Construction Infonet - November 2012
Welcome to the latest edition of Construction Infonet.
Construction Infonet is a free eBulletin from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide a regular update on health and safety issues for all in the construction industry.
Working on fragile roofs
Falls through fragile roofs and fragile roof lights cause death and serious injury.
On average 7 people are killed each year after falling through a fragile roof or fragile roof light.
HSE has published a new leaflet
The leaflet is for building owners and occupiers, construction businesses and workers in the construction refurbishment and building maintenance sectors – in short, anyone working on fragile roofs or having work done.
It explains which surfaces present a particular risk, and what you should do as a building owner or occupier. It also explains what a safe system of work is, and gives some examples.
Read some recent and past enforcement notices and see the real consequences of not planning and implementing a safe system of work on fragile surfaces
- November 2012 - A Fife man has been fined £20,000 after one of his employees fell to his death through the fragile roof of a warehouse.
- October 2012 - A farming business has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,995 after a contractor was left paralysed when he fell through a barn roof when replacing damaged roof panels and skylights.
- September 2012 - Bridgend firm has been fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £4,181 in costs after a teenage worker plunged nearly six metres through a fragile roof at a children's activity centre.
- August 2012 - A housing repair and maintenance company has been fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,452 after a worker suffered serious neck and back fractures falling 2.4m through a fragile roof.
- May 2012 - The director of a building firm has been fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500 after a self-employed contractor fell to his death through a fragile roof at an industrial building.
- March 2012 - Futon firm fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £14,635 in costs after worker, clearing leaves from a roof valley, falls through fragile roof light.
- February 2012 - A vehicle repair firm has been fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 in prosecution costs over the death of a man who fell through a fragile garage roof.
- January 2012 - Three Dundee companies have been fined a total of £336,000 after a worker fell six and a half metres through a roof light onto a concrete floor.
Legionella control
Seasonal information
A timely reminder about securing sites to reduce the risks of accidents during the Christmas shut-down.
Before closing sites for the holiday, contractors should carry out checks to ensure loose material is secure and scaffolding is properly supported. It should be checked particularly after bad weather.
Should the site be closed for a significant period, it may be sensible to arrange for regular checks to take place to ensure that the site remains safe and secure.
Children often see poorly guarded sites as playgrounds, so contractors should do all they can to help prevent them gaining access in the first place. They should also ensure that potentially dangerous areas such as deep excavations are secure.
In addition, some advice for those working outdoor as the weather turns colder.
Health and safety events
Improve the health and safety of your business by attending a health and safety event near you. Most of the Working Well Together (WWT) events we list are FREE and all provide an opportunity to meet like-minded people, see interesting new equipment and get confidential advice.
Find your nearest WWT Group and get involved.
Places are available at the following Working Well Together (WWT) event
Plus many more WWT events planned for 2013.
Recent publications
HSE publications
Free leaflet
Subscriptions
Recent enforcement activity
Read details of some recent HSE prosecutions and enforcement action in the construction sector and find sources of relevant advice.
Work at height
- 6 November 2012 - A scaffolding company and its director have been fined £2,000 with £1,000 costs each for safety failings after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in a 2.5 metre fall from a scaffold platform at a property in Kent.
- 14 November 2012 - Company fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs for endangering the lives of several construction workers as they worked on unsafe scaffolding at a farm in the Ribble Valley.
- 14 November 2012 - A building firm has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,629 in costs for putting the lives of its employees and nearby residents at risk after repeatedly ignoring safety warnings on a redevelopment project in Bristol city centre.
- 22 November 2012 - A Lancashire builder has been fined £2,000 after he ignored a formal warning to stop working at the top of a dangerous scaffolding tower.
- 28 November 2012 – A Newquay building contractor has been fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,800 costs for allowing multiple safety failings at a new-build construction site, exposing workers to serious risk of injury.
Further information
Asbestos
Further information
Underground/concealed services
Further information
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