Construction Health & Safety News, Advice and Information from PP Construction Safety

Minimal fine imposed following 7m fall caused by lack of precautions   

Charles Painting (UK) Ltd of Rotherham has been ordered to pay £3k in fines and prosecution costs following a fragile roof fall in June 2007.

The company pleaded guilty to charges under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 – Regulation 9(2) at Sheffield Magistrates Court when the court heard John Henderson suffered multiple fractures to his legs and arm when he fell through a fragile roof rooflight.

Read the rest of this article »

At least five die as power plant testing ends in tragedy

There has been a major explosion at the site of a new power plant in Connecticut USA. 

The explosion destroyed walls at the unfinished power plant and intiated a fire during a test of natural gas lines. At least five workers have died and dozens injured. Read the rest of this article »

Failure to control silica dust exposure prompts hefty fine

Stonemasons William Anelay Limited, of York has been ordered to pay £36k in fines and prosecutions costs after two stonemasons fell ill following exposure to uncontrolled levels of respirable crystalline silica.

The exposure occurred between May 1994 and July 2008 during dry stone carving without extraction ventilation or use of protective equipment. Read the rest of this article »

Highways Agency urges drivers to “Respect Our Road Workers”

The Highways Agency (HA) is reminding drivers to take extra care when driving through roadworks both for their own safety and that of thousands of workers who maintain our roads.

Eleven roadworkers were killed and 104 seriously injured between 2003 and 2008 while working on motorways and major A roads in England.

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Industry body issues Guide to excavator quick hitch safety

The quick hitch (QH) is designed to save time when changing excavator buckets. 

When used properly it can reduce the risk of injury through manual handling and crushing during bucket changing.

However, in recent years have been fatalities involving use of a QH where the bucket has become inadvertently detached.  Read the rest of this article »

MEWP toppled as concealed manhole cover failed under load

Shepherd Construction Limited of York has been ordered to pay over £26k in fines and prosecution costs after a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) overturned.

The incident seriously injured the operator and put the public at risk. Read the rest of this article »

Inquest into DLR excavator death delivers ‘accidental’ verdict

An inquest has been held at Walthamstow Coroners on January 29 into the death of a construction worker from Luton who died in December 2008 whilst working on a Docklands Light Railway project at West Ham.

He was struck on the head by an excavator bucket and died instantly. The jury has returned a verdict of accidental death. Read the rest of this article »

Prosecution cases and enforcement notices added to register

There was 6 record relating to 2 construction sector prosecutions added to the HSE Register during week ending 5th February 2010. 

The cases are summarised below with fine in brackets: Read the rest of this article »

MP introduces 10 minute rule Bill to enhance director duties 

Labour MP Frank Doran has used the parliamentary “ten minute rule” to sponser a Private Members’ Bill that seeks to amend the HSW Act by adding a positive duty on directors to secure health and safety.

The Health and Safety (Company Director Liability) Bill was introduced on 19 January and formally read. Read the rest of this article »

Dubai crane skyline changes as construction projects stall 

The BBC has produced an interesting video report on the crane market in UAE.

It is reported that ”companies are struggling to get their cranes off construction projects which have been put on hold, and prevent hundreds of their cranes from rusting on construction sites and in yards around the country.”

HSE work at height access equipment Toolkit released

The HSE has launched a new phase of the Shattered Lives Campaign aimed a slips, trips and fall incidents that cause an estimated £800 million each year. More workplace deaths are triggered by falls from height than any other cause.

A new work at height access equipment toolkit (WAIT) is included. Read the rest of this article »

House building company fined after ladder fall fatality

DC Kennedy Homes Ltd has been ordered to pay £15k in fines and prosecution costs following the death of construction worker Ian Smith, 64, who fell from an unstable ladder.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Smith was working on a project to build six new semi-detached houses on 19 December 2007 when Read the rest of this article »

Construction workers suffer fatal falls from Forth and Tay bridges

Two workers have died in separate falls from the Forth and Tay Rail Bridges in Scotland. The Forth Bridge death occurred when a painter fell some 50m from a ladder. The fall on the Tay Bridge was from a ‘ledge’.

David Simpson Network Rail Scotland said: “These tragic events have deeply shocked and saddened everyone linked to these projects” Read the rest of this article »

UK to officially recognise Workers Memorial Day in 2010 

Government Minister Yvette Cooper has announced that Workers Memorial Day will now be officially recognised to commemorate thousands of people who have died, been seriously injured or made ill through their work.

This follows Government consultation in July to explore options for official recognition of the day, which gained widespread support. Read the rest of this article »

HSE publish guidance on tower crane notification regulations

The Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010 (the ‘Regulations’) come into force on 6 April 2010.

The Regulations require certain information about conventional tower cranes used on construction sites to be notified to Read the rest of this article »

Location signs to help drivers during breakdown on the M50

New signs designed to help drivers pinpoint where they are if they break down or want to report a problem on the motorway are being installed along the full length of the M50.

The new roadside driver location signs will ensure the Highways Agency (HA) and emergency services can Read the rest of this article »

Research seeks ways to improve risk avoidance through design

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has partnered with HSE to create a funding scheme to research how risk avoidance through design is currently being taught in Schools of Architecture in the United Kingdom.

The objectives of the research are to:  Read the rest of this article »

Contractor fined after failure to heed warnings and poor conditions 

Scotcare Preservation Ltd of Edinburgh, has been fined £3.6k at Selkirk Sheriff Court after admitting that it failed to provide adequate supervision on a Galashiels construction project in 2008. 

The company also admitted that the site foreman was Read the rest of this article »

Failure to appoint and manage led to CDM breaches and asbestos risk

Construction client Frank Bruce and Company Ltd, of Bristol has been ordered to pay over £25k in fines and prosecutions costs.

The company had organised refurbishment work involving the removal asbestos insulation board without precautions and the required CDM 2007 appointments.

The court heard that Read the rest of this article »

Prosecution cases and enforcement notices added to register

There was 1 record relating to 1 construction sector prosecution added to the HSE Register during week ending 29nd January 2010. 

The cases are summarised below with fine in brackets: Read the rest of this article »