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

Demolition worker seriously injured in excavator incident

An  young demolition worker has been seriously injured in an incident involving an excavator during demolition of a disused cinema in Ramsay Cambridgshire on 17th March 2010. It appears he was working on the ground in close proximity to the excavator when he was struck by the attachment. Further report

Comment: Most excavator related deaths involve a person working in the vicinity of the excavator rather than the driver. Bunting or fencing can be used to create and maintain a pedestrian exclusion area.

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Construction company director denies manslaughter allegation

Edward Day (E J Construction T/A) is facing a manslaughter trial following the death of workman Mark Wilkin who drowned when a dumper truck fell into a lake in 2007.

The death occurred during redevelopment of a quarry involving major earth moving work.  The prosecution allege that ”the risk of the dumper overturning into deep water is a great one.  There is a real chance of a dumper going over the edge. That is exactly what happened to the unfortunate Mark Wilkin.”

The trial continues. Further detail.

Directors of decorating firm prosecuted after unexplained fall 

Liversedge Decorating Contractors Ltd, two of its directors, and a second company Foster Turn-Key Contracts Ltd have today been prosecuted after a painter was injured on a student accomodation refurbishment project in 2007.

Trevor Dawson of Yorkshire was working as a painter when the incident happened. Magistrates heard that he apparently fell from a ladder. There were no witnesses. (more…)

Court rejects workman fall injury compensation claim on client

A decorator who was injured whilst using a ladder owned by a domestic client has failed in his six-figure compensation claim. Tomasz Kmiecic fractured his elbow when the under length ladder he used slipped when attempted to access a garage roof.

The judge said the facts suggested Mr Sniegula was “in respect of this work at least irresponsible and incompetent” and he “may have deserved the epithet of a cowboy operator”.

Aberdeenshire company fined after apprentice joiner injured in fall

Scotia Homes (North) Limited has been fined £4k for breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 after a 17 year-old trainee fell 3m to a concrete floor.

He fell  through an unguarded stairwell opening on a new homes development project injuring his head and legs. (more…)

HSL offer second training day to meet excessive demand for new course

The Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), an agency of HSE, recently launched a new one-day course on behaviour change which is fully booked.

An further course has now been arranged for Wednesday 31 March 2010 at the HSL Laboratory in the Buxton and only a few places are remaining.

The cost of the course is £395 + VAT (to include course notes, lunch and refreshments). You can contact HSL by e-mail training@hsl.gov.uk  or by telephone on 01298 2188

Failure to identify lead paint on renovation project causes lead risk 

HSE has issued a reminder to refurb clients and contractors of the dangers of exposure to lead paint in the workplace. It follows the prosecution of a Perthshire company after two workers were admitted to hospital with acute lead poisoning. 

The restoration company, Blairish Restorations Limited of Aberfeld, Scotland was fined £10k at the Perth Sheriff Court.

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South west hotel developer given short sharp shock for unsafe working

A Newquay-based company has been ordered to pay £5k in fines and prosecution costs after putting builders at risk on one of its hotel construction sites in the town.

 Bluechip Hotels Ltd of Porth, pleaded guilty to breaching HSW Act Sections 2 and 3 after failng to provide guardrails on a ‘bridge’ walkway.  (more…)

HSE inspection initiatives finds too many dangerous sites

More than a quarter of the construction sites visited in Greater Manchester last week failed safety inspections. HSE inspectors carried out checks at 163 construction sites in Manchester, Salford and Trafford during two days of intensive inspections.

Inspectors issued 56 enforcement notices across 42 of the sites.  Work was either stopped immediately or projects were required to make improvements. Some companies may face prosecution. (more…)

Construction sector selected for HSE training initiative

There is evidence that involving the workforce is fundamental to good health and safety performance, and good for business. 

HSE is therefore offering two new subsidised health and safety training courses designed to either: (1) help organisations get started with worker involvement; or (2) improve their existing arrangements for involving workers. (more…)

NASC issues Safety Alert concerning defective scaffold board dangers

The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) has recently issued a Safety Alert covering defective scaffold boards.

The alert follows an incident in which a bricklayer was walking from an inner birdcage onto the external top lift of scaffold at 8 metres above ground level. On stepping onto the inner most scaffold board of the external scaffold lift it snapped in half, fortunately the bricklayer managed to stop himself falling completely through the 225mm gap. (more…)

Steelmaker fined after mobile crane defect ends in overturn

Corus UK Ltd has been fined £100k after a workman escaped with minor injuries when the crane he was operating overturned at Aldwarke Steel Works in Rotherham on 4 September 2008.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that although the crane had been fitted with ’safe working load’ alarms the alarms were not operational. (more…)

HSE Chair pays tribute  to mananagement on major construction site

Judith Hackitt, Chair of HSE, has visited the £500m Peel Media development in Salford to see how leadership and innovation are helping to ensure site safety.

The visit focussed on how safety is paramount in delivering the 36-acre site at Salford Quays, which will be home to offices, studios, leisure facilities, a hotel and apartments. A new guardrail scaffolding system was highlighted during the visit.  (more…)

New safety leaflets for construction site builders now on HSE website

Four short and plain guides for ’busy builders’ have been posted on the HSE website.

These cover the following issues: (1) Running a small construction site  (2) Manual Handling (3) Roofwork and (4)  Welfare

Construction sector proactive enforcement rising and prosecutions falling

Our provisional analysis of HSE Enforcement Registers suggests that number of HSE Construction Division proactive enforcement notices issued contines to rise and increased 22% during 2009. 

The number of prosecution cases fell 9% over the same period. (more…)

Builder fined after workers on extension put at risk

Shane Homes Limited, of Hull has been today fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £799 costs at Beverley Magistrates’ Court on 10 March 2010 after using unsafe scaffolding. The court heard that during a routine inspection on a house extension HSE observed working on scaffolding that was unsafe and posed a risk of serious injury. (more…)

Prosecution cases and enforcement notices added to register

The records of enforcement action taken by HSE Construction Division during the week 27 December 2009 to 04 January 2010 were added to the HSE database on 10 March 2010.

There were no construction sector prosecutions added to the HSE Register during this period. There was 1 construction sector enforcement notice added to the HSE Register. (more…)

Merseyside builder fined for putting lives at risk

A Merseyside builder has been fined £1,500 after he and another man were spotted working on a pub roof in St Helens without safety equipment. 

HSE prosecuted Charles Molloy (Molloy Building Contractors T/A) after an inspector spotted the men on the roof of the Black Horse Hotel on Park Road on 18 June 2009. (more…)

Manslaughter charges anticipated after alleged evidence of poor repair 

The owner of a crane which collapsed in New York in 2008 is expected to face charges of manslaughter.

The incident led to the death of two workmen. Investigation by Manhattan District Attorney is said to have revealed evidence the crane was not properly repaired after being struck by lightning. See full report.

Firm fined after worker trapped for two hours in trench collapse

Vickers Construction Limited, has been ordered by Darlington Magistrates to pay over £8k in fines and prosecution costs after a groundworker was injured and trapped for more than two hours when a trench collapsed.

The court heard that the incident occurred in November 2008 as an excavator was being used to open a trench for drainage pipes on a sloping bank near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. (more…)

‘Fit Notes’ and Health Adviceline to support earlier returns to work

From 6 April 2010, doctors will be able to advise if a patient ‘may be fit for work’ and offer advice on the effects of their health condition. Patients may be declared able to work if temporary changes e.g. reduced hours / amended duties could be accommodated.

A new occupational health adviceline is being extended to give every small business in Britain easy access to professional occupational health advice from 1 April 2010. (more…)

If you think construction work is up and down try ferry work!

This short video clip shows a passenger ferry (The Caribou) operating between Port-aux-Basques in (Newfoundland) and North Sydney (Nova Scotia) in the winter.

As you watch, remember this ferry carries 1200 passengers, with two vehicle decks holding 370 motoe vehicles and 77 tractor trailers!

Trapped groundworker rescued by defendant and firefighters

Contractor Anthony Hill (Hill Plant Hire T/A) of Sawston, Cambridgeshire has been ordered to pay over £5k in fines and prosecution costs at Cambridge Magistrates Court on 4 March 2010.

The 58-year-old builder was in charge of groundwork on a construction project in October 2007 when a trench collapsed on one of his employees. (more…)

Builder prosecuted after failing to provide adequate welfare facilities

Bryan Ellis Brown, a partner in Bryan Brown & Son, of Bridlington has been fined for providing below par welfare facilities on a small site in July 2009. 

Magistrates heard that a toilet unit was not plumbed in, and there was no water supplied to sinks in a cabin or adjacent toilet compartment at the construction site for a pair of cottages. (more…)

Blacklisting trades unionists now outlawed under new regulations

It is now unlawful for trade union members to be denied employment through blacklists, under new regulations which came into effect on 2 March 2010.

The Government has introduced new rules banning the practice following public consultation on the subject and evidence that a number of employers in the construction sector had been unlawfully vetting workers. (more…)