Plumbing supplier and contractor fined after health and safety failings lead to building collapse
A plumbing supply company and its self-employed building contractor have been fined after construction work was not carried out safely at the company’s premises in Burnley.
On 21 October 2018, Northwest Plumbing Supplier Limited and its contractor were carrying out construction work on the retail building without measures to adequately plan, manage and monitor the work. Suitable measures were not in place to protect members of the public and operatives on site. Therefore, the work was not carried out safely and a large section of the building collapsed into the adjacent car park and across the main road.
An HSE investigation found that Northwest Plumbing Supplier Limited had failed to appoint a contractor with the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability. The investigation also found that the company had failed to adequately plan and manage the project.
The contractor had hired and sourced equipment and materials for the work but failed to ensure the structural integrity of the building. The contractor also failed to ensure lifting operations were carried out safely, which put members of the public at risk.
Breaches
Northwest Plumbing Supplier Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015:
- Regulation 13(1) requires principal contractors to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and coordinate health and safety matters to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, construction work is undertaken without risk to health or safety.
The contractor pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:
- Section 3(2) requires every self-employed person to conduct their undertaking in a way to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that they and other persons are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
Penalties
Northwest Plumbing Supplier Limited was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,843.
The contractor was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and was ordered to pay costs of £750.
Worker injuries at fabric manufacturer lead to penalties
A manufacturer of plastic-coated fabrics has been fined after an employee’s hand was drawn into an unguarded part of a machine.
On 20 August 2019, a machine operator at the site in Lancashire was carrying out work activities on a large embossing machine, known as the Briem machine. His hand became drawn into the nip point between two counter rotating rollers; referred to as the shell and the bole. The incident resulted in irreversible crush injuries to his right hand and the surgical amputation of three fingers.
For product quality, the shell roller needed to be kept at an ice-cold temperature. This was achieved by using water cooled from a chiller unit outside the building. Previous incidents leading up to the accident of the chiller “cutting out” had made it custom and practice for the operators to check the temperature of the moving roller by hand..
An HSE investigation found that there was insufficient guarding to the machine, with at least four exposed nip points. It was also found the company had a heavy reliance on training rather than engineering controls, such as fixed guarding.
Following the incident, the company is understood to have taken remedial measures to ensure machinery safety, including suitable guarding to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machine.
Breach
Uniroyal Global Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:
- Section 2(1) requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.
Penalty
Uniroyal Global Ltd was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,462.75.
Asbestos removal contractor fined after fatal gas explosion
A contractor has been fined after a gas explosion led to a fatal injuries to one worker and serious injuries to another.
On 5 October 2017, workers were removing a boiler and pipework and overspraying walls to remove asbestos residue at the former Pastoral Centre in Wishaw.
The work was being carried out prior to demolition of the building. The plan was to cut the boiler and pipework into sections to make it easier to remove. However, the gas supply had not been isolated and the workers cut through a live gas outlet pipe. The gas within the pipe was ignited, causing an explosion.
Two workers received extensive burns to their body and underwent surgery. One of the employees died in hospital several days after the incident.
An HSE investigation found that the risk assessment and plan of work for the job had identified services present in the boiler room. However, the company had failed to ensure the gas pipe was isolated and purged of gas before work began.
Breach
Enviraz (Scotland) Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Penalty
Enviraz (Scotland) Limited was fined £150,000.
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