Health & Safety

Scaffold design is a complex and often painstaking business, involving a fairly weighty set of calculations intended to demonstrate the strength and stability (or otherwise) of the proposed structure. It is a matter of legal compliance that all scaffolds have to be able to demonstrate they conform to minimum standards, which in practice sounds as if there is no option …

There is growing evidence that respiratory problems among children may be exacerbated by indoor air pollution in homes, schools and nurseries, according to a joint report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians. The report, informed by a RCPCH commissioned a systematic review of 221 studies, presents evidence linking indoor air pollution to …

By Mackenzie Peters, Global Product Group Manager, HEFH at MSA Safety About MSA Safety MSA Safety is a global designer, manufacturer and supplier of industry-leading safety products, including its iconic V-Gard® head protection range used by millions of workers in the toughest environments the world over. Our head and the brilliantly complex brain it protects are integral to everything we …

Hearing damage caused by exposure to noise at work is permanent and incurable, with research estimating that over 2 million people can be exposed to noise levels that are potentially harmful. Many simply do not realise the dangers when it comes to permanent damage regular noise can cause. However, with adequate protection to look after your hearing, damage can easily be avoided.

Leading where others follow, Snickers Workwear stretch fabrics deliver unrivalled comfort and close quarter mobility on site. Snickers Workwear’s hi-tech fabrics and body-mapping designs give plenty of scope for every professional craftsman and woman to stretch their performance on site comfortably. Designed for a wide variety of jobs on site, these LiteWork 4-way stretch work trousers are the ideal choice …

Off-site construction is the completion of elements or components for a structure at another location in a factory environment. The many advantages to this method, including reduced carbon emissions and shorter construction time plausibly outweigh the disadvantages.

You’ve probably heard of the Modern Slavery Act but you might be unsure about whether or not it affects your organisation.

A Manchester-based property developer has been sentenced after the roof and part of the rear wall collapsed at one of his properties during demolition works. Manchester Crown Court heard how Riaz Ahmad appointed a group of workers, who had no experience in construction, to carry out demolition work at a property in Oldham. On 11 August 2017, after receiving a …

A contractor, client and director have been convicted after conditions at a building site were found to be dangerous. Southwark Crown Court heard that inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the construction site on Gladesmore Road, London on numerous occasions in 2015 while building work was taking place at the property. Inspectors found poor health and safety conditions …

Simon Thomerson has been sentenced to 8 months in custody after pleading guilty to a health and safety breach that resulted in the death of two brothers. Luton Crown Court heard how Mr Thomerson, the sole owner and director of Clearview Design and Construction Ltd, had been contracted by the owners of an industrial park in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire to refurbish …

Contractor Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions has been sentenced after exposing workers to a debilitating health condition over a nine-year period. Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Ltd was fined £500,000 after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that workers at the company were exposed to hand-arm vibration between 2002 and 2011 which put them at risk of developing Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome …

A groundworks company has been fined after an employee suffered serious internal injuries while working in an excavation at Ghyllgrove Junior & Infants School in Basildon. Southend Magistrates’ Court heard how a site dumper was parked at a slight incline on a heap of excavated soil, adjacent to a partially backfilled trench. The dumper had been left unattended with the …

A specialist asbestos company has been fined after failing to detect asbestos at a demolition site. Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how EAS Asbestos Limited were commissioned to conduct refurbishment and demolition surveys by Mercer Brother Limited, a construction company who were contracted to demolish garages for Hyndburn Homes. EAS Asbestos stated in their surveys that asbestos was only present …

A building contractor has been sentenced following an incident in February 2015 in which a house in Brighton partially collapsed. Hove Crown Court heard how builder Glen Peters (trading as Brow Builders) undermined the structural integrity of the house by digging out the basement. He then failed to act on the advice of a structural engineer on how to remedy …

Llanharan Concrete Co. Limited has been fined after a worker was injured when his glove got entangled with the moving blade of a table saw. Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard how the employee of the company was cutting wood with a table saw when his glove got entangled, pulling his finger into contact with it. The injured worker was rushed to …