A six year jail sentence under gross negligence manslaughter, a fine of £400,000 and £55,000 costs hit Allan Thomson, director of demolition firm, Building & Dismantling Contractors Ltd. The firm who subcontracted this work to them, C Smith & Sons (Rochdale) Ltd, were also fined for breaching both the CDM Regulations and Work at Height…
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Both industrial and construction sites we visit and support often have scaffolding in place and regardless of if you are a client or an experienced contractor, its nice to have sufficient knowledge to complete a quick assessment or to just be able to spot when something is amiss. For example, you’re a safety manager in…
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One of the key things people learn on their first safety courses are key phrases used in health and safety. We, like all professions, are awash with different phrases and acronyms and one of those is ITIS (as in healthandsafetyitis – a condition which can affect us all as some point on another). However, the…
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A CDM Client which failed to appoint a Principal Contractor under the CDM Regulations 2015 has been prosecuted and fined £50,000 Any Client who has building work completed which falls under CDM must appoint a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor in writing – this is one of the key requirements placed on any client under…
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We have yet to meet a client who doesn’t let out an involuntary sigh when we mention the above. To be truthful we do have a slight sinking feeling ourselves and often look around the office for the best person to pass the enquiry to! There is a lot of advice on how to proceed…
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The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations are still raising a huge amount of questions, especially amongst those with new safety duties – designers / architects / structural engineers. We would strongly encourage you to take the time to get some solid guidance which comes (in part) right from the HSE themselves through our Principal Designers…
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One of a series of free events which we support with WWT Southwest, this event specifically aims towards the needs of those new to the industry and preventing accidents – ideal for those taking on younger workers and hosting work placements over the summer months You’re able to book a free place using the link…
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Have you ever wondered what actually goes on behind those locked doors at a trial for health and safety offences? Now is your chance to see who gets blamed for what and why and how they get sentenced – a real eye opener for all of us and something worth seeing or perhaps encouraging your…
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Welding fumes from mild steels, zintec (zinc alloys), stainless steels, brass, aluminium and phospor bronze all carry a significant risk of long term health problems if exposure is not properly controlled. As occupational hygienists and qualified safety consultants we have many years experience of carrying out air sampling surveys to determine occupational exposure to…
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Driving of fork lift trucks (FLTs) on the public highway This is a question which has been raised by some clients about using fork lift trucks or other materials handling equipment on public roads and highways. Questions have circulated about the need for registration, tax, lights and MOT – read on to find out how…
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