Firms fined £7,000 after building collapse crushes worker
13:02 - 10/06/2010
Firms fined £7,000 after building co...
A designer and contractor have both been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an office block collapsed during its construction.
Peter Wallace, of the Wallace Partnership, who designed the building, was fined £4,000 while the principal contractor, Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd, was issued with a £3,000 fine. Both were ordered to pay £12,318 towards prosecution costs.
The office block was in the process of being built in Kirkham, Lancashire, when part of it collapsed on 14th October 2008. One worker suffered serious injuries after rubble fell on him, including a badly broken leg.
A subsequent HSE investigation revealed that a concrete block pillar which was being used to support the upper floors had been rested on the ground floor instead of imbedded into the foundations of the building.
Peter Wallace and Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd both pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (1974) at Blackpool Magistrate’s Court. The charges related specifically to the safety of workers being put at risk.
Allen Shute, the HSE Inspector who investigated the collapse, said: “This was a basic error which should have been spotted by both the building's designer and the principal contractor. […] It is common sense that the pillar supporting the floors should have gone into the foundations, and not just rested on the floor below. It's vital companies learn lessons from this to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.”
One of our Senior Health and Safety Consultants, Bill Gellatly, says: “The construction industry is, by its very nature, a hazardous environment to work in, and all projects must be properly planned with health and safety and risk management in mind at all times. We in the consulting side of the business spend a lot of time doing this type of work with the management teams in construction and elsewhere, and it is really important as it can help protect construction workers, and the general public, from serious harm.
“We can offer a complete consultancy service to assist with your policy production, review and advice, devise your health and safety risk management systems and deliver asbestos and noise and vibration surveys. We can also offer a range of health and safety training courses, depending on your needs, and a specially tailored IOSH Managing Safely in Construction 4-day course.”
For more information on any of these training courses or services, please call us today.
Peter Wallace, of the Wallace Partnership, who designed the building, was fined £4,000 while the principal contractor, Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd, was issued with a £3,000 fine. Both were ordered to pay £12,318 towards prosecution costs.
The office block was in the process of being built in Kirkham, Lancashire, when part of it collapsed on 14th October 2008. One worker suffered serious injuries after rubble fell on him, including a badly broken leg.
A subsequent HSE investigation revealed that a concrete block pillar which was being used to support the upper floors had been rested on the ground floor instead of imbedded into the foundations of the building.
Peter Wallace and Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd both pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (1974) at Blackpool Magistrate’s Court. The charges related specifically to the safety of workers being put at risk.
Allen Shute, the HSE Inspector who investigated the collapse, said: “This was a basic error which should have been spotted by both the building's designer and the principal contractor. […] It is common sense that the pillar supporting the floors should have gone into the foundations, and not just rested on the floor below. It's vital companies learn lessons from this to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.”
One of our Senior Health and Safety Consultants, Bill Gellatly, says: “The construction industry is, by its very nature, a hazardous environment to work in, and all projects must be properly planned with health and safety and risk management in mind at all times. We in the consulting side of the business spend a lot of time doing this type of work with the management teams in construction and elsewhere, and it is really important as it can help protect construction workers, and the general public, from serious harm.
“We can offer a complete consultancy service to assist with your policy production, review and advice, devise your health and safety risk management systems and deliver asbestos and noise and vibration surveys. We can also offer a range of health and safety training courses, depending on your needs, and a specially tailored IOSH Managing Safely in Construction 4-day course.”
For more information on any of these training courses or services, please call us today.
Make your selections below and enter your postcode (if applicable). This will provide you with information about a course in a location convenient to you
