Building collapse lands firm with £10,000 fine
15:02 - 18/12/2009
Building collapse lands firm with £1...
Clothing importer, Citytex UK Ltd, was made to pay heavily last week for an incident in February 2007 when a section of its building collapsed with more than 20 people inside.
The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,000 as part of the court sentence, which was delivered at Westminster Magistrate’s Court on 12th January this year. Although no one was killed or injured in the collapse, four people who were inside the building at the time have also been awarded £200 each in compensation from the company.
Citytex UK Ltd, of Greatorex Street, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on 25th September last year. The court head that on 13th February 2007, the buildings on Commercial Road, Tower Hamlets, were undergoing construction works and that the company’s employees had continued to work throughout the site during the construction period.
The accident occurred when work was being carried out on a wall at first floor level at the front of the building. It was reported that a large gap had been made in the brickwork and part of the structure had been removed when, on the afternoon of 13th February, the front elevation collapsed. The collapse resulted in large amounts of debris dropping onto the nearby pavement and the scaffolding at the front of the property falling onto a lamppost. A main road had to be closed for several days while rescuers searched for any victims among the rubble.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found that the company’s Managing Director had been acting as the principal contractor while being assisted by his teenage son. There was no construction phase plan in place and the architect had not been made aware that any work was being conducted on the first floor. Furthermore, the HSE itself had not been notified that any improvement work was taking place.
HSE Inspector, Sarah Snelling, said:"More than 20 people were in this building when it collapsed and it was sheer luck that no one was seriously injured or even killed in this incident. Construction work must be planned and carried out by competent builders. If not, it can lead to a number of risks including collapse. If Citytex UK Ltd had complied with its legal duties by appointing a Planning Supervisor, and a competent Principal Contractor, then the risks would have been substantially reduced."
Don MacIntyre, General Manager, said: “Clients are required by law to appoint a CDM Co-ordinator who can help guide Developers through the legal requirements. We have more than 14 years experience of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations and can offer the role of CDM Coordinator. We can also provide CDM training for all parties involved in the construction process, ranging from the Client/Developer, Design Team Members or Principal Contractors.” Please call today to find out more information about our range of CDM services and health and safety training courses.
The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,000 as part of the court sentence, which was delivered at Westminster Magistrate’s Court on 12th January this year. Although no one was killed or injured in the collapse, four people who were inside the building at the time have also been awarded £200 each in compensation from the company.
Citytex UK Ltd, of Greatorex Street, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on 25th September last year. The court head that on 13th February 2007, the buildings on Commercial Road, Tower Hamlets, were undergoing construction works and that the company’s employees had continued to work throughout the site during the construction period.
The accident occurred when work was being carried out on a wall at first floor level at the front of the building. It was reported that a large gap had been made in the brickwork and part of the structure had been removed when, on the afternoon of 13th February, the front elevation collapsed. The collapse resulted in large amounts of debris dropping onto the nearby pavement and the scaffolding at the front of the property falling onto a lamppost. A main road had to be closed for several days while rescuers searched for any victims among the rubble.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found that the company’s Managing Director had been acting as the principal contractor while being assisted by his teenage son. There was no construction phase plan in place and the architect had not been made aware that any work was being conducted on the first floor. Furthermore, the HSE itself had not been notified that any improvement work was taking place.
HSE Inspector, Sarah Snelling, said:"More than 20 people were in this building when it collapsed and it was sheer luck that no one was seriously injured or even killed in this incident. Construction work must be planned and carried out by competent builders. If not, it can lead to a number of risks including collapse. If Citytex UK Ltd had complied with its legal duties by appointing a Planning Supervisor, and a competent Principal Contractor, then the risks would have been substantially reduced."
Don MacIntyre, General Manager, said: “Clients are required by law to appoint a CDM Co-ordinator who can help guide Developers through the legal requirements. We have more than 14 years experience of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations and can offer the role of CDM Coordinator. We can also provide CDM training for all parties involved in the construction process, ranging from the Client/Developer, Design Team Members or Principal Contractors.” Please call today to find out more information about our range of CDM services and health and safety training courses.
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