![PP Construction Safety logo and link to home page [1]](http://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/wp-content/themes/ppcs960/images/ppcslogo.jpg)
DEVELOPER PROSECUTED FOR FAILURE TO MANAGE SAFETY
Court fines firm after lack of response to HSE advice and prohibitions
Prestige Homes Construction Company Ltd has been prosecuted after three stop orders were issued following visits to a construction project in Greater Manchester.
HSE first served the developer with a Prohibition Notice in May 2008 following inspection of the site of a new ‘mansion’ on Stanhope Road in Bowden where open excavation edges were found. A follow-up visit found that scaffolding had been provided and met the required standards.
During a further inspection in July 2009 large amounts of ‘rubble’ were found around the site making access dangerous leading to a second Prohibition Notice.
Finally, when inspectors visited in August 2009 scaffolding was found to be in a dangerous condition with missing guardrails/toe boards and gaps in the platforms. HSE therefore took the decision to prosecute.
Two strikes and out
Prestige Homes Construction Company Ltd was charged with breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to take sufficient action to prevent falls, and Regulation 27(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 by failing to keep the construction site in good order.
Prestige Homes, of Bury New Road in Manchester, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,792 after admitting two health and safety offences at Minshull Street’s Manchester Crown Court on 6 May 2011. Ian Betley, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:
“The lives of several construction workers were put at risk because Prestige Homes failed to make sure the site remained safe. We gave the company two chances to improve standards but, in the end, we had no choice but to prosecute.
Falls from height remain the biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of injury. We found missing guardrails on two separate occasions that meant it would have been dangerous to work on the site.
The amount of rubble we spotted when we inspected the site in July 2009 also made it very difficult to carry out work safely. It was only by chance that no one was seriously injured.”
Latest Construction Health and Safety News
HSE SAFETY ALERT: TOWER CRANE BRAKES
Collapse of tower crane jib in high winds prompts HSE warning
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 11th December 2018VISITING ENGINEER CRUSHED BY SCAFFOLD TUBES
Principal contractor “signed off” contractor storage arrangements
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 11th December 2018CONCRETE EJECTED BY PUMPING UNIT CLAIMED LIFE
Company and director failed to train and supervise pumping operations
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 5th December 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 5th DEC 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices register latest version
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 5th December 2018REFRESHED GUIDANCE ON FITNESS TO OPERATE PLANT
Construction plant medical fitness Good Practice Guide
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 4th December 2018MAJOR CONTRACTOR & LUL USED UNSAFE SYSTEM
Work method to eliminate moving vehicle hazard not adopted
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 4th December 2018OVERTURNING LORRY CAUSED DEATH OF DRIVER
Groundworks project stockpiling arrangements not properly managed
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 3rd December 2018FORTH BRIDGE LIFTING OPERATION NOT PLANNED
Major project PC failed to plan, supervise and carry out lift safely
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 3rd December 2018DEVELOPER FAILED ON ASBESTOS ASSESSMENT
HSE inspection revealed refurb works without asbestos survey
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018POST DRIVER HAMMER CRUSHED HAND OF WORKMAN
Unsafe system of work for vehicle crash barrier installation
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018WORKER FELL FROM LOFT THROUGH CEILING
Major house builder lacked understanding of loft fragile surfaces risk
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018NEW SITE DUMPER SAFETY GUIDANCE ISSUED
Construction plant sector concerns prompts CPA consults on draft
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018CCTV INSTALLER FELL THROUGH FRAGILE ROOFLIGHT
Contractor failed to properly plan and control the risks
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018VISITOR DIED FALLING INTO CONCEALED BASEMENT
Contractor failed to protect basement void on domestic project
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th November 2018RACKING FALL REVEALED UNSAFE SYSTEM OF WORK
European firm fined £300,000 after UK sub-contractor employee fell
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th November 2018FAILURE TO ACT ON VIBRATION AND SILICA HAZARDS
Worker health put at risk during stripping of furnace lining
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th November 2018MAJOR FM FIRM FAILED TO MAINTAIN BACK-UP POWER
Power loss at laboratory site created potential risk from biological agents
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th November 2018IGNORING HSE PROHIBITIONS COST FIRM £250,000
CDM 2015 and work at height requirements repeatedly breached
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 16th November 2018ROOF COLLAPSED UNDER EXCESS LOADING
Director and company fined over roof design failures
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 11th November 2018FORK LIFT OVERTURNED IN SCAFFOLDING YARD
Untrained operator suffered life changing crush injuries
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 10th November 2018STRUCTURAL SAFETY ALERT: EFFECTS OF SCALE
SCOSS issues alert after concerns disclosed over ‘large structures’
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018ASBESTOS EXPOSED BY UNTRAINED WORKERS
Contractor failed to act properly despite HSE intervention
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018GAS MAIN STRIKE REPAIR CAUSED SEVERE BURNS
Contractor excavator damage to gas pipe ends in £1.2m fine
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018REBAR FELL FROM FLT IN UNSAFE LIFTING OPERATION
Multiple fractures caused by inappropriate use of fork lift
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018POORLY PLANNED LIFT DISMANTLE INJURED WORKMAN
Counterweight or suspension rope struck worker in lift shaft
Posted on 1st November 2018
