HSE inspectors and Environmental Health Officers from Hull City Council visited 56 sites on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The HSE said it stopped work on 24 sites because people were at risk of sustaining serious or fatal, injuries. The executive said it was concerned about inadequate scaffolding, poorly planned work at heights and handling heavy materials.

The HSE carried out a similar campaign earlier this year in North and North East Lincolnshire. It stopped work at 17 sites to prevent serious risks of injury.

HSE Inspector Dave Stewart, who was involved in the inspections, said: “Although health and safety standards on some of the sites visited were good I am disappointed at the amount of work inspectors had to stop because there was a clear risk to people's safety.”

In 2005/2006, 59 people died in construction incidents, and there were 3677 major injuries over the period. Stewart said: “Many of those accidents were entirely preventable if suitable and sufficient safeguards had been put in place. As well as the enforcement notices served, prosecution of some construction companies is being considered.”

Stewart said the HSE will target construction companies that cannot demonstrate satisfactory health and safety standards. He said: “Prosecution will be considered where there is a blatant disregard for Health and Safety law on construction sites.”