Construction

As we approach the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, we look at progress in tackling widespread safety failings, and at the wider lessons for OSH professionals.

The Building Safety Bill received Royal Assent last Thursday (28 April) although many of its provisions will only come into force in a year to 18 months’ time to provide industry with sufficient time to prepare.

Advice from a competent person would probably have stopped a wall collapsing onto an eight-year-old child, which led to her having her big toe amputated, said the inspector from GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who investigated the case.

On 18 July 2017, a section of the rear wall of Citadel Church in Cardiff fell on scaffolder Jeff Plevey, instantly killing him. We spoke with the HSE’s lead investigator on this case to find out how such a tragic incident came about.

Wayne Bagnall, a leading authority in the field of demolition and asbestos safety, discusses the value of lifelong learning, meeting the Queen, and the importance of trust and optimism.

Construction firm Carillion’s failure to construct a drainage system correctly in accordance with the designer’s requirements has been identified as the main cause of a passenger train derailment at Carmont, Aberdeenshire in 2020, the Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) has found.

All construction site staff and those with site responsibility should receive specific fire safety training to help limit or mitigate the damage caused by fires on future construction or restoration projects, argues the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

On 15 January 2022 at Cambridge Magistrates Court, Peter Saunders Builders Ltd was fined £16,000 after pleading guilty to breaching regulation 8 (a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, following an incident that saw one of its workers, Sean Harding, fall from height and subsequently die.

Everyone involved in the design of high-rise buildings should take a proactive approach to managing building safety by planning ahead and preparing for the biggest overhaul of the regulatory framework in 40 years.

Researchers from Loughborough University examine good OSH practice at Balfour Beatty’s Woolwich station site, part of London’s Crossrail project.