'Significant failings' at some West of England building sites
"Significant" failings have been found on nearly a third of construction sites across the West of England, safety inspectors have said.
Major concerns were highlighted at 61 of 215 sites recently inspected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Some site work was deemed to be so dangerous that 27 prohibition notices were served to halt work immediately.
Inspectors visited sites across Avon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire during February and March.
The HSE's principal inspector for the West, said some sites were letting down the rest of the industry.
"Poorly erected scaffolding, exposure to dangerous types of dust, and inadequate washing facilities were among the poor standards we found on some sites," said Andrew Kingscott.
"I hope, by carrying out these spot checks, we will help to raise awareness of the dangers and reduce the number of construction workers being killed or seriously injured at work."
According to HSE figures for 2011/12, three workers were killed while working in construction across the West and a further 131 were seriously injured.
Nationally, there were 49 deaths and more than 2,800 major injuries.