HSE prosecutes property developer after worker’s lives are put at risk

On 12th November the City of London Magistrates Court fined a London property developer £10,000 and ordered him to pay further costs of £4,103 after he was discovered to have breached health and safety law.

Mr Lahrie Mohammed, who is also a landlord, placed workers on two of his developments in North East London under extreme risk, the court heard. He failed to employ a competent contractor and also neglected to ensure that adequate measures were in place for work to be managed safely. His failures meant that neighbours of the sites in Spruce Hills Road and Chingford Mount Road were also put at risk.

His negligence amounted to a breach of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations. Offences committed included the absence of fire extinguishers at the Chingford Mount site, despite its proximity to a petrol station and the fact that open flames were used there. HSE inspectors, who brought the charges against Mr Mohammed, also found that scaffolding at the property did not meet safety standards and that power tools were being used in unsafe areas, creating a risk of electrocution and fire. They issued orders to halt work at the sites following their visit.

HSE Construction Inspector Sarah Snelling said: "Mr Mohamed put the lives of the men working on his sites at serious risk. As a long-standing property developer and professional landlord who owns over 100 properties in and around Waltham Forest, Mr Mohamed should have had the knowledge and resources to ensure the work was carried out safely and legally."
Hodgins Smith (CDM) Ltd, based in Scotland, specialise in training and consultancy services in relation to the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations.

Don MacIntyre, General Manager at Hodgins Smith (CDM) Ltd said: “Property Developers are required to have knowledge and understanding of the CDM Regulations to avoid putting lives at risk. Clients are required by law to appoint a CDM Co-ordinator who can help guide Developers through the legal requirements. At Hodgins Smith, we have more than 14 years experience of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations and can offer the role of CDM Coordinator. Hodgins Smith can also provide CDM training for all parties involved in the construction process, ranging from the Client/Developer, Design Team Members or Principal Contractors.”