A Watershed Year for Construction Safety: Reflections from Mike Adams, MBE
15 December 2025
As I look back on 2025, I can't help but feel that we’ve crossed a threshold.
Having trained in construction for decades—and pioneered online safety training during the COVID lockdowns—I’ve seen many turning points. But this year feels different. It’s not just about better risk assessments or smarter PPE: it’s about accountability, integrity and rebuilding trust in how we train and certify those who keep our sites safe.
The Context: Why 2025 Mattered
Several forces collided in 2025 to make this a defining moment:
- Regulatory Pressure and Competence Overhaul
The industry’s focus on competence has sharpened. Under the Building Safety Act and rising expectations, clients and contractors increasingly demand proof of real, verified credentialing — not just a piece of paper.
Build UK’s update to the Common Assessment Standard made building-safety questions mandatory for all firms from 1 October. This sends a clear message: pre-qualification is not a box-ticking exercise—it’s a frontline safety control. - Fraud & Certification Integrity Under the Spotlight
Fraudulent certifications have haunted our sector for too long. In scaffolding, for example, NASC and CISRS reported an alarming rise in fake or misused cards; they’re now developing digital cards in 2026 precisely to clamp down on fraud.
Meanwhile, the CSCS scheme has upped its game: its Smart Check system allows instant verification of credentials at site entry, limiting the risk of impostors. This isn’t optional anymore — it’s rapidly becoming table stakes for safety-conscious businesses. - Price War and the Hidden Cost of Poor Training
The shadow of a “training price war” looms over us. With online and blended courses proliferating, some providers are cutting corners and sub-standard training has become a hidden cost few are quantifying.
In my many years training people, I’ve seen the temptation: cheap online courses, minimal oversight, and “certificates” issued far too easily. But as one recent UK survey revealed, many construction businesses are grappling with inadequate risk management, poor on-site communication, and a lack of proper, competent training — all because they underinvested in quality.
When supervisors or site managers pass through low-quality training, the true cost isn’t just in money lost—it’s in lives put at risk and safety standards diluted. - Re-certification Pressures
Financial pressure is especially acute for smaller firms. Many site managers and supervisors are being forced to re-certify — and discovering that the training they originally relied on (sometimes done during lockdown) was not up to scratch, or even fraudulent.
This has sparked a painful reckoning: businesses not only have to budget for re-training, but also to root out weak providers and ensure their people are genuinely competent. The demand for high-quality, accredited retraining has skyrocketed.
The Technology Inflection: Tools That Transformed Safety in 2025
As a trainer, one of the most exciting developments this year has been the leap in technology adoption:
- Wearable Tech: Smart helmets, sensor-embedded vests, and real-time monitoring of workers’ vitals and environmental conditions are becoming far more widespread.
- AI & Drones: Edge-AI drones are now being trialled to survey sites autonomously and detect hazards.
- VR and AR Training: Immersive training is now mainstream. Virtual Reality programs that simulate real-world emergency scenarios are helping people retain far more than traditional classroom methods.
These tools are not just shiny add-ons; they are redefining what “competence” means. It’s no longer enough to say you’re safe — you must demonstrate it, through tested behaviours, repeated simulation, and data.
Why 2025 Feels Like a Turning Point (from My Perspective)
- Integrity isn’t optional anymore.
The fraud issues of the past have forced the industry to embrace real-time verification, stricter standards, and a mindset shift toward continuous competence rather than paper credentials. - Training quality is being re-evaluated.
The cost war exposed a bitter truth: cheap training often costs far more in risk. Firms are thinking not just about getting certified, but about partnering with reputable, high-quality providers. - Leadership matters.
With re-certification now urgent for many site managers, leaders who genuinely understand how to train, mentor and verify are in high demand. - The culture of safety is maturing.
It’s no longer about ticking boxes. Companies are investing in the “why” of safety: building a safety-first culture, using tech, and putting worker competence at the heart of operations.
Looking Ahead: What 2026 (and Beyond) Holds for Site Safety
As we turn the page into 2026, here’s what I believe we’ll see—and what those of us tasked with training, leading and building must wrestle with.
- Mainstream Digital Verification
Adoption of digital ID and credential systems (like Smart Check) will become universal. Digital cards, real-time verification, and blockchain-esque traceability can make fraudulent certificates a thing of the past. (NASC’s move to digital CISRS cards is just the beginning.) - Accountability Embedded in Compliance
With the Building Safety Act well in play, companies will be legally and financially exposed if they cut corners on competence. Pre-qualification systems like the Common Assessment Standard will drive this accountability. - Higher-Quality Training, Not Just Cheaper
The price war of 2025 will force a reckoning: companies will increasingly choose training providers on the basis of quality, not just cost. Reputable providers offering “blended + live + digitally verified” training will win out. - Competence Culture, Not Just Certificates
We’ll move from a “qualification culture” to a competence culture: training will be ongoing, scenario-based, data-informed, and built on demonstration, not just testing. - Continued Tech-Driven Safety Innovation
Drone surveillance, AI hazard prediction, VR/AR training, and wearable tech will evolve rapidly. We’ll see richer data on “near misses,” fatigue and behaviour — enabling predictive safety rather than reactive. - Pressure on Training Providers
Sub-standard providers will either improve or be forced out. As companies demand verifiable competence, opaque or “cheap and cheerful” training businesses will struggle. This is healthy — because safety is too high a price to pay for corner-cutting.
Final Thoughts from Mike Adams, MBE
2025 has been a watershed year — not because every site is now perfect, but because the conversation has changed. Competence, verification, and integrity are no longer optional. The shockwaves of fraudulent certificates, cheap training and unchecked risk have forced us to evolve.
As someone who’s been training through good times and bad, I feel cautiously optimistic. Yes, the balancing act is getting harder. Site managers have to navigate complex regulation, tight budgets, and teams under stress. But I’m more convinced than ever that the right training — delivered honestly, verified rigorously and embedded in a safety-first culture — can transform not only how we work, but how we value each other’s lives.
If 2025 was the turning point, then 2026 must be the year we build on it—firmly, transparently, and safely.
