Construction company fined for numerous health and safety failings
Urban Living Constructions Limited has been fined after an inspection identified multiple health and safety failings.
An HSE inspection of a construction site in Roseneath Road, London on 5 August 2019 identified a range of breaches. These included locations on site that had no edge protection to prevent falls, including a plank that traversed a basement extension to provide access into the property. There were also insufficient measures in place to prevent the collapse of the sides of a large excavation.
Previous HSE inspections had been undertaken at other Urban Living Constructions sites between 2015 and 2019. During this time two prohibition notices were served in relation to unsafe work at height and one prohibition notice was served in relation to an unsafe excavation.
Breach
Urban Living Constructions Limited pleaded guilty to a breach of 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
Urban Living Constructions Limited was fined £50,000 with costs of £6,578.84.
Shipbuilder fined after employee fatality
Carmet Marine Limited, a shipbuilding and repair company in Merseyside, has been fined after an employee was fatally injured.
On 30 March 2017, the 23-year-old employee and four other workers of Carmet Marine Limited had been adapting or ‘regulating’ the bogie, which is used to land and launch vessels on and off the company’s slipway by the River Mersey. One of the bogie’s steel side-posts, weighing approximately 1800 kilograms and measuring 31 foot long, fell. This post struck the employee on the back of the head, causing fatal injuries.
An HSE investigation found that the steel side-post had only been secured to the crossbeam on the bogie by two slackened bolts and was not supported by a crane or other means at the time of the incident.
Carmet Marine Limited failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and implement a safe system of work. In addition, the company did not provide the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees during the task of regulating the slipway.
Breach
Carmet Marine Limited of Riverbank Road, Bromborough, Wirral, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Penalty
Carmet Marine Limited was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,000.
Fines for company after workers developed hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)
Peter Duffy Ltd, a construction company from Wakefield, has been sentenced for safety breaches after multiple employees were diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS).
Seven cases of HAVS were reported by the company between November 2016 and August 2018. All of the workers affected had been undertaking ground works involving vibrating tools. Many of the workers affected had been working in the industry for over 20 years.
An HSE investigation found that in 2016 the company contracted a new occupational health provider to replace their existing one. The diagnosis of the workers’ conditions resulted from these changes. Prior to the new company taking over the contract, there was no suitable health surveillance in place to identify HAVS.
Breach
Peter Duffy Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Penalty
Peter Duffy Ltd has been fined £40,000 and was ordered to pay £3,919 in costs.
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