Climate change causes construction site safety concerns

​​​​​​​As many as 75% of those working in construction are worried about the implications of climate change on site safety over the next five years

Three-quarters of construction workers say they are concerned about the effects of climate change on site safety as the UK prepares for winter.

The survey, commissioned by SafeSite Facilties, revealed a worrying picture of increasing hazards on site due to climate change events and rising concerns over the industry's readiness.

Those fears will come into focus over the coming months as the UK prepares for storm season. The country saw five major storms in the winter of 2024-25.

Storm Eowyn in January 2025 was the most powerful windstorm in the UK for over a decade, issuing red warnings, causing severe impacts, and resulting in several fatalities. It reached gusts of up to 92 miles per hour, and at its peak, a million homes lost power.

The survey, conducted by Censuswide across August and September 2025, reached 500 UK construction professionals aged 18-55.

It showed:

• 75% of those working in construction are worried about the impact of climate change on site safety over the next five years.
• 54% said sites have been closed down at least two times over the last five years because of climate change events.
• 25% say their site is unprepared for extreme heat, lightning or flooding.
• 22% say their site is unprepared for storms, and 17% for high winds. The figure for wildfires is even higher at 30%.
• 37% have already experienced the impact of extreme heat (rising to 43% in commercial construction).
• 34% have already experienced flooding (rising to 38% in residential construction)
• 33% have already experienced high winds.

The impact of climate on site safety comes through clearly in the survey, with workers saying they have already suffered from injuries due to:

• Heat stress and heatstroke: 25% (up to 31% for construction labourers)
• Slips and falls due to ice, snow or flooding: 25% (up to 28% for construction labourers)
• High winds destabilising scaffolding, cranes, temporary structures: 23% (up to 26% for construction labourers and project managers)
• Electrical hazards: 23% (rising to 34% for site supervisor)
• Feeling too cold to work: 21% (rising to 23% for project managers
• Sunburn: 21% (up to 34% for safety officers)
• Frostbite: 15% (rising to 26% for construction labourers)
• Lack of focus: 14% (up to 20% for safety officers).