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March/April 2023 issue

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Construction
News

In short: HSE inspections in Scotland’s construction sector more than halved

Open-access content Monday 7th March 2016
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the HSE by construction union UCATT revealed that 552 unannounced inspections took place in 2014/15. This is 55.7% less than the 1,248 inspections in 2012/13.

UCATT said this decline took place as the sector was recovering from the recession and construction activity was increasing.

"These findings are shocking," said Harry Frew, regional secretary for UCATT Scotland. "It is only the prospect of an HSE inspector knocking on the door which means that many construction employers comply with safety laws. If that deterrent doesn't exist then employers are going to be increasingly tempted to cut corners and risk workers' lives."

The fall in inspections is reflected in a drop in formal enforcement action. The number of formal notices issued to companies following an inspection has decreased by 25% and the number of prohibition notices has fallen 33%.

Frew added: "The HSE needs to explain why this reduction has happened. Is this due to budget cuts or a result of specific HSE policies? Scottish construction workers deserve to be told the truth."

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 UCATT: Construction death convictions are too low

Friday 26th February 2016
The drop was revealed in answers to parliamentary questions tabled by Stephen Hepburn, Labour MP for Jarrow, by Justin Tomlinson MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Work and Pensions). UCATT said the fall in conviction rates is in spite of HSE findings that management failures caused or contributed to 70% of construction worker deaths. An internal audit previously carried out by the HSE estimated that prosecutions should occur following 60% of construction deaths.
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 In short: Roofer’s fall lands solar installer with £20k fine

Tuesday 8th March 2016
The Clean Earth Energy worker was installing solar panels at Homeleigh Garden Centre. As he moved along the roof, the cement fibre sheeting he was walking on collapsed. He fell approximately 15ft and fractured several vertebrae.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into the 15 August 2015 incident and found the work was not properly planned or appropriately supervised.
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 Chemical substitution saves businesses money

Wednesday 2nd March 2016
Hazardous substance use brings additional costs such as personal protective equipment, health surveillance and training for workers handling the substance, according to the report The Bigger Picture.The publication uses case studies to highlight the benefits associated with substituting a hazardous chemical for an environmentally friendly one, including one provided by construction company Skanska.
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 Didcot update: RWE to provide safe method of working plan

Monday 14th March 2016
One person was killed and five were injured when part of boiler house at the former Didcot A power station in Oxfordshire collapsed on 23 February. Three men are still missing. The joint statement said: “The site owners RWE have overall responsibilities for the safety of buildings and structure on their site. They must produce a plan for a safe method of working before the next stage of the recovery can begin. Once this is received and approved by HSE, emergency services are on hand to recover the missing men.
Open-access content
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 Steel fabber ignored LOLER notice

Wednesday 16th March 2016
As we reported last month, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued William Fry Fabrications (WFF) with an improvement notice in February 2011 after inspector James Caren found it had not thoroughly examined and inspected its lifting equipment as required by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). WFF had two cranes on site: an Elephant chain hoist with a 500 kg capacity used inside the warehouse; and a larger outdoor Cobal Goliath travelling crane which had a safe working load of 4 tonnes.
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 Falcon fined £750,000 ten years on from Battersea collapse

Thursday 17th March 2016
The collapse happened in 2006 at a Barratt Homes development in Battersea. Crane driver Jonathan Cloke was in the cab as the jib fell 50 m on to Michael Alexa, a member of the public who was washing his car in a street beside the site. Both men died.Southwark Crown Court was told sections of the tower crane separated when 24 bolts failed due to metal fatigue.
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 £175k fine after concrete pump caused brain trauma

Monday 27th March 2023
Singh Will Mix It has been convicted of safety failings after a worker was hit in the head by a concrete pump while being operated by an untrained colleague – the firm has since become insolvent.
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 Just six months to register for Building Safety Regulator, HSE warns

Monday 27th March 2023
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England have six months from April to register with the new Building Safety Regulator by law.
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 Welsh ambulance worker who caught Covid from patient died of an industrial disease, concludes coroner

Monday 27th March 2023
A coroner has concluded that an ambulance worker in Wales who caught Covid while attending to an infected patient died from an ‘industrial disease’.
Open-access content

Latest from Construction

Singh-Will-Mix-It-Ltd-1-768x572.png

 £175k fine after concrete pump caused brain trauma

Monday 27th March 2023
Singh Will Mix It has been convicted of safety failings after a worker was hit in the head by a concrete pump while being operated by an untrained colleague – the firm has since become insolvent.
Open-access content
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 Just six months to register for Building Safety Regulator, HSE warns

Monday 27th March 2023
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England have six months from April to register with the new Building Safety Regulator by law.
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 Risk & Compliance software provider collaborates with HSE and Costain to improve risk management on worksites

Friday 17th March 2023
A Belfast-based Risk & Compliance software provider has been collaborating with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and construction giant Costain as part of an ongoing project to unlock artificial intelligence’s (AI) potential in improving the management of risks on worksites.
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 Just six months to register for Building Safety Regulator, HSE warns

Monday 27th March 2023
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England have six months from April to register with the new Building Safety Regulator by law.
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 A reasonable balance to strike

Friday 24th March 2023
Safety interventions should be practicable and cost-effective, but too much of an imbalance towards safety does not make economic sense for employers, argues Geoff Vaughan, who suggests ‘gross disproportion’ provides a practical limit.
Open-access content
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 Spring budget and occupational health

Friday 17th March 2023
Richard Jones CFIOSH, comments on the occupational health aspects of the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's first budget statement.
Open-access content
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