Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Construction firm and building owner fined

A construction firm and building owner have been fined after a builder suffered fractured vertebrae when he fell from a factory roof in Hertfordshire.

Danny Langdon (63) of Sudbury, Suffolk, injured his spine in the seven-metre fall on Christmas Eve 2008 and has been off work since.

Mr Langdon fell through a factory roof light, hit a gantry crane and landed on machinery below.

His employer, Hartog Hutton Ltd, appeared at St Albans Crown Court today and admitted breaching three health and safety regulations. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £7,076 in costs.

Hartog Hutton Ltd’s registered address is Winchester Road, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, but it is based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Fluorocarbon Company Ltd, of Caxton Hill, Hertford, which had contracted Hartog Hutton to carry out the repairs to its factory roof, appeared at East Hertfordshire Magistrates’ Court in Hertford on 26 April 2010 and admitted one charge. It was fined £5,000 with £5,195 in costs.

HSE Inspector John Berezansky said:

“This incident was entirely avoidable and should not have happened. Working at height is one of the most obvious and well-known dangers for those involved in repairing or maintenance of buildings.

“Mr Langdon is lucky to be alive. More than 4,000 employees suffered serious injury after falling from height last year and 15 were killed. Employers need to plan ahead and assess potential risks before carrying out any work at height. HSE runs a high-profile Shattered Lives campaign all about slips, trips and falls in the workplace and I would urge all employers to find out more by visiting the website at www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives[1].

“HSE will continue to prosecute companies that fail to carry out their duties, which includes both employers and firms hiring contractors to do specialist work for them.”

Hartog Hutton Ltd admitted the following charges:

Breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 by failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of working on a roof.
Breaching Regulation 9(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to take reasonably practicable steps to prevent a person working near or on a fragile roof.
Breaching Regulation 4(1)(c)(i) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 by failing to ensure that employees working on a roof were competent to do so.
Fluorocarbon Company Ltd admitted one charge:

Breaching Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 by failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that the contractor engaged to undertake the work was competent to do so.

Notes to editors
1.HSE is Britain’s national regulator for workplace safety and health. It aims to reduce injuries and illness in the workplace.
2.Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states: “Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work.”
3.Regulation 9(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 states: “Every employer shall ensure that no person at work passes across or near, or works on, from or near, a fragile surface where it is reasonably practicable to carry out work safely and under appropriate ergonomic conditions without his doing so.”
4.Regulation 4(1)(c)(i) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 states: “No person on whom these regulations place a duty shall arrange or instruct a worker to carry out or manage design or construction work unless the worker is competent.”
5.Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 states: “No person on whom these regulations place a duty shall appoint or engage a CDM co-ordinator, designer, principal contractor or contractor unless he has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the person to be appointed or engaged is competent.”

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

ARE YOU GOING TO BE MADE REDUNDANT?

We may be able to help with funded training for those who are expecting to made redundant. If this applies to you, and you would like to undergo training for Forklift Operation, Scaffolding, Cherry-Picker type vehicles, First Aid, Manual Handling, Abrasive Wheel safety, or other topics please give us a call on 01493 844224 to discuss your requirements.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

WE NEED MORE TRAINERS

Anglia Skills Academy have ongoing requirements for self employed instructors.

We are interested in hearing from instructors who are qualified to provide instruction in Mobile Elevated Work Platforms, Abrasive Wheels, Slinger Banksman, Shunter Training, Vehicle Marshalling, Overhead Crane, Manual Handling and HIAB.

For further information please contact us on 01493 844224 or send us your CV to:
Anglia Skills Academy Ltd., Unit R, Eurocentre, North River Road, Great Yarmouth NR30 1TE

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

HSE launches crackdown on dangerous construction sites (HSE Website 1st March 2010)

HSE inspectors are to launch an intensive inspection initiative aimed at stopping dangerous practices on building sites across Great Britain.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wants to raise awareness of construction site risks and prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths.

Construction is one of Britain’s most dangerous industries. During 2008/09, 53 workers died and 11 264 were injured, across Great Britain, while working in construction.

The inspection initiative - starting on 1 March - will focus on refurbishment or roofing work. Inspectors will make unannounced visits to ensure that sites are managing work at height safely and are in good order.

Philip White, HSE’s Chief Inspector of Construction said:

“Each year too many construction workers are needlessly injured or killed while working on site. While some sectors of the industry have made real improvements in recent years, we are really concerned about standards in the refurbishment sector, particularly on small projects.

“HSE does not think a lax attitude to health and safety in one of the more dangerous industries is acceptable, especially when many of the incidents are completely avoidable by taking commonsense actions and precautions.

“This is the third year running we have run initiatives like this and, after these latest inspections, we hope that we can report back that we have found good practice and safely operating sites.

“However, if we find poor practice that is putting the lives of workers and, in some cases the public, at risk we will take action; this could include closing sites and prosecuting those responsible.”

1.During the inspection initiative, HSE inspectors will be looking at whether:
Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place
Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly
Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls
Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions
Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste

2.Falls from height remains one of the most common causes of fatalities and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.

3.Simple mistakes shatter lives. Information on how to avoid slips, trips and falls from height in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives/industry-construction.htm

4.Further information on the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm

5.Further information on falls and trips in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/tripsandfalls/index.htm

Last year inspectors visited 1759 sites and 2145 contractors and were forced to issue more than 270 prohibition notices to stop dangerous work - much of it relating to working from height.