HSE Continues to Enforce Temporary Works Failures – Missing TWC and Incomplete Registers Still Lead to Prosecutions

HSE enforcement in recent years, still highlighted in 2026 guidance, shows that the absence of a Temporary Works Coordinator, no temporary works design, or an incomplete register remains a serious management failure under CDM 2015 and BS 5975, often resulting in significant fines and injuries.

By KaelSite Published August 6, 2026

The Health and Safety Executive continues to treat failures in the management of temporary works as a high priority. Industry updates and enforcement summaries circulating in 2026 repeatedly point to the same root causes: no appointed Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC), missing or inadequate temporary works designs, incomplete or outdated registers, and lack of proper permits or inspections.

One frequently cited example involves a construction firm that was fined after a newly built blockwork wall collapsed into a deep excavation, causing life-changing injuries to a worker. Investigators found there was no temporary works design, no Temporary Works Coordinator appointed, and no suitable access or rescue arrangements. HSE made clear that the absence of a formal temporary works protocol in an established company constituted a serious management failure.Current guidance continues to stress that every project involving temporary works (scaffolding, formwork, falsework, propping, excavation support, etc.) should have:

A formally appointed and competent Temporary Works Coordinator with authority to stop work
A live Temporary Works Register that records design status, checks, permits, inspections and current condition
Design briefs, independent design checks where required, and formal permits to load and to strike
Competent Temporary Works Supervisors supporting day-to-day control on site

These requirements flow from CDM 2015 duties (particularly regulation 13 on managing the construction phase and regulation 19 on stability of structures) and are discharged in practice by following BS 5975. HSE regards the BS 5975 framework as the industry benchmark for judging whether temporary works have been properly controlled.Sites that still rely on paper forms, outdated spreadsheets or informal arrangements remain exposed to both safety risk and enforcement action. Maintaining a current, auditable digital register with clear role accountability is increasingly seen as an essential practical control.

Source note: Drawn from HSE enforcement examples and industry guidance summaries circulating in 2025–2026 that reference temporary works failures, including cases involving missing TWC appointments and incomplete registers under CDM 2015 and BS 5975.

Tags: HSE, temporary works, Temporary Works