A Gas Safe registered engineer from Middlesex has been fined for safety failings after he carried out an unsafe installation.

In a one day trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court it was heard how Michael Efthymiou, a self- employed gas engineer, carried out an unsafe installation of a gas combination boiler and flue at a domestic property in Crossfield Road, Clacton-on-Sea.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that on 7 February 2015 Michael Efthymiou left the boiler in place with significant failings that left the tenants at risk of exposure to dangerous products of combustion.

Michael Efthymiou, of Nursery Gardens, Enfield, Middlesex was found guilty of breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 27(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined £2,460.00 and ordered to pay £6722.37 costs.

For further information on Gas Safety visit:

www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/

Two roofing companies and one of their directors have been fined after a worker fell to his death through a skylight.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how 46 year old Lance Davies, a father of seven, died after falling over seven metres through a roof light at industrial premises in the Crumlin area of South Wales.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 15 December 2011 found that the work at height on the roof was not properly planned, managed or monitored. There were inadequate control measures in place to prevent a fall through the roof lights.

SPAN Roofing Contractors Limited, of Sunnyside Road North, Weston Super Mare, North Somerset, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, and was fined £65,000 and ordered to pay costs of £37,500.

B & T Roofing Solutions Limited, of Arthur Street, Ystrad, Pentre, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and was fined a total of £20,000.

Kristian Griffiths, of Arthur Street, Ystrad, Pentre, a director of B & T Roofing Solutions Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by virtue of Section 37 of the Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974, and was given a 160 hours community service order.

B & T Roofing Solutions and Kristian Griffiths were ordered to pay costs of £32,500 between them.

Following the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Paul Harvey said: “Falls through fragile roof lights and roofs are one of the biggest causes of fatalities and serious injury in the construction industry.  The issue is well known in the construction industry and there is plenty of guidance available.

“The tragic death of Mr Davies could easily have been avoided had the work been planned, managed and monitored effectively and simple and cost effective control measures put in place.”

For further information on working at height visit: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm

Cardiff-based construction company, Jehu Project Services Ltd, has been sentenced after a worker was seriously injured falling down a lift pit.

The incident happened on 8 July 2015 at a construction site in Pontcanna, Cardiff. Stephen Harrison, a specialist drilling contractor, was employed by Jehu to help refurbish a 73-bed care home when he fell into the basement of a lift pit that was under construction.

Mr Harrison stepped onto the ground floor having been working off a tower scaffold, but stood on a loose concrete block causing him to fall backwards, head-first, into a skip full of rubble on the floor below.

A specialist Fire and Rescue team were nearby and after stabilising Mr Harrison, attached him to the hook of a tower crane and winched him out of the pit, over the site and into the carpark of a housing estate nearby where an ambulance was waiting.

Mr Harrison suffered shattered vertebrae, five broken ribs, a punctured lung and spent 18 days in hospital. He is still recovering and although not paralysed, his injuries were life-changing and he will not return to work.

HSE investigated the incident and found that Jehu had been using a system of lightweight barriers around the edges of the drop, along with bean bags at the bottom of the hole, but these were incompatible with all of the work that needed to be done by the different contractors and had been removed. Following the incident, all of the danger areas were fenced with scaffolding.

Newport Crown Court heard that there were numerous management failings associated with this project, which included a lack of effective site management and supervision, a construction plan that did not properly consider obvious working at height risks and a lack of an effective Temporary Works Management System.

Jehu Project Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 13(1) and Work at Height Regulations 2005, Regulation 6(3) and was fined £143,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £15,029.30.

HSE Inspector Liam Osborne, who brought the case, said: “Jehu had been given many warnings in the past by HSE about the lack of effective planning, managing and monitoring on their construction sites, as well as warnings about unsafe working at height. The court heard some really positive steps the company are now taking to put these matters right, including making substantial management changes.

“It is crucial that construction firms properly think through the risks involved before starting work, they then need to ensure there is a workable plan to iron-out or manage the resultant dangers.

“There is a clear hierarchy for managing work at height risks, site managers need to prevent it if possible and then provide suitable fixed barriers. Lower-order measures, such as soft-landing systems or the use of harnesses should only be selected as a last resort and if it is safe and appropriate to do so”.

For further information on working at height safely, go to www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm

With the temperatures set to soar to over 30c in parts of the UK this week the TUC is today calling on employers to make sure their staff working outdoors are properly protected from the sun and the heat.

A new report Cool it published by the TUC today says that staff working outside in high temperatures are at risk of sunstroke, sunburn and even skin cancer.

Working in hot weather can also lead to dehydration, tiredness, muscle cramps, rashes, fainting, and – in the most severe cases – loss of consciousness.

The TUC suggests bosses introduce the following measures to protect their staff who work outdoors when the temperatures rise:

• Allow staff to take frequent breaks and provide a supply of drinking water.
• Review working times so that outside work is done in the morning and afternoon, rather than between 11am-3pm when temperatures are highest.
• Provide canopies or covering over open areas such as building sites, and provide shaded areas for breaks.
• Ensure that outdoor workers are supplied with sunscreen and are given advice on the need to protect themselves from the heat and sun.
• Provide lightweight brimmed hats for all outdoor workers and make sure that any protective clothing is lightweight, long-sleeved and comfortable, but dense enough to prevent UV rays from getting through.
• Provide information on avoiding exposure to harmful UV radiation, ensuring that advice is available in other languages for migrant workers.

The TUC report finds that heat can also be a problem for workers whose job involves driving. This is dangerous as any driver suffering from fatigue is a major risk to both themselves and other people. Employers should provide cars, vans or lorries with air conditioning, or, if a driver is likely to be stuck in traffic for any length of time, make sure they are not driving in very hot weather.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Working outdoors in sweltering conditions can be unbearable and dangerous and bosses must ensure their staff are protected as much as possible, with regular breaks, lots of fluids, plenty of sunscreen and the right protective clothing.”