First national standard for women’s safety on construction sites launched

A new national benchmark aimed at improving women’s safety, dignity and career progression on construction sites has been formally launched in the House of Lords.

The Construction for Women: National Site Standard for Female Operatives, developed by Construction for Women (CFW), is the first governance-led UK framework to set out minimum expectations for how women should be supported and protected on construction sites where the standard is adopted.

The standard was launched on 14th January at an event hosted by Women in Construction Anglia, reflecting increasing political, regulatory and industry attention on women’s safety, equality and long-term workforce sustainability in construction.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) has become the first national body to adopt the standard, marking a significant step towards wider, consistent implementation across the sector.

The framework addresses longstanding and widely reported challenges faced by women on site, including poorly fitting PPE, inadequate welfare facilities, inconsistent behavioural standards, and the under-representation and loss of women from site-based roles.

Its introduction comes amid growing scrutiny of workplace equality and skills shortages across the construction industry.

The National Site Standard establishes enforceable expectations for contractors, clients, public bodies and site teams, and is designed to integrate into existing governance and assurance systems.

It can be embedded within site audits, compliance frameworks, social value delivery, equality strategies and public-sector procurement requirements.