prosecution stated that apprentices should not be working alone on a construction site. That statement reflected the circumstances of a young, inexperienced apprentice being left without suitable supervision in an active renovation environment. (HSE Media Centre)
In our professional view, lone working should not be authorised simply because the task appears routine. Before an apprentice or inexperienced worker is left alone, the employer would need compelling evidence that:
- The task is genuinely low risk.
- The worker has demonstrated competence.
- Foreseeable changes and emergencies have been considered.
- Communication and monitoring arrangements are effective.
- The worker knows when to stop and seek assistance.
- The decision is consistent with the risk assessment and site rules.
For many construction activities, direct or readily available supervision will remain necessary.
Induction is only the starting point
A site induction usually explains general hazards, emergency arrangements and project rules. It cannot provide all the task-specific skills and experience a new worker requires.
HSE’s guidance on training and supervising young people advises employers to check that instructions have been understood and to monitor progress so that additional training or adjustments can be provided. Young workers may require more supervision than experienced adults. (HSE)
A practical supervision system should include:
- A named supervisor who understands that they are responsible for the apprentice.
- A structured task briefing explaining the work, hazards, controls and limits of authority.
- Demonstration and supported practice before independent work is considered.
- Observed competence checks, rather than relying only on verbal confirmation.
- Progressive authorisation, identifying which tasks may be completed independently and which still require direct supervision.
- Regular conversations, including checking whether the apprentice feels pressured, confused or unable to raise concerns.
- Documented review points so supervision is reduced only when competence has been demonstrated.
Managers and supervisors can strengthen these skills through IOSH Managing Safely and Working Safely training and role-appropriate Construction Management and Supervisory NVQs.
Do not overlook working culture and wellbeing
New IOSH research involving 500 workers aged 18–25 found that 34% felt uncomfortable taking full rest breaks or switching off outside working hours. Fifteen per cent had taken time off during the previous year because of work-related stress, depression or anxiety, while 42% said they left education without a clear understanding of workplace health, safety and wellbeing. (IOSH)
These findings are not specific to construction, but the message is relevant. Young employees may be reluctant to admit that they do not understand a task, are struggling physically or feel unsafe.
The answer is not another poster telling people to “speak up”. Supervisors need to create opportunities for workers to raise concerns without embarrassment or fear of being labelled difficult. This can be supported by suitable policies, competent supervision and practical Mental Health Awareness Training.
Material storage must be planned, not improvised
The apprentice prosecution also provides a direct lesson about material storage. HSE found that large boards had been stored vertically and unsecured, creating a foreseeable collapse risk. (HSE Media Centre)
HSE’s construction material-storage guidance advises contractors to designate suitable storage areas, plan deliveries, keep access routes clear and actively manage housekeeping throughout the project. Specialist HSE guidance also warns that board materials are heavy and that falling boards are a recognised cause of fatal and serious accidents. (HSE)
Storage arrangements should therefore be included within project planning, RAMS, inductions and routine site inspections—not left to whichever worker happens to unload or move the materials.
Our professional view
Apprentices should be treated as people developing competence, not as low-cost labour who can be assigned routine-looking tasks without oversight.
The strongest employers establish a structured pathway from induction through supervised practice to verified competence. They make it clear what the apprentice may do, who is supervising them and how progress will be reviewed.
Where an organisation cannot demonstrate those arrangements, a review of its health and safety management, risk assessments and site-inspection arrangements should be treated as a priority. Our existing guide to the health and safety policies every construction company should have also provides a useful starting point for reviewing the wider management system.
Action Checklist for Construction Employers
- Identify all apprentices, young people and inexperienced workers.
- Confirm who is responsible for supervising each person.
- Review risk assessments before an under-18 starts work.
- Assess competence against the actual tasks being assigned.
- Set clear limits on work that cannot be completed unsupervised.
- Check that supervisors have sufficient time and competence.
- Review lone-working arrangements and emergency contact procedures.
- Verify that materials are stored securely and cannot topple.
- Check understanding after inductions and toolbox talks.
- Provide a clear route for workers to raise concerns.
- Review supervision following changes in task, location or equipment.
- Record competence decisions and progressive authorisations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every apprentice require constant supervision?
Not necessarily. The appropriate level depends on the person’s competence, experience and the risks of the task. However, supervision should only be reduced after competence has been demonstrated, not merely because the person has been employed for a certain period.
Is a separate young-person risk assessment legally required?
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment must consider the additional factors affecting workers under 18. HSE advises that this does not always need to be a completely separate document if the existing assessment already properly addresses those factors. (HSE)
Can an apprentice work alone?
There is no universal legal prohibition, but lone working must be risk assessed. For an inexperienced apprentice on an active construction site, the employer would need to demonstrate that the work, competence, communication and emergency arrangements made the decision safe.
Does an NVQ prove someone can work without supervision?
An NVQ provides evidence that occupational competence has been assessed against a qualification standard. Employers must still confirm that the individual is competent for the specific work, equipment, environment and conditions they are being asked to manage.
Who is responsible when an apprentice works for a host contractor?
Responsibilities depend on the employment and placement arrangements. The employer, host organisation, training provider and any apprenticeship training agency should cooperate and clearly define who will control the work, assess risks and provide supervision. (HSE)
by admin | Nov 7, 2025 | Construction Site Management, Safety Update
Why Product Information is Now a Safety Issue: What the Construction Sector Must Know
A recent announcement from the CIOB confirms that the organisation has formally committed to supporting the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), an industry‑wide initiative designed to ensure that the information provided about construction products is clear, accurate, accessible and up to date.
The move comes in response to findings from the Construction Products Association and other bodies that product labelling and traceability in the built environment remain opaque and inconsistent.
Why this matters to health & safety
The link between product‑information quality and safety outcomes may not be obvious at first glance, but is substantial:
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When a construction product is “critical to safe construction” — that is, its failure or incorrect installation could lead to serious injury or fatality — then knowing exactly what you’re buying and how it’s used becomes as important as the installation itself.
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Poor product information can mean that safety‑related characteristics (for example load‑bearing capacity, non‑combustibility, installation sequence, maintenance requirements) are misunderstood, omitted, or incorrectly communicated — increasing the risk of latent hazards.
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For contractors, supervisors and site managers, a robust product‑information system becomes part of the wider safety culture: even the best processes can be undermined by incorrect foundations (literally) if product specification, traceability and competence do not align.
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Regulatory and contractual expectations are evolving: by aligning with the CCPI and embedding the related practice into your procurement, training and oversight, your business signals that you are ahead of the curve — not simply compliant, but proactive.
How All Star Safety Ltd can help
At All Star Safety Ltd we are well placed to support you in translating this imperative into practical, deliverable action:
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Training: We can include modules in our health & safety courses (face‑to‑face or online) that specifically address: understanding and interpreting product data, recognising “critical to safe construction” products, and integrating procurement checks into your site‑induction or toolbox‑talk programme.
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NVQ Assessments: For candidates working towards NVQs in construction or allied industries, our assessments can include competence on how product information interfaces with safe installation practice — so your workforce is not just technically competent, but procurement‑aware and safety‑aware.
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Consultancy: We can review your current product‑management system in the context of the CCPI: how you specify products, how you ensure traceability and installation records, how you communicate this to operatives and subcontractors, and how you integrate it into your safety‑management system. We can tailor a consultancy project that aligns product information with your overall safety culture.
Practical actions you can take today
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Review your supplier and subcontractor agreements: do they refer to the CCPI or equivalent, and do they require up‑to‑date product‑information documentation on every critical item?
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On site, incorporate into your next toolbox talk: “Is the product we’re using truly documented and traceable — could it be critical to safe construction?” Make this a discussion point rather than just a checklist item.
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For your NVQ candidates or trained operatives: add a scenario or case study where incorrect product information led to a near‑miss or defect. Use it as a reflective exercise and record the insights in their e‑portfolio.
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As part of your audit or safety‑management review: verify whether your procurement chain retains installation and performance records of critical products, and whether operatives are aware of the implications of product failures.
For a discussion on how All Star Safety Ltd can assist with training, NVQ assessment or consultancy around product‑information management — and integrate it into your broader health and safety framework — please call us on 0330 133 0402 or 01473 561 402.
by admin | Nov 4, 2025 | Construction Site Management, Health and Safety, NVQs, Safety Update
What construction site managers and H&S professionals must know now
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has formally launched a call for evidence on the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR), indicating a possible shift in enforcement and compliance expectations around lifting and pressure equipment on UK construction sites.
With lifting equipment and pressure systems routinely present on building projects, this development should prompt construction companies, site managers, health & safety advisers and NVQ learners to ensure their competence and compliance frameworks are up to date.
Why this matters now
LOLER requires that lifting equipment is strong, stable, marked with safe working loads, properly installed, maintained, examined at suitable intervals and that any work involved in lifting operations is planned, supervised and carried out by competent persons (Regulation 5 and 6). PSSR similarly requires pressure systems to be designed, maintained, operated safely and to have appropriate written schemes where required. The HSE’s review of these regulations signals that the regulator may place more emphasis on compliance gaps in these areas.
For the construction sector, this means that equipment such as cranes, hoists, lifting frames, scaffold hoists, pressure‑vessels, air receivers, hydraulics and other systems may come under renewed scrutiny. If site teams cannot evidence that planning, maintenance, examination and competent supervision have been properly carried out, enforcement risk rises.
Key risks and practical actions
From a risk perspective, failures in lifting or pressure‑systems can lead to catastrophic consequences: equipment collapse, dropped loads, explosion or sudden failure of containment. On construction sites these risks are compounded by dynamic environments, changing loads, multiple parties working concurrently and temporary installations.
Practical steps that companies should consider now include:
• Review your fleet of lifting and pressure equipment: ensure every item has a current safe‑working‑load or pressure rating, is inspected, maintained and has an examination record where required.
• Check planning and supervision: lifting operations must be planned (LOLER reg 8) and supervised by a competent person. Ensure you can demonstrate this – for example via method statements, lifting plans and evidence that those supervising hold accepted competence.
• Competence records: ensure workers and supervisors involved in lifting operations or pressure system use have up‑to‑date training and competence. This may mean refresher NVQ or technical assessments.
• Audit compliance: carry out internal audits of lifting/pressure‑system management – examine equipment records, examination certificates, maintenance logs, staff competence, supervision arrangements and risk assessments.
• Update documentation: revise safe systems of work, method statements and risk assessments to reflect the more intensive compliance expectations signalled by the HSE.
Why competence and compliance must align
In practical terms, this regulatory review emphasises that competence (training, qualification, supervised experience) and compliance (documented procedures, examinations, maintenance) must work together. For example, simply having trained staff is insufficient if the equipment lacks an up‑to‑date examination certificate or the lifting plan is inadequate. Equally, having all the paperwork but untrained supervisors is equally vulnerable. Construction companies and site managers should therefore strengthen both sides of the equation.
How All Star Safety Ltd can help
At All Star Safety Limited we offer consultancy, NVQ assessments, training and audit services geared to this equipment‑risk arena. Whether you need to verify lifting equipment competence, audit current systems, update your safe‑systems of work or deliver training to ensure staff supervising lifting operations or pressure systems are competent, we can assist. Visit our NVQs page to find out how we can support your workforce and compliance regime.
by admin | Oct 16, 2025 | Construction Site Management, Health and Safety, Safety Update
Industry Update: HSE Launches Health Inspections from 3 October
The Health and Safety Executive has announced a renewed focus on health risks in the construction sector, launching inspections across sites from 3 October. The initiative aims to raise awareness and compliance around dangers associated with material handling, dust, manual handling, and other occupational health hazards.
This tells us that regulators are expanding their scrutiny beyond the classic safety issues (falls, collapse, etc.) to the less visible but equally harmful health exposures. If your project teams are not actively managing health risks on site, now is the time to act.
Why Health Hazards Are Rising in Prominence
In the past, health risks such as respiratory disease, musculoskeletal disorders, or noise-induced hearing loss were often overshadowed by more immediate physical injury risks. But recent trends show:
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Greater regulatory appetite: HSE is signalling that health non‑compliance will draw closer attention.
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Worker awareness: Operatives are increasingly informed and expect better controls around dust, vibration, noise and exposure to hazardous substances.
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Legal precedent building: Inspectors and courts are less tolerant of “long‑term harm” and latent conditions that emerge from poor health management.
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Technology and data: Advances in monitoring (wearables, sensor systems) make exposures easier to detect and demonstrate.
Addressing these “silent” risks not only protects your workforce, it also builds credibility when clients or insurers challenge your safety standards.
What You Should Be Doing Now
To get ahead of this enforcement focus, your health & safety system should include:
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Health risk assessments (HRAs) for every task with potential exposure (dust, vibration, chemicals, noise).
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Control plans and mitigation — e.g. dust suppression, extraction, vibration‑reducing tools, PPE, job rotation.
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Health monitoring where required (e.g. for vibration, noise, silica).
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Training and toolbox talks focused on health awareness, symptom reporting, and safe practices.
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Audit and continual review — your health controls should be as visible and checked as your fall protection systems.
How All Star Safety Can Help
At All Star Safety, we offer services designed to integrate this rising regulatory emphasis on health into your safety and competence systems:
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Training & revalidation: Courses and refreshers on health hazards, exposure control, and best practices.
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NVQ assessments & competence checks: We verify that your workforce is appropriately trained and assessed in health and safety skills.
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Safety consultancy & audits: We’ll carry out health risk audits, help you develop mitigation strategies, and provide independent assurance before regulators arrive.
Be ready for visits this autumn — let’s make your health systems as robust as your safety systems.
📞 Call us now on 0330 133 0402 or 01473 561 402 to schedule a health audit, book training, or arrange consultancy support.
by admin | Sep 29, 2025 | Construction Site Management, IOSH, NVQs, Safety Update
We are delighted to announce that All Star Safety Ltd has received support through the Suffolk Economy Grant Scheme, funded by Suffolk County Council. This funding has played a key role in helping us to expand our training and support services, making health and safety learning more accessible, engaging and effective for our customers.
With this support, we have been able to achieve three major developments:
Level 6 NVQ Construction Site Management Support Package
One of the key areas of development has been the creation of a comprehensive online support package for our Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Construction Site Management learners, delivered through our Moodle learning management system.
The package has been designed to give candidates the knowledge and understanding required to meet the demands of the qualification. It also helps them clearly understand what is expected of them, guiding them step by step through the process. Many learners can feel held back by the written knowledge questions, and this new support tool provides explanations, guidance, and practical examples to help them successfully complete their evidence and progress in their careers.
IOSH Managing Safely E-Learning
We have also used the funding to purchase licensing for IOSH Managing Safely, which we have now developed into an e-learning version. This exciting new addition allows learners to access the internationally recognised IOSH course in a flexible and interactive format, complementing our other classroom-based delivery of IOSH Managing Safely and IOSH Working Safely.
This forms part of our wider suite of training courses, which also includes First Aid, NPORS Plant Training, Small Equipment Training, our broad range of NVQs, and tailored Health and Safety Consultancy services. The investment in e-learning gives us a foundation for creating more innovative training solutions in the future, blending classroom, practical and online methods to ensure every learner has access to the training they need in the way that suits them best.
Investing in Equipment for Quality Delivery
To ensure our training resources are of the highest quality, we have also invested in new camera and audio equipment. This means our online materials, e-learning content, and virtual classroom sessions are clear, professional, and effective.
Part of this content, produced in collaboration with our valued industry partners such as AD Bly, Walkers Construction, Advanced Metalcraft and others, will take the form of interactive digital toolbox talks. These will support supervisors and managers in delivering toolbox briefings that are informative, memorable, and impactful, helping to maintain and continuously improve safety standards across the sector.
This project is part-funded by Suffolk County Council by way of the Suffolk Economy Grant programme .
We are proud to acknowledge the role that Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Economy Grant Scheme have played in helping us to take these important steps. This support has not only helped us to strengthen our current training offer, but also marks the first stage in a larger project to create a range of exciting and engaging e-learning packages. These will further support our customers in maintaining the highest standards of health and safety within their teams and workplaces.
by admin | Aug 11, 2025 | Construction Site Management
Recent data from S&P Global reveals a significant downturn in UK construction activity, with the PMI falling to 44.3 in July 2025—the steepest decline since the pandemic’s onset . Residential construction is hardest hit, while overall sector confidence wanes under rising costs, interest rate pressures, and regulatory bottlenecks .
Concurrently, the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes by mid-2029 faces delays—chiefly due to skills shortages and planning obstacles . SMEs, who deliver much of this training, are underrepresented in policymaking, creating concerns about workforce replenishment and quality .
What This Means for Employers and Safety Professionals
In a period of contraction and uncertainty, the temptation to reduce training budgets or pause certification may arise—but this is precisely when maintaining rigorous safety leadership and competency is most critical. Worker confidence, legal compliance, and long‑term resilience depend on continuous investment in workforce capability.
How All Star Safety Ltd Supports Your Organisation Through Challenges
All Star Safety Ltd remains committed to helping your business navigate this turbulent period:
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Flexible NVQ Delivery (Remote and On-site)
Training from operative level to senior management can continue via Quals Direct and live video, protecting competence standards even during slowdowns.
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Efficient IOSH Programmes from September 2025
Our IOSH Working Safely, Managing Safely (in-class and virtual), and Managing Safely e‑learning options offer flexible routes to keep teams qualified and confident.
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Consultancy Focused on Safety Efficiency
Our expert guidance helps prioritise critical safety needs, ensuring essential risk assessments, supervision, and compliance continue even under tight budgets.
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NPORS and First Aid Training Delivered to Match Your Schedule
Whether on-site or virtual, training ensures your team is ready for emergencies, site changes, and maintains essential competencies.
Recommended Actions for Today
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Enrol supervisors and managers in NVQ or IOSH training now to reinforce leadership competence.
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Use reduced workloads to refine risk assessments, toolbox talk content, and supervision systems.
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Book NPORS and First Aid sessions—even short or virtual ones—to maintain emergency readiness and professional confidence.
By continually investing in competence, even when times are tough, your business stays safer, more resilient, and ready when recovery returns.
Contact us to see how we can assist you in staying safe and compliant.
📞 0330 133 0402 | 01473 561 402
📩 info@allstarsafety.co.uk
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