Road builder fined over machine guard injury

Open-access content Thursday 30th March 2017

From the archive: Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Coldmac had failed to ensure that the guarding on the machine was safe.

Nuneaton Magistrates' Court heard this week how the North Lincolnshire construction firm had appointed specialist contractors for a new footway. On 8 April 2015, the worker was using a screwdriver to scrape asphalt residue off a mixer that he had been using. When the screwdriver suddenly slipped, his hand caught the lip of the mixer and lost his middle and index fingers.

Coldmac, of Midland Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire pleaded guilty to breaching reg 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was handed a £6,000 fine and ordered to pay costs of £1,995.92.

HSE. The four workers were moving the ventilation unit from the tower scaffold (right) on to the orange and blue racking. The wooden platform (missing in pic) adjacent to the panel seen above left, gave way

UPDATED DIY chain Leyland stacks up £450k fine after four fell in warehouse refurb

Thursday 2nd March 2017

The company had failed to recognise its roles as client and the principal contractor under the Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations 2015.Two of the four men suffered leg fractures; a third sustained a broken collar bone, while the fourth sustained severe bruising of the chest, which required him to wear a body vest. Had LSDM properly managed the working at height and lifting risks, and also provided the right level of trained personnel and supervision to carry out the work safely, the incident would not have happened.

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HSE. The fragile skylight that the worker fell through.

Skylight fall nets fines for roofing firms

Thursday 30th March 2017

Coventry Magistrates’ Court heard last week that principal contractor JDB Industrial Roofing had brought in ACD Roofing to complete recladding on a fragile roof. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that when the work commenced on 15 December 2015, ACD Roofing did not install nets nor guardrails. The mobile elevating platform (MEWP) which had been provided as an anchor point for the fall arrest equipment did not have enough capacity. Also, when the injured worker fell, his harness was not attached to anything.

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The HSE staged a reconstruction of the accident. Image: HSE

Laing O’Rourke lands £800k fine over Heathrow Airport fatality

Monday 27th March 2017

On 2 October 2014, Laing O’Rourke employees Paul and Philip Griffiths were attempting to tow away a broken down scissor lift on a service road at Heathrow Airport.Paul Griffiths was operating a dump truck under the direction of managers when his foot became stuck between the brake and the accelerator. His brother Philip was standing between the truck and the scissor lift and was fatally crushed when the truck suddenly reversed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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HSE. The site entrance road with the overhead power lines

BAM and groundworks contractor penalised for overhead line strike

Wednesday 5th April 2017

Network Rail had appointed BAM Construction to construct a new railway operating centre in Basingstoke and the firm had contracted Shoreland Projects for the groundworks.

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© Copyright Jaggery and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Whirlpool fined £700k for fatal MEWP conveyor strike

Thursday 23rd March 2017

In March 2015, the 66-year-old contractor was installing fire detection equipment at Whirlpool’s factory at Yate, near Bristol (formerly owned by Indesit), where it manufactures tumble dryers. He was working at a height of 5 m when Whirlpool maintenance staff, unaware of his presence, started an overhead conveyor. The movement destabilised the MEWP, toppling it and dropping the contractor to the factory floor, fatally injuring him.The Health and Safety Executive found there was no supervision or controls to prevent the conflicting tasks being carried out.

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