Introduction

On paper, British construction sites are some of the safest they have ever been. Risk assessments are written, method statements are filed, and hard hats line the canteen wall.

But what really happens once work starts, the programme slips, and everyone is under pressure to finish a job on time

To find out, we asked builders, site workers and supervisors to anonymously confess the worst health and safety shortcuts they have seen or been involved in on site. The answers paint a very different picture to the tidy policies in the office.

From working at height without proper equipment, to makeshift platforms and ignored near misses, this article lifts the lid on the risky habits that have quietly become “normal” on too many British building sites.

How The Survey Worked

To get honest answers, we surveyed construction workers and managers across the UK and kept every response completely anonymous.

Respondents included:

• Trades such as bricklayers, joiners, roofers, electricians and labourers
  
• Plant operators and machine drivers
  
• Site supervisors and project managers
  
  

We asked them about:

• Safety shortcuts they admit to taking themselves
  
• Dangerous practices they have seen others carrying out
  
• Why those shortcuts were taken in the first place
  
• How often they see near misses that are never reported
  
  

The result is not a scientific academic study. It is a candid snapshot of real attitudes and behaviours on modern building sites, told by the people who work there every day.

The Everyday Shortcuts Workers Admit To Taking

Health and safety failures are often imagined as one catastrophic decision. In reality, most danger builds up through small, everyday shortcuts that slowly become routine.

Across the responses, a set of “repeat offenders” came up again and again.

1. Working At Height Without Proper Protection

One of the most common confessions was working at height without the right protection in place, especially on short or “quick” jobs.

Examples included:

• Climbing up on unfinished roofs without edge protection
  
• Using ladders where a platform or podium should be used
  
• Standing on makeshift platforms built from pallets, blocks or loose boards
  
• Overreaching from ladders or platforms instead of repositioning them
  
  

Several respondents admitted that they have stepped onto something they knew was not safe, just to “get the last bit done”.

Why it is dangerous: Falls from height remain one of the biggest killers in construction. Even a fall from a relatively low level can cause life changing injuries. Anything that is not a properly designed, properly set up access solution increases that risk.

2. “Just Popping Up There” Without Full PPE

Many workers admitted that they sometimes skip PPE for what they see as small or low risk tasks, especially if they are in a hurry.

Common examples:

• Not putting on a harness for “one quick lift”
  
• Leaving eye protection off for a single cut or grind
  
• Taking gloves off to work faster around sharp edges
  
• Removing hard hats inside partially built areas
  
  

In isolation, each decision feels minor. Over time, this attitude dramatically increases the chances of eye injuries, cuts, head injuries and falls.

3. Moving Plant And Platforms With People On Board

Workers also confessed to riding on or operating plant in ways that bend or break the rules, particularly when space is tight and the programme is under pressure.

Typical examples:

• Moving mobile elevating work platforms with people in the basket in situations where it is not permitted
  
• Travelling with loads or people on forks
  
• Using telehandlers or forklifts to lift people, instead of a proper man basket or access platform
  
  

Most respondents were fully aware this is unsafe, but admitted they see it happen when the right equipment is not available or time is running out.

4. Ignoring Or Not Reporting Near Misses

One of the most worrying confessions was around near misses.

Many respondents said they had:

• Been involved in a near miss but never formally reported it
  
• Seen falling objects, slips at height or almost crush incidents that were quietly brushed aside
  
• Felt that reporting issues would slow the job down or make them look like they were “making a fuss”
  
  

This creates a dangerous culture where warning signs are missed and lessons are never learned, right up until something more serious happens.

5. Improvised Solutions When The Right Kit Is Not On Site

Another recurring theme was improvisation. When workers do not have the correct equipment to do the job safely, they improvise rather than stop.

Examples included:

• Using whatever boards or materials are lying around to build temporary platforms
  
• Using domestic steps or old ladders on professional sites
  
• Relying on manpower to move heavy materials when mechanical handling equipment is not available
  
  

These bodged solutions are rarely risk assessed, rarely stable, and often only one slip away from a serious incident.

Why Do Builders Take These Risks

If most workers know these practices are unsafe, why do they do them anyway? The confessions point to a mix of very human pressures and cultural problems that are hard to solve with a poster on the canteen wall.

Time Pressure And Tight Programmes

Many respondents said that programme pressure was the number one reason they cut corners.

Common sentiments included:

• “We needed to get it finished that day.”
  
• “The crane or platform was being taken off hire.”
  
• “We were holding other trades up.”
  
  

When the choice feels like breaking a rule or missing a deadline, some teams still choose speed over safety.

“We Have Always Done It Like This”

A significant number of workers talked about habits that have been passed down over years, even decades. If a shortcut has “always been fine”, it starts to feel acceptable.

This is particularly strong in small teams or subcontractor gangs where experienced workers are seen as the authority figure on how to get things done.

Lack Of Training Or Understanding

Some respondents admitted they did not fully understand the limits of the equipment they were using, or the specific regulations that applied.

Examples:

• Not knowing the safe working load of a platform
  
• Being unsure whether travelling at height was allowed in a particular machine
  
• Not realising that certain materials required specialist respiratory or dust protection
  
  

Without regular, practical training, it is easy for workers to unknowingly take risks.

Fear Of Speaking Up

Several confessions mentioned that workers did not feel able to challenge unsafe instructions.

Typical concerns:

• Being labelled a troublemaker
  
• Worrying about job security
  
• Not wanting to argue with supervisors or experienced colleagues
  
  

If people feel they cannot say “Stop, this is not safe”, risk-taking behaviour goes unchallenged and quickly becomes normal.

Working At Height: The Most Serious Mistakes

Among all the confessions, working at height stood out as the area where shortcuts are most likely to end in disaster.

Respondents described:

• Standing on narrow parapets or wall edges to reach awkward sections
  
• Leaning out of baskets or off ladders to avoid moving equipment
  
• Using scaffolds that had been partly dismantled or not fully inspected
  
• Balancing on fragile surfaces such as old roofs or ceiling grids
  
  

Several respondents admitted they had done things at height that, looking back, “made their stomach turn”.

The danger here is clear. A fall from even a modest height can result in serious fractures, spinal injuries or worse. When work is at height, every shortcut multiplies the risk.

Safe working at height means:

• Planning the job properly, including how every area will be accessed
  
• Using the right equipment for the job, such as properly specified platforms, scaffolds or podiums
  
• Ensuring equipment is set up and used correctly, in line with training and manufacturer guidance
  
• Enforcing clear rules about harness use, guard rails, edge protection and exclusion zones
  
• Refusing to accept “just this once” when it comes to bending the rules
  
  

The Hidden Cost Of “Getting Away With It”

One of the most striking themes from the confessions was how often people talk about “getting away with it”.

Workers described near misses that could easily have turned into fatalities. Tools dropped from height that missed someone by inches. Makeshift platforms that held together this time, but might not the next.

Every time a shortcut does not result in an accident, it reinforces the idea that the behaviour is acceptable. Over months and years, that is how dangerous habits become the norm.

The cost of this culture is measured in:

• Serious injuries and long term health problems
  
• Lost working days and project delays
  
• Higher insurance costs and legal claims
  
• Damage to company reputation and future work
  
• The impact on families and colleagues when things go badly wrong
  
  

Most of these consequences are avoidable. The confessions in this article show just how thin the line can be between “we got away with it” and “everything changed in a second”.

How To Change Safety Culture On Site

Changing a safety culture is not easy, but the survey responses hint at where the most effective levers are.

Make Planning And Method Statements Real, Not Just Paperwork

Workers are far more likely to follow a safe system of work if they believe it has been properly thought through.

• Involve supervisors and experienced trades in planning how work at height or heavy lifting will be done
  
• Walk through access routes and platform positions on site, not just in the office
  
• Update method statements when conditions change, rather than treating them as static documents
  
  

Provide The Right Equipment For The Job

Many shortcuts start because the correct equipment is not available, or is perceived as too much hassle to organise.

• Ensure suitable access and lifting equipment is planned in early, not added at the last minute
  
• Make it easy for workers to request the kit they actually need
  
• Avoid expecting workers to “make do” with whatever is already on site
  
  

Train, Refresh And Demonstrate

Training cannot be a one off induction at the start of the project.

• Provide regular practical refreshers on safe working at height, plant use and manual handling
  
• Use real examples and near misses from your own projects to make the message stick
  
• Encourage supervisors to model good behaviour, rather than cutting corners themselves
  
  

Encourage Reporting And Reward Safe Choices

If near misses and unsafe conditions are hidden, nothing improves.

• Make it clear that reporting issues will never be punished
  
• Introduce simple ways for workers to raise concerns, even anonymously if needed
  
• Recognise and reward teams who stop work to correct unsafe situations, rather than only rewarding speed
  
  

Comment From Andy Bray

The survey findings highlight how quickly “everyday” shortcuts can add up to serious risk, especially when work is at height.

Andy Bray, Managing Director at Access Platform Sales, says the results show that small compromises can have big consequences:

“Reading these anonymous confessions is a stark reminder that most accidents don’t come out of the blue – they come from small shortcuts that people have ‘got away with’ for years. No deadline or day’s productivity is worth gambling with someone’s life. If we plan jobs properly, use the right equipment and give people permission to speak up when something doesn’t feel safe, we can get the work done without sending anyone home hurt.”

Conclusion

The anonymous confessions shared in this article are not about blaming individuals. In most cases, the workers involved were trying to get their jobs done under real pressure, with imperfect information and not always the right tools.

What they reveal is a gap between how construction safety is written about in policies and how it sometimes plays out in reality.

Every time someone decides to climb onto a makeshift platform, ride in a machine in a way it was not designed for, or ignore a near miss, the odds shift a little closer towards an accident.

The good news is that none of this is inevitable. With honest conversations, better planning, the right equipment and a culture where people feel able to say “no, this is not safe”, those shocking confessions can become a powerful catalyst for change rather than a list of disasters waiting to happen.