In total 42 construction site workers were killed in accidents at work in the first six months of this year, according to social affairs ministry inspectors.

This is a rise of more than 50% on the 27 deaths recorded in the first half of 2015, the inspectors say in a new report.

Half the deaths were due to falls.

The increase is due to the upturn in the construction sector following the economic crisis, the report said.

In addition, communication problems play a part, the inspectors said. ‘There are often multiple companies working on the same project and this makes it unclear who is responsible for safety,’ a spokesman told broadcaster NOS.

The increase in foreign workers – namely people from Poland, Romania and Britain who don’t speak Dutch – also makes communication more difficult, the spokesman said.