HSE has responded to construction union UCATT’s press release to media which claimed that there had been an increase in prosecution delays and fall in convictions following construction deaths https://www.ucatt.org.uk/increase-prosecution-delays-and-fall-convictions-following-construction-deaths.
HSE stated that there has been no fall in conviction rates for HSE prosecutions. It actually rose from 92% in 2010/11 to 94% in 2014/15. The reduction referred to in the UCATT statement relates to the numbers of fatalities in construction for which prosecutions have been approved. The percentage of fatalities leading to a decision to prosecute in the same year will be lower in more recent years as a number of the more complex investigations will still be on-going or are progressing through the courts. The number of prosecution approvals should also be seen against an overall reduction in construction fatalities from over 100 in 2000/01 to 39(p) in 2014/15. http://press.hse.gov.uk/2016/hse-responds-to-ucatt-release-on-construction-deaths/