The numbers of workers killed on construction sites increased last year for the first time in four years.

In total, workplace fatalities rose from 147 to 171 last year. These include the manufacturing and service sectors.

Julie Nerney, the chief executive of the British Safety Council, said: "Tragically, [this] announcement brings home in graphic terms the consequence of not effectively managing workplace hazards. Had that commonsense and logical course of action been taken in managing workplace hazards, it is quite possible that those 171 workers would still be alive and going home to their families at the end of the working day.

"The British Safety Council has corporate members across many sectors. We have a significantly large number of members in construction and manufacturing. We will be re-doubling efforts to work with them to build competence and spread good practice to those organisations in those sectors struggling to be compliant. We owe that much to the families of those who died in needless workplace accidents.“