Schools Out Holiday Awareness

School holidays bring increased risk of children and young people trespassing onto construction sites.
Children are naturally curious and attracted to construction equipment, excavations, and site structures.
Falls into excavations, drowning in water-filled voids, and crush injuries are the main child trespass dangers.
The Occupiers' Liability Act 1984 places a duty of care on site operators even towards trespassers.
A higher standard of care applies to children because they cannot be expected to recognise dangers.
Sites near schools, housing estates, parks, and public footpaths face the greatest trespass risk.
Key holiday periods include Easter, summer, half-terms, and Christmas when children are unsupervised.
Social media challenges and peer pressure can encourage children to enter sites for photos or dares.
Theft of materials and vandalism also increase during school holidays, creating secondary safety hazards.
Fatal incidents involving child trespassers on construction sites continue to occur in the UK.

Child fatalities	Children have been killed on construction sites by drowning, falling, and being crushed — these deaths are preventable.
Legal liability	The Occupiers' Liability Act 1984 holds site operators responsible for trespassers, especially children.
Community duty	Construction companies have a moral obligation to prevent children from accessing dangerous work environments.

Do

Don't

Inspect perimeter fencing and hoarding for damage or gaps before every holiday period.
Secure all access gates with padlocks and check them at the end of every shift.
Cover or fence all open excavations and water-filled voids before leaving site.
Remove or secure ladders, scaffolds, and other means of climbing after hours.
Immobilise all plant by removing keys and applying steering locks overnight.
Increase security patrols during school holiday periods, especially at weekends.
Report any signs of trespass, damaged fencing, or forced entry to management.
Engage with the local community and schools about construction site dangers.
Display warning signs at all potential entry points stating the site hazards clearly.
Brief your team on the heightened risk at the start of every school holiday.

DON'T leave site gates open or unlocked at the end of the working day.
DON'T leave keys in plant, vehicles, or equipment outside of working hours.
DON'T ignore damaged perimeter fencing — repair it the same day it is found.
DON'T leave excavations open and unfenced overnight during holiday periods.
DON'T store attractive materials like scaffolding tubes where children could access them.
DON'T assume children will read and obey warning signs — physical barriers are essential.
DON'T leave water-filled excavations, tanks, or voids uncovered and unprotected.
DON'T allow the site to become a shortcut route for pedestrians through broken fencing.
DON'T underestimate children's ability to climb fences, hoardings, and locked gates.
DON'T delay heightened security arrangements until after a trespass incident occurs.

See also: Protecting the Public | Site Security and Access Control

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