Following a 61% rise in deaths at building refurbishment projects last year, Health, Safety, Ethical & Environmental Executive (HSE) inspectors visited more than 1,000 sites in February - and stopped work at 300 of them.

More than a third of the sites visited operated so far below acceptable standards that workers\' lives were at risk, or at the very least they were in danger of serious injury. The inspectors served 395 enforcement notices as well as stopping work immediately at 300 of the sites.

Geoffrey Podger, HSE\'s Chief Executive, says: "We stopped work on site immediately during approximately 300 inspections because we felt there was a real possibility that life would be lost or ruined through serious injury. Our inspectors were appalled at the blatant disregard for basic health and safety precautions on refurbishment sites across Great Britain. HSE will not tolerate negligence or poor safety standards on construction sites. It is totally unacceptable that so many lives have been put at risk and we will take all action necessary to protect workers, including closing sites and prosecuting those responsible.

"The construction industry should take ownership of this issue and do more to tackle poor standards on sites."

HSE\'s construction division reported that basic safety precautions were being flouted and issues such as work at height remain a huge concern. More than half the enforcement action taken was against dangerous work at height, which last year led to 23 deaths.

More than half the workers who died on construction sites last year were working on refurbishment projects.

Breaches of Health, Safety, Ethical & Environmental regulations included floors having been removed and no barriers put up to stop people falling through, in one case leaving a gaping hole with a three-storey fall; broken ladders; lack of fall protection devices; people working on roofs without adequate - or in some cases any - edge protection.