The CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Health & Safety Test is 10 years old this week (4 April) and since its inception 4million tests have been booked by the construction industry.

The test has become a standard setter for the industry, ensuring that everyone working in construction and the built environment has a minimum level of health & safety knowledge and awareness.

Numbers of bookings have risen tenfold from fewer than 50,000 in 2001 to more than 500,000 last year. At the current rate, a test is booked every 60 seconds.

Since the test was introduced fatalities in the industry have fallen by 58% to two per 100,000 employees last year.

Kevin Fear, Head of Health, Safety & Environment Strategy at CITB-ConstructionSkills, says: “The steady reduction of fatalities in the construction industry over the past 10 years is certainly attributable to an increased awareness of on-site health & safety issues. This in turn has been supported with the availability of health & safety courses such as those at the National Construction College and our health & safety test.

“We are presently looking at raising awareness of on-site health issues in the hope that fatalities will be reduced even further.”

There are 13 different health & safety tests available to industry, with CITB-ConstructionSkills listening to employers’ needs and working with partners such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), industry organisations and employers to ensure every sub-sector is catered for.

Philip White, HSE's Chief Inspector of Construction, says: "I would like to congratulate the Health & Safety Test on achieving its 10^th birthday. There is no doubt that the CITB-ConstructionSkills Health & Safety Test has contributed to the increased awareness of health & safety that we have seen across the industry over the past decade.”

To find out how to book a CITB-ConstructionSkills Health & Safety test for your organisation go to www.cskills.org/focus/