![PP Construction Safety logo and link to home page [1]](http://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/wp-content/themes/ppcs960/images/ppcslogo.jpg)
PROSECUTION FOLLOWS EIGHT PROHIBITION NOTICES
Contractor fined for ignoring warnings and ‘appalling’ project management
Unicorn Services Limited of Kent has been ordered to pay over £25,000 in fines and prosecution costs after continuing unsafe working practices despite repeated safety warnings on a project in Croyden near London where a four-storey block of flats was being constructed.
Westminster Magistrates’ heard (25 April) that in September 2011 a HSE inspector served eight Prohibition Notices to stop dangerous practices at the site after identifying serious safety breaches. The Notices covered scaffolding, unsafe work at height, fire risks and electrical equipment. The company also supplied “appallingly inadequate” documentation for risk assessments and project management.
When HSE returned to the site in October 2011 little or no improvement had been made to many of the illegal practices. An Improvement Notice was served requiring site manager safety training. However, the compliance date was not met.
Potential death trap with scant regard for safety
Unicorn Services Limited, of Bexley, was found guilty of breaching Regulation 26(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,940 in prosecution costs.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said:
“Unicorn Services Limited blatantly ignored enforcement notices and continued to neglect its duty of care to its workforce, most of whom were vulnerable migrant workers.
“The construction site at Sylvan Hill was a potential death trap, with scant regard for safety or employee welfare. Even though there were no reported incidents at the site, serious safety breaches were routinely committed that could have resulted in death or serious injury.
“The work was underpinned by poor management and appallingly inadequate paperwork – total recklessness according to the court. General standards fell well below those expected of a competent principal contractor, which the Health and Safety Executive will simply not tolerate.”
Latest Construction Health and Safety News
SELECTED NEWS POSTED RECENTLY ON TWITTER
![PP Construction Safety logo and link to home page [1]](https://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/wp-content/themes/ppcs960/images/ppcslogo.jpg)
Links to other construction health and safety related news reports
HSE LOOK TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR CDM SUPPORT
Council Inspectors focus on CDM client duties – asbestos, fragility and RCS
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 14th November 2019VERBAL WARNING OF DANGER IS NO DEFENCE
Hand of female worker entangled in modified metal drilling rig
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 14th November 2019UNDERGROUND CABLE STRIKE CAUSES 50% BURNS
Workman seriously injured using hand-held breaker to excavate post holes
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 14th November 2019HSE WELDING FUME REVISED GUIDANCE PUBLISHED
New research evidence on cancer link prompts revision on welding fume
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 14th November 2019VIBRATION MANAGEMENT FAILINGS FINED £600,000
Vital health surveillance, tool replacement and management found wanting
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 14th November 2019HSE ENFORCEMENT DATABASE LATEST UPDATE
View current online register of HSE prosecutions and enforcement notices
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 31st October 2019DEVELOPER AND DIRECTOR PUT PUBLIC AT RISK
Demolition undertaken without surveys and effective safety precautions
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 28th October 2019BY-PASSING MACHINE INTERLOCK FINED £1.275 MILLION
Trapped key safety system failed to prevent access to conveyor danger
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2019HSE LOSES PATIENCE WITH ERRANT CONTRACTOR
Roofing firm fined £30,000 over failure to manage work at height risks
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2019TRUSS ERECTION LACKED INTERNAL FALL PROTECTION
Carpenter fell and injured whilst falling with roof truss
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2019WORKMAN FELL HEAD FIRST THROUGH ROOFLIGHT
Fragile roof dangers not assessed and properly controlled
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2019STRUCTURAL SAFETY BODY LATEST NEWSLETTER
CROSS publishes reports and expert comment on a range of issues
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2019HSE RISK REDUCTION THROUGH DESIGN AWARD
Regulator seeks to promote hazard avoidance and risk minimisation
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2019CLIENT AND CONTRACTOR FINED OVER ASBESTOS RISK
Checks for presence of asbestos not undertaken prior to refurbishment
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2019DIRECTOR PROSECUTED AND JAILED AS EMPLOYEE
Workman fatally injured when crushed between bucket and wall
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2019BUILDING MATERIALS FIRM FINED OVER FATALITY
Failure to effectively isolated power to machinery caused death of engineer
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 10th October 2019CUSTOM AND PRACTICE CAUSED EXPLOSION DEATHS
Electrical accumulator explosion claims the lives of two engineers
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 10th October 2019REBAR FELL DURING TANDEM FLT LIFTING OP
Workman seriously injured during improperly planned and executed lift
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 10th October 2019FIRM FINED AFTER FINGER OF TRAINEE SEVERED
Young worker injured hand working on unguarded rip saw
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 8th October 2019WORKMAN FELL THROUGH ROOF OPENING
Contractor failed to provide collective edge protection or fall arrest
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th October 2019DRIVER UNDER TRAINING CRUSHED BY TELEHANDLER
Court sentences company director to unpaid work community order
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th September 2019DIRECTOR IN DOCK OVER FRAGILE ROOF RISK
Roofing contractor and director failed to plan and manage falls risk
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th September 2019HSE START PROJECT HEALTH RISK INTERVENTIONS
Regulator set to check health risks assessed and controls in place
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 30th September 2019AIF NATIONAL WORKING AT HEIGHT CONFERENCE
HSE Construction Head to speak at Access Industry Forum conference
Posted on 23rd September 2019
July 4th, 2012 at 9:11 am
[…] PROSECUTION FOLLOWS EIGHT PROHIBITION NOTICES […]