Multiple safety failings have resulted in fines for a Lincolnshire poultry firm and four of its contractors after workers were caught on a roof without taking proper safety precautions.

GW Padley Poultry Ltd was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors witnessed unsafe working at height while a poultry shed was being built at the company’s site in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire, in March 2012.

The poultry firm was the principal contractor but had no representatives on site. The poultry buildings were supplied by Harlow Bros Ltd of Loughborough, who sub-contracted the erection of the buildings to K & M Tomlinson Ltd, and Philip Bates.

Lincoln Crown Court was told today that HSE visited the site on 13 March 2012 and saw four workers on the roof of a new poultry building. There was no edge protection or scaffolding in place and the height of the gable roof was about 6m.

When the inspector asked the workers to come down, they had to walk about 10m along the sloping roof and down an unsecured ladder. The inspector issued Kenneth Tomlinson, director of K & M Tomlinson, with a prohibition notice, stopping further work on the roof until suitable edge protection was put in place.

When the inspector revisited the site three days later, work on the roof had been completed. A tower scaffold was at one end of the eaves and 12 airbags were on the floor at the other end of the building, but there was still no edge protection.

The inspector returned later the same day with a colleague and found workers, including Philip Bates, on the roofs of two sheds. The scaffold tower seen earlier had been dismantled.

HSE found airbags used for cushioning a fall were loose and anyone falling would have hit the ground. Faults were also found with a forklift truck being used in conjunction with work platform fitted to its prongs. A second prohibition notice was served, preventing further work on the shed roofs.

Further enforcement notices were issued to GW Padley Poultry, Harlow Brothers and Mr Bates to prevent all work on sloping roofs until adequate edge protection and internal fall protection was provided and an Improvement Notice was served on the poultry firm requiring appointment of a competent site manager.

Harlow Brothers put in place a lifeline and harness system for safe working at height, but this was found to be inadequate on inspection and a further improvement notice was served.

The court heard that Harlow Brothers Ltd and Philip Bates have previous convictions for work on poultry house roofs without edge protection.

GW Padley Poultry Ltd of Mount Street, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 22(1)(a) and regulation 22(1)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management ) Regulations 2007 and was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

Harlow Brothers Ltd of Long Whatton, Loughborough, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on two separate occasions, the 13 and the 16 March 2012 and Section 4(2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

K&M Tomlinson Ltd of Nottingham Road, Long Eaton, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Section 5(1)(a) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and was fined £1,000.

Kenneth Tomlinson of College Street, Long Eaton, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) by virtue of section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs.

Philip Bates of The Square, Leasingham, Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay £5,550 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Waring said: “In this case there was clear evidence of a very poor attitude to health and safety generally on this site. Each of the defendants had clear duties to ensure the safety of the workers, however these were repeatedly ignored.

“Working at height poses very obvious dangers but our visits uncovered a catalogue of safety breaches which could have had led to a fatal or very serious injury for a worker had they fallen. There was a continued and deliberate neglect of duties by particular parties in this case; and directors who disregard their responsibilities will be held personally accountable.”

The government has announced that the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund has been closed for applications with immediate effect following overwhelming demand.

A surge in applications over the last two days means the allocated budget has now been reached.  All applications received prior to the fund closing that satisfy the terms and conditions and meet the eligibility criteria will be honoured at the original rates.

The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund was set up to help households in England and Wales improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Parliamentary under secretary of state for energy and climate change Amber Rudd said: “The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is a world first and in a short space of time it has proved extremely popular. We were always clear there was a budget which is why we encouraged people to act quickly. As a result, thousands more families will now benefit from Government help to have warmer homes which use less energy.”

Earlier this week Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) DECC had announced changes to the scheme.

DECC will monitor voucher redemption rates and will consider whether to launch a further offer should funds become available.

In December 2013, the government announced a £540m three-year energy efficiency package and up to £120m will be available for home energy efficiency schemes from April 2015.

The Highways Agency is piloting the use of wooden barriers to tackle the impact of poor air quality around motorways.

Construction began yesterday of two air quality barriers near junction 18 of the M62 near Simister, Greater Manchester, along which more than 142,000 vehicles drive every day.

The £2.5m scheme will build barriers on each side of the motorway by September, before a year-long trial to test their effectiveness in tackling harmful vehicle emissions will start.

The barriers, which have been trialled in other European countries, work by dispersing emissions and can act as an safeguard to communities near busy roads. The results of international studies so far show the barriers can reduce the level of oxides of nitrogen by up to 20% in some areas.

If successful, the barriers could shape the future design of other major road schemes where air pollution exceeds legal thresholds according to the Highways Agency. Senior project manager Jacqui Allen said: “We need to ensure that whilst government spending to improve England’s road network is tripling to over £3 billion by 2021, it is vital we also look after our environment.

“This pilot will provide us with more evidence as to whether these barriers can be effective, and is just one part of our research to find new ways of dispersing harmful emissions.”

Each wooden barrier will be 100m long and 4m high, increasing to 6m if needed. The barriers are supported by steel structures and positioned on either side of the motorway, in an offset position from each other, to the east of junction 18.

The equipment to monitor local air quality levels will be placed at either side of the barriers and behind, with the equipment behind stretching back to a distance of up to 200m. This allows for samples recorded at the different collection points to be analysed and compared.

Following the 12 study the results will be considered before any decision on future use of barriers is made.

Carillion and Balfour Beatty have made a shock annoucement that they are engaged in preliminary discussions about a possible merger.

The discussion follows an approach from Carillion to Balfour Beatty. The boards of the two companies said that they believe that the merger of the two groups has the potential to create a market-leading services, investments and construction business of considerable depth and scale.

Balfour Beatty currently stands at number 1 in TCI's latest list of the top 100 construction companies, with a turnover of £10.9bn. Carillion is in second place with a turnover of £4.4bn. Their combined turnover of more than £15bn is almost identical to the rest of the top 10 combined.

Work is now under way to develop a strategy and outline business plan for a combined entity.

The boards of Carillion and Balfour Beatty said that they would only proceed with a merger if both were to conclude due diligence to their satisfaction; and if both were to recommend the merger to their shareholders.

No final decision has been reached regarding the structure of any merger. Under the City code on takeovers and mergers, both Balfour Beatty and Carillion will be treated as offeree companies.

The code gives them until 5pm on 21 August 2014 to either announce a firm intention to undertake a transaction or announce that they do not intend to do so.

Balfour Beatty’s previously annouced sale process for Parsons Brinckerhoff will proceed unaffected by the announcement.

Housing associations have been setting out their plans to spend funding allocations published this week by the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) and Greater London Authority (GLA).

The initial allocations have been made under the HCA’s 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme, following a competitive bidding process for £1.7bn of government funding.

Network Housing Group is set to receive nearly £32.5m of affordable homes grant funding, which will used to deliver a total of 317 new affordable homes across Hertfordshire and 873 across London using the funding. Network will also build 600 homes for sale during the programme period.

Raglan Housing has secured £8.6m in grant funding, matching its bid for 450 grant-funded new homes. The additional money, which equates to around £20,000 per home, will be split across Raglan’s operating areas where, over the next three years, the association will deliver 280 affordable new homes in the South and South West; 127 properties in the East and South East, and 43 properties in the Midlands.

The police have closed the M6 southbound near Sandbach services because of a possibly unsafe bridge.

The Manor Road and Reynolds Lane bridge runs over the motorway. Local reports say that the closure is due to a piece of material falling from the bridge and hitting a car.

The police have closed the southbound carriageway at junctions 17 and 18, with the northbound remaining open at present. The closure was announced in police tweets at about 6am. No estimate has been given for when it will reopen, but the police reported at about 8.30am that a bridge inspector was on the scene.

Costain Limited has been issued with fines and costs totalling more than £615,000 following the death of a worker when a telehandler overturned during the construction of the Parkway development in Newbury.

Mark Williams, 41, from Nuneham Courtenay, was using the vehicle to lift a pallet of tiles to a fourth-storey roof when the incident happened on 20 July 2011. He tried to flee the telehandler as it began to topple, but he was unable to move away in time and it landed on top of him, causing fatal crush injuries.

His death was investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), which found the safety of the vehicle was compromised by limited space and other obstructions in the area where he was required to work.

Costain Limited, the principal contractor for the Parkway development, was prosecuted for failing to provide a safer system of work.

Reading Court heard during a five week trial earlier this year (from 3rd March 2014) that Mr Williams, a married father-of-two, was part of a team responsible for tiling a number of roofs. He was operating the telehandler with the boom fully raised but not extended. Raising the boom reduced the overall length of the vehicle, however it ultimately caused it to overbalance as it was being turned and manoeuvred.

HSE inspectors established that Mr Williams had no option but to operate the vehicle in this way. The space between the buildings where he worked was almost the same length of the telehandler with the boom lowered, and meant he would have had no turning circle.

The court was told the vehicle was not suited for use in this area, and that had the space constraints been properly assessed and a better system of work put in place then Mr Williams death could have been avoided.

Costain Limited, of Costain House, Vanwall Business Park, Maidenhead, was fined a total of £525,000 and ordered to pay a further £90,577 in costs after being found guilty of breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and two breaches of Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

After sentencing HSE principal inspector Steve Hull said: “This was a tragic and entirely preventable death. Mark Williams was required to use a telehandler that was wholly unsuited to the confined area he worked in.

“He had no option but to raise the boom so he could turn the vehicle, and in doing so he critically undermined the stability, resulting in the inevitable overturn.

“He should have been provided with alternative, more appropriate equipment and a better system of work. Costain had clear responsibilities to ensure that happened, but they failed to properly assess the risks and ultimately failed Mr Williams.”

Shenda Long, Mark’s mother, added: “I have always felt that I have lived a very privileged and happy life, but all that changed on 20 July 2011 when police officers knocked on our door and informed me that our beloved son had been killed. Mark was a loving son, brother, partner, friend and an amazing dad to his two daughters who brought sunshine, happiness, joy, laughter and love into our family.

“Little did we know that fateful day that it would be the last morning we would feel peaceful, happy and complete. How could we know that the simple act of Mark going to work, as he done every day for years, would result in him being killed, and my family’s world ending. Mark was totally let down by the people he worked for and trusted.”

Mr Williams’ employer, Attley’s Roofing Limited, was earlier cleared of identical health and safety breaches at the end of the initial trial on 3 April. The company, of Spital Farm, Thorpe Mead, Banbury, was acquitted after being jointly prosecuted by HSE alongside Costain.

Costain has previous when it comes to vehicle-related deaths on its sites. In March 2012 the company was fined £250,000 after Richard Caddock, a 38-year-old surveyor, was killed by a reversing lorry on an M25 widening project in Kent. (See previous report here.)

PC Harrington as appointed former Skanska UK managing director Dave Shadwell into the role of business development director.

The move is part of a wider business re-structuring that saw Duncan Salt promoted to group managing director in April (link opens in new tab). The appointment of Salt allows CEO and chairman Pat Harrington to focus on repositioning the company.

PJ Harrington has been appointed as MD of PC Harrington Contractors, supported by contracts directors Brian Wakefield and Tony Collier. Other appointments include Gary Shaw (MD – Slipform International), Dave Holder (MD – HTC Plant), Roger Stables (MD – Structural Systems), John Boyle (group plant and transport director) and Tony McGann into the role of group commercial director, replacing Andy Wood who is now the MD of Harrington Group Middle East.

The £15.8bn Crossrail project is a ‘textbook example’ of how to deliver a major construction project on time and on budget, says the House of Commons public accounts committee.

The public accounts committee is more often seen lambasting government departments for getting things wrong, with high profile chair Margaret Hodge seen issuing severe judgment with perfect 20/20 hindsight.

With high praise being issue, it was left to Conservative MP Richard Bacon to do the talking for the committee. "Major, complex infrastructure projects are notoriously difficult to deliver on time and in budget. With Crossrail we see a textbook example of how to get things right," he said. "Happily, this means Crossrail – a £15.8bn programme in total – is on course to deliver value for money to the taxpayer.”

He continued: “The joint sponsors of the Crossrail programme, the Department for Transport and Transport for London, are working well with the delivery organisation, Crossrail Limited, to deliver the programme, which at present is broadly on schedule and being delivered within budget.

“The team has focussed on the essentials of programme management, including defining a realistic scope, establishing a management team with the necessary skills and securing the required funding. Two years were spent on planning before construction began, and roles and relationships were clearly established.

“The Department should capture the lessons it has learned from the Crossrail programme and apply these to its other projects, most notably High Speed 2.”

If there is a lesson it is that the benefit of the project to London was underestimated at the outset. It was given a 2:1 benefit to cost ratio, when in fact it is more like 3:1, if wider economic impact is taken into account. The committee said that the government could have got more money out of private sector organisations that will benefit from the new transport link.

Mr Bacon concluded: “Construction of Crossrail is not yet complete, and considerable risks remain in delivering the programme by 2019, particularly managing the transition from building the railway to operating it, and delivering the Crossrail trains. So far, though, the signs are good."

The full report can be seen at Parliament.uk.

A two-week site blitz of 560 construction sites by the Health & Safety Executive has resulted in 35% of them being issued with a bill for the privilege under the Fees For Intervention scheme (FFI).

A total of 239 health-related notices of contravention were served at 201 of the sites. An HSE spokesman confirmed that these notices generate an FFI invoice. He explained that a notice of contravention is issued where there has been a material breach of health and safety law but not so bad as to require a prohibition notice or an improvement notice.

Collectively called enforcement notices, prohibition or improvement notices were issued at one in six sites – 85 in total. At 13 sites, safety breaches were so bad that inspectors issued prohibition notices putting an immediate stop to work.

Brett Concrete has manufactured the last of the 250,000 concrete segments that have been produced to line the tunnels of London’s Crossrail project.

The final piece was cast at a specially-built Crossrail factory in Chatham, Kent.

This factory has produced 110,000 tunnel segments to line Crossrail’s 12km long eastern twin tunnels, from east London to Farringdon. Segments for the western tunnels from Royal Oak to Paddington were manufactured at a separate facility at Old Oak Common. Segments for the Thames Tunnel between Plumstead and North Woolwich were manufactured in Ireland.

At peak, the Chatham factory operated 24 hours a day, five days per week and on average manufactured 330 segments per day. Each segment weighs 3.4 tonnes. Seven segments and a key stone form a complete tunnel ring in the new Crossrail eastern tunnels, which are being built by joint venture Dragados Sisk.

Crossrail chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: “Crossrail is Europe’s largest construction project with an immense supply chain spread across the country. The team at Chatham have done a superb job supplying our eastern tunnels with concrete segments.”

Pictured below are tunnel lining segments waiting to be shipped out from the Chatham factory and taken up the Thames by barge to site.

{{image2}}

The Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) has set out its spending plans that indicate support for more than 40,000 new homes by 2018.

The HCA said that 160 housing providers across England would share £886m of affordable homes funding.

A total of 43,821 new affordable homes will be delivered across 2,697 schemes.

The initial allocations have been made under the HCA’s 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme, following a competitive bidding process for funding.

The funding allocated comprises just over half of the total £1.7bn of funding available. The remaining funding will be made available for providers to bid into the HCA in due course via continuous market engagement (CME), as planned, to allow housing providers further opportunity to work up schemes for delivery by 2018.

The government’s target is for 165,000 new affordable homes to be built by March 2018.

HCA Chief Executive Andy Rose said: “We have set in place a solid delivery programme that will ensure a smooth transition from our current affordable homes programme, and that delivery can start promptly.”

He added: “Just over half of the available funding has been allocated. The remaining funding will be allocated on a continuous market engagement basis, giving even more partners time to work up deliverable bids to meet local needs and their future development aspirations.

“This is a strong foundation that we are putting in place today, which puts us on track to make a significant contribution towards government’s aspirations for up to 165,000 new affordable homes by March 2018, while supporting overall housing supply and local economic growth.”

The amount of government grant available for solid wall insulation has been cut by a third.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change says the cuts are necessary because the scheme is so successful.

The Green Deal home improvement fund has seen more than £43m worth of vouchers issued in the first six weeks, and more than £50m applied for.

12,200 applications have been received and 7,925 households in England and Wales have received vouchers under the scheme, which offers people money back for making energy saving improvements to their home.

From Friday 25th July, new applicants can receive up to £4,000 for installing Solid Wall Insulation, reduced from £6,000. Flue gas heat recovery units will be removed from the list of approved measures from Tuesday 5th August.

Energy minister Amber Rudd said: “Changes announced today ensure even more households can benefit from warmer homes using less energy.”

The Green Deal home improvement fund also entitles those who have bought a property in the 12 months prior to application to qualify for up to an additional £500 if they carry out recommended energy efficiency improvements under the scheme.

In December 2013, the government announced a £540m three-year energy efficiency package with at least £120m available for energy efficiency schemes from April 2015.

From Friday 25th July, Green Deal Home Improvement Fund domestic energy customers can get:

• up to £1,000 for installing two measures from an approved list; and/or
• up to £4,000 for installing solid wall insulation; and
• up to £100 refunded for their Green Deal assessment.

The dangers of farmers who think construction safety laws don’t apply to them was highlighted by a case at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court yesterday (Monday 21st July).

The Health & Safety Executive prosecuted two brothers, Andrew Evans and his brother, David Evans, for breaches of construction safety on their farm.

Their negligence resulted in a contractor suffering serious brain injuries in a fall while carrying out building work.

The contractor was installing a floor over a slurry lagoon in a new barn at Gwarllwyn Farm, near Llandysul on 12 June 2012 when the floor panel he and a workman were standing on gave way, plunging them into the lagoon four metres below.

The court heard that the contractor was hired to create a cattle shed floor over an existing slurry lagoon. He erected concrete pillars in the slurry pit then put preformed concrete beams on top and laid concrete wall panels across the beams instead of panels specifically designed for flooring. These were to hold a slatted floor and cattle cubicles.

As the contractor and another workman were standing on one of the panels, it gave way, plunging them into the lagoon. The contractor suffered a head injury and was hospitalised for two month and he is still undergoing rehabilitation. The workman escaped without injury.

HSE found the two farmers had failed to appoint a construction design and management (CDM) co-ordinator. The brothers also did not have a principal contractor so had assumed that role, giving them the responsibility for planning, managing and monitoring the health and safety aspects of the construction work.

However, no design or construction plans existed and there was no risk assessment or agreed safe system of work. They also failed to check the contractor was suitably competent to do the work. The wall panels he used were unsuitable and the workmen he employed on site had no training or experience in construction.

In addition, the brothers allowed the contractor to use an untrained crane driver, using a 25 tonne capacity crane that had gone without the required annual thorough examination for 10 ten years.

They also failed to supervise or monitor the construction work, which involved a lot of working at height. There were no suitable measures to prevent or mitigate any effects of a fall.

Andrew Evans, of Gwarllwyn Farm, Rhydlewis, Llandysul and David Evans of Esgair Tangwst, Rhydlewis each pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and were each fined a total of £9,000. Each was also ordered to pay costs of £3,560.

HSE inspector Phil Nicolle said after the hearing: “Farmers cannot ignore their legal duties for health and safety when arranging construction work on their farms. The contractor in this case suffered life-threatening injuries and has yet to make a full recovery.

“The Evans brothers were undertaking a major construction project and failed to make the crucial appointment of a construction design and management co-ordinator to advise them on their responsibilities and how to manage the project safely. They took on the responsibilities of a principal contractor for planning, managing and monitoring the health and safety aspects of the construction work, and in all these respects they failed significantly.

“If farmers use contractors for any work they simply cannot tell them what to do and let them get on with it. Both the client and the contractor have legal duties for health and safety that can’t be passed to each other by contract. This means they have to work with each other to make sure the job is done safely. Farmers must always question their contractors about their health and safety arrangements.”

Vinci subsidiary Nuvia has been handed the tricky tasks of taking down the tallest chimney stack at the Sellafield nuclear plant.

The 61m chimney sits on top of the 11-storey First Generation Reprocessing Plant, standing 122m high in total.

It is right in the centre of one of the busiest areas of the site, so cannot just be knocked down or blown up. Instead it will be surgically dismantled using a special platform, a process that will take several years to complete. Some 600 tonnes of concrete and rebar and more than 25 tonnes of stainless steel will be removed, bit by bit.

Project manager Matthew Hodgson said: “The job of bringing down the stack is going to be a delicate operation to ensure 100% safety of all personnel and surrounding nuclear plants.  We have employed Nuvia Limited who has been working with us and a number of other contractors, including Delta Steeplejacks, for the last three years on the demolition scheme.

“Obviously conventional demolition using explosives is not feasible therefore we will use an ingenious self-climbing platform which will bring the chimney down bit by bit in a controlled manner.”

This technique is similar to that being used to bring down the chimneys of Battersea Power Station. 

Mr Hodgson added: “A mini-replica of the tapered chimney will be built to test the methodology as the diameter of the chimney increases the lower you go down, so the platform will correspondingly have to increase in size.  A specialist diamond wire cutting system will be used to remove large sections of the concrete structure and the internal metal flue, all of which will have to be lowered to the base of the stack for monitoring before disposal.”

{{image2}}

{{image3}}

Built in the early 1950s the first generation reprocessing plant carried out the first stage of reprocessing fuel from the Windscale Pile Reactors to produce materials for the UK’s Cold War defence programme.  It was later modified as a head end plant for commercial oxide fuels following the opening of the Magnox reprocessing plant 50 years ago. Operations ceased in 1974 and oxide reprocessing was transferred to the Thorp reprocessing plant in 1994.

Recent assessments of the 1950s stack have confirmed that it doesn’t meet modern design standards and its removal is considered a high priority for Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Work on site will soon begin to install an industrial lift and a roof bridge structure, allowing access to the base of the chimney. The lift and bridge will then be used for the removal of waste materials when demolition starts.

Nuvia is the nuclear division of Soletanche Freyssinet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vinci.

Sellafield Ltd has been owned and operated by Nuclear Management Partners (NMP) since 2008. NMP is a joint venture of URS, Amec and Areva.

A London construction company and the director of a Hertfordshire roofing firm must pay out close to £30,000 after a worker broke his back falling through a void for a roof light.

The fall occurred on a site in Brent on 29 February 2012. Golders Green-based Right Angle was refurbishing and extending three residential properties. Some of the work had been subcontracted to Rickmansworth-based John Donald, trading as John Donald Roofing. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted both parties after identifying a number of safety failings across the site as well as those linked to the roof work.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard last week that the injured worker, then aged 28, fell as he cleared materials from a flat roof. He picked up a piece of ply board that he assumed was debris without realising it concealed a roof light void beneath. He fell feet first through the void and landed on the first floor some 5.6 metres below, fracturing his spine on impact.

HSE established that the measures taken to mark and protect this and other similar voids were unacceptable, and that other workers could have suffered a similar fate.

Numerous other height safety failings were identified on the site, including lack edge protection, fall risks on the scaffold, open joists, and open staircases where there were no handrails.

Fire risks and inadequate fire prevention measures were also noted, as well as numerous slip and trip hazards caused by excess rubbish and debris, and dangerously stacked window frames.

Right Angle Ltd, of Finchley Road, London, NW11, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,375 after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

John Donald, of New Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, was fined £4,000 with £3,965 costs after admitting a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

HSE inspector Danielle Coppell said after the hearing: “There were numerous failings on the part of Right Angle Ltd that exposed multiple operatives to a host of foreseeable risks, including falls, slips and trips. John Donald has to accept culpability as an experienced roofer who should have known better. He instructed the injured worker to work in an unsafe area where there were wholly insufficient measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall. The end result is that a young man has sustained life-changing spinal injuries from which he may never fully recover.”

Construction is set to start this year on the first of 30 more tower blocks that are to be built at London’s Canary Wharf.

With Tower Hamlets Council yesterday giving planning permission for a multi-billion pound extension of Canary Wharf, contractors will begin work before the year is out.

Canary Wharf Group plans to build a net 4.9m sq ft (6.5m sq ft gross) mixed use development at Wood Wharf, which is the eastern continuation to the existing Canary Wharf district.

The scheme will result in a further 30 big tower blocks at Canary Wharf, with roughly half the new space for apartments, making Canary Wharf a place to live as well as work. Completion of the first phase of this development will coincide with the arrival in 2018 of the Crossrail train service at Canary Wharf.

The new Canary Wharf neighbourhood will provide a net 2.6m sq ft (3.4m sq ft gross) of residential space, including 3,100 new homes, ranging from park-side townhouses to high-rise buildings designed by signature architects. Among the new tower blocks will be a network of parks and public squares with approximately nine acres of interconnected public spaces, including 1km of dock-edge walkways.

The new district will also include net 1.9m sq ft of office space (2.6 sq ft gross), targeting the media, technology and telecoms sectors.

The masterplan by Allies & Morrison also includes a primary school, an NHS medical centre, a community centre, a hotel and more than 100 high street shops, restaurants and cafes.

 Canary Wharf Group chairman and CEO Sir George Iacobescu said: "We are very pleased to have worked in collaboration with Tower Hamlets and the local community in helping to achieve this important planning permission. This major eastern development of Canary Wharf will reinforce the district as one of London's most vibrant and dynamic mixed-use commercial and residential districts. It will combine new high quality offices aimed at the fast emerging TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) sector; a wide variety of high street shops and restaurants, and a range of new housing opportunities designed around generous newly created public spaces. We expect to be on site in the fourth quarter of 2014, with the first buildings to be occupied as early as the end of 2018."

{{image2}}

The average small and medium sized construction company carried trade debt of £484,000 last year, according to a new survey.

Companies with 10-49 employees and a turnover between £2m – £10m were the worst hit, with an average debt of £627,000 – representing 16% of turnover.

Debt recovery firm Debt Guard Solicitors analysed the accounts of 550 construction SMEs.

Firms with fewer than 10 employees and a turnover of less than £2m each had an average trade debt of £41,000, accounting for a slightly smaller 14% of turnover.

 Medium-sized companies with between 50 and 249 employees and a turnover between £10m and £100m, as expected, had the highest levels of SME trade debt at £969,000. This accounted for a more manageable 13% of turnover.

Debt Guard Solicitors chief operating officer Mark Burgess said: “This research highlights the financial headache caused by outstanding and unpaid bills in the construction sector. It is clear that smaller SMEs in particular need much greater support in this respect, as many are facing the very real threat of closure due to trade debt pressure.

“Our message to all construction SMEs struggling with late payment is, ‘don’t write off your debt’, look at legal ways to professionally recover it as, by improving credit flow, this will help put your business on a more stable financial footing.”

If Labour wins next year’s general election, there will be an end to umbrella companies and a full public inquiry into construction’s blacklisting scandal.

These are just two of the measures put forward by construction unions and agreed by the Labour Party’s national policy forum last weekend.

On blacklisting the Labour Party has agreed that: “If the current government will not launch a full inquiry into the disgraceful practice of blacklisting in the construction industry the next Labour government will. This inquiry will be transparent and public to ensure the truth is set out.”

The policy statement adopted on employment status in the construction industry is: “False self-employment in construction is a scandal that is costing the taxpayer hundreds of millions each year…..The next Labour government will put this right by tackling problems with the Construction Industry Scheme and setting criteria for deeming contracts in the construction industry for an individual’s personal service to be employment contracts for the purpose of both taxation and employment rights, and will abolish the loopholes in existing deeming measures, including through the use of umbrella and payroll companies.”

Other issues close to the hearts of construction union activists have also made it into Labour policy. For example, papers relating to the 1972 trial of the Shrewsbury pickets will be made public.

On pleural plaques it was agreed: “Labour will introduce legislation for a proper compensation scheme for sufferers of asbestosis and asbestos related conditions, ensuring they are given the payment they are duly owed without delay, by enshrining the levy on the insurance industry in law. This will secure a sustainable funding stream for compensation for victims and ongoing research into asbestos related diseases and their treatment. The compensation scheme will be extended to include pleural plaques should evidence be found to show pleural plaques are symptomatic.”

On the treatment of construction workers in Qatar it was agreed that: “Labour is appalled by the human rights abuses being perpetuated in Qatar and deprecates the system of sponsored employment known as the Kafala system; Labour calls on the Qatari authorities to adopt ILO Conventions of Freedom of Association and to ensure all migrant workers are covered by the standards contained in Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and legacy Worker’s Charter. If the Qatari authorities fail to take appropriate steps Labour will call for Qatar’s right to host the 2022 World Cup to be removed”.

Steve Murphy, general secretary of Ucatt, said: “Ucatt is delighted that Labour has agreed these commitments. Labour has listened to Ucatt concerns and the concerns of construction workers. The challenge will now be in ensuring they are implemented by securing a Labour victory at next year’s general election.”

EDF Energy and trade unions have reached agreement on collective agreements for workers involved in building the proposed new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.

The agreements with the unions GMB, Prospect, Ucatt and Unite, cover supervisors and support service workers as well as construction workers. They set the project's policies and culture for effective collaboration between all parties involved, including EDF Energy management, contractors, unions and the entire workforce, EDF said.

The agreements are for not just pay and productivity, but also industrial relations, recruitment, training, health and welfare, as well as skills development and workforce communications.

The new deal builds on an agreement signed between EDF Energy and the construction unions last year, giving a minimum craft rate of £13 an hour.

Approximately 5,600 people are expected to be employed on site at peak of construction on the £14bn project. EDF said that it was important to secure these agreements now, even though the project is still subject to a final investment decision, so that it and when the project does go ahead, it will stay on schedule.

EDF Energy chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “These landmark agreements have been reached through constructive dialogue, with genuine commitment on all sides. The collective nature of these agreements is their most important feature, and they represent a new template for others to follow. They ensure that the Hinkley Point C project will benefit from excellent workforce relations, with everyone working as one team with a common approach agreed ahead of time.

“These progressive agreements are genuinely novel, and will help us ensure we have the right team of people in place to deliver the project.”

A leading piling specialist has issued a warning to main contractors and clients that, with construction industry recovery under way, they need to factor in longer lead times to avoid project delays.

Aarsleff UK is warning that the time between securing a contract and being able to mobilise on site is coming under strain as the number of contracts being let increases.

Managing director Chris Primett said: “Whilst it is great to see signs of recovery within the construction sector, the demand this presents on a finite pool of resources, positions occupied by the specialist contractor such as piling, is considerable. The ability to adapt to the rate of contracts available is not an easy one and has the potential to ultimately present itself on site.”

With lead times for many construction materials being stretched, with some block manufacturers quoting lead times of four months and longer, as well as for the services of the specialist contractors, Aarsleff says there are wider ramifications. “Any delays can cause problems on site but they could also threaten the rate of the UK’s recovery and possibly lead to swings in the price of construction products and services as a consequence of supply and demand.”

Mr Primett continued: “As well as a better appreciation by Tier 1 contractors and clients that longer lead times may be needed, there must also be a better understanding of the effects moving previously programmed start dates can have on a specialist contractor, as this might have quite a significant impact, especially for any follow-on-projects that may have been committed to. Piling, as the work of specialist contractors, has always been considered a long lead-time element and where these appear on the construction time-scale or pathway, they should be given due consideration and scheduling so that any delays do not to impact on the entire project.”

He acknowledged that suppliers and subcontractors had a role to play in preventing scheduling problems.  “It is important that specialist contractors clearly identify lead times and communicate these to clients from the outset of discussions,” he said. “This will allow projects to be planned better, with works scheduled and front-end elements like piling and ground works may even benefit from early contract placement to protect the entire project and remove them as the rate limiting step for future works on the construction pathway.”

Wellingborough-based construction training provider Citrus Training has acquired near neighbour Altitude Safety, which supplies safety equipment.

Altitude specialises in the sale, hire and servicing of personal protective equipment, breathing apparatus, gas monitoring and detection equipment, alcohol & drug testing kits, fall arrest systems and compressors.

“Altitude is a great fit for Citrus,” said Citrus managing director Wayne Taylor. “Both companies share similar philosophies with a passion for developing a culture of safety, understanding customer needs and exceeding expectations.”

Former Heathrow Airport chief executive Colin Matthews has been appointed non-executive chairman of the Highways Agency (HA).

He takes over from Alan Cook, who has been in post since 2011.

Mr Matthews will have to pilot the transformation of the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, assuming that the Infrastructure Bill that will do this is enacted before the next general election.  Mr Cook is credited with coming up with the reform plan.

An engineer by professional background, Colin Matthews has run various types of infrastructure businesses. Before joining BAA and subsequently Heathrow, his previous jobs include running gas company Transco, recruitment firm Hays and water company Severn Trent.

The new chairman will take up his post at the Highways Agency on 1 September 2014. He will be paid £130,000 for a minimum of 78 days’ work a year. This is more than Mr Cook has been getting – “to reflect the revised role, the challenges that the Highways Agency face in the coming years”, the government’s official statement said.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Colin Matthews’ appointment demonstrates the commitment we have to revolutionising our roads. His strong business record will give the new strategic highways company the leadership and focus on customer service it needs, which means taxpayers and road users will get a network fit for the future economic demands of this country.”

Mr Matthews said: “I am delighted to be taking up the chair of the Highways Agency. Roads matter to drivers and the economy. My focus will be on making them work better. Long-term stable investment will mean that all road users will be better able to get to their destination safely and quickly‎.”

A property maintenance firm has been prosecuted for failing to check a wood dust extractor in its joinery workshop.

Stockport-based High Peak Remedial Services Ltd was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after it failed to comply with an enforcement notice requiring its wood dust extractor to be properly tested, as required every 14 months by law.

Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard that an HSE inspector issued an improvement notice during a routine visit to the Park Road workshop on 13 July 2013, after it emerged the company had not arranged a recent test of its extraction system.

The company was given just over eight weeks to comply with the enforcement notice, but asked for an extension on the day before it was due to expire. The firm was then given another four weeks to arrange a test but it again failed to meet the deadline.

High Peak Remedial Services Ltd, of Buxton Road in Stockport, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,662 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to comply with an Improvement Notice.

HSE inspector Emily Osborne said after the hearing: “High Peak Remedial Services put its employees’ health at risk by not arranging for its wood dust extraction system to be tested. We gave the firm several chances to arrange for an engineer to visit the workshop over a three-month period, but it failed to take any action. We therefore had no choice but to prosecute.”

The rising price of bricks helped producer Michelmersh Brick Holdings to increase its profits in the first half but there is little happening there to aid shortages in the construction industry.

In fact, stocks are now said to be “at their lowest level in living memory”.

Michelmersh sold 34 million bricks in the first six months of 2014, down from 35.2 million in the first half of 2013. But the average selling price was up 12.8% to £387 per thousand.

This meant that its half-year turnover grew 8% to £13.6m (2013 H1: £12.6m) and operating profit was £1.4m (2013 H1: £0.1m).

With much reduced finance costs, last year’s first-half pre-tax loss of £300,000 became a pre-tax profit of £1.3m.

Cost of production increased only marginally, with energy costs staying steady, gross profit margin increased to 33% for the period.

Chairman Eric Gadsden said that construction industry recovery was now spreading nationwide. “In the first half of last year the focus was very much on London and the South East, and whilst this remains an important long-term market for us, we have seen a spread of new work and RMI sector improvements at a national level. In addition we are continuing to gain quality new orders in Scotland and grow our market position there.”

He added: “The brick industry is benefiting from rising demand and we have now seen for the first time since 2008 signs of increased national brick prices with stocks at their lowest level in living memory. “

However, he said that there was little that brick producers could do in the short term to ramp up output to meet demand.

“Capacity in the industry is largely fixed and can only be increased through significant investment and the availability of appropriate consented mineral reserves, which requires long term planning,” he said. “Margins are still not at a level where the industry is enjoying normalised levels of return on capital such that there is adequate return for new investment in this vital industry. Brick manufacturing in the UK is in a state of flux as a result of the forces created by the long awaited reduction in national stocks, now at historic low levels, and improvement in demand against the backdrop of long-term under investment in the industry.”

Last week Wienerberger announced plans to increase its UK brick production capacity by 200 million bricks by the end of this year. (See previous report here.)

Renew Holdings has promoted engineering services director Paul Scott to its main board.

Mr Scott becomes only the third executive director on Renew’s board, alongside chief executive Brian May and finance director John Samuel.

Paul Scott, aged 49, has headed Renew’s nuclear contracting business, Shepley Engineers for seven years.

He reports to chief executive Brian May, who at 63 may be considering his succession strategy.

Chairman Roy Harrison said: "I am pleased to welcome Paul to the board of Renew. Over the last seven years, Paul has developed Shepley Engineers Ltd into the leading mechanical and electrical contracting business at Sellafield and since assuming the position of engineering services director in 2012, has successfully championed the integration and growth of our engineering services businesses whilst maintaining their independent brand strengths."

The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) has produced a guide to the use of continuous flight auger (CFA) piling.

The document provides background information to the flighting mechanism, helping identify some of the situations where the risk of over-flighting is likely to occur. Over-flighting is piling jargon for when the auger is rotated too much and more soil is extracted than concrete pumped in to replace it. This can result in the ground beneath the piling rig become unstable.

The guide is available to download from the FPS website, www.fps.org.uk.

It is aimed not just at piling contractors but also geotechnical designers, planning supervisors and all those involved with the specification, selection and procurement of CFA piling. It sets out the options for where the risk of over-flighting has been identified. These include:

• A more substantial piling platform.
• Selection of a drill rig to ensure that torque and crowd combinations are compatible with auger rotation and rate of auger penetration into the ground. Where risk is particularly high then cased CFA may be considered.
• Review pile diameter, auger pitch and spacing parameters and central stem diameter. The use of an auger extension pole to increase pile depth is likely to increase risks.
• Over rotation during the concreting phase should be minimised and concrete overbreak or under break records should be scrutinised to ensure potential voids have been backfilled.
• Computer control systems can provide consistency of drilling and concreting controls when the most appropriate combination of parameters has been established.

Should these measures not mitigate the risks enough then alternative pile design or construction methods might be considered.

FPS chairman Martin Blower said: “CFA piling is widely used and there have been a number of notable rig overturns recently. What this document does is raise wider awareness of the potential risks of over-flighting, loss of support and stability of the working platform that may result in a piling rig or attendant crane overturning. More importantly, the document encourages robust risk management and the controls to be implemented to mitigate such risk.”

A developer has been sent to prison for 30 months after repeatedly breaching prohibition notices while redeveloping a former office block in Parkeston, Essex.

An inspector from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) visited the site on 28 February 2013 following complaints from local residents worried about debris falling from upper storeys and of the danger to workers at height.

Eze Kinsley, the developer who was found to be in control of workers at the site, intimidated the HSE inspector who visited. The inspector had to come back with police to serve prohibition notices requiring an immediate stop to unsafe work at the site. Mr Kinsley then assaulted the inspector.

After further reports that work had not stopped, HSE issued a further prohibition notice on 3 April 2013, which was breached within just one hour of being served.

Eze Kinsley, of Edgware, Middlesex, was today prosecuted by the HSE at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 18^th July.

He was given a 30 months prison sentence after being found guilty of two breaches of section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, to be served concurrently with three 12-month prison sentences after being found guilty of three counts of contravening a prohibition notice contrary to section 33(1)(g) of the same Act. He was also ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

Mr Kinsley was found guilty of assaulting an inspector from HSE at a separate court appearance.

After the case, HSE inspector Jonathan Elven, said: “Although no one was injured as a result of the woefully inadequate working practices this is nevertheless a serious case.

“The working conditions on this site were truly appalling with absolutely no provision for workers’ safety. In addition, the repeated breaching of prohibition notices – without any attempts to put right the reasons why work had been stopped – put workers and the general public at serious risk.

“Mr Kinsley refused to accept that he had a responsibility to make sure people who worked for him, and any member of the public living or working near his site, were not subjected to unnecessary risks – and vigorously and violently resisted all attempts to make him take actions to protect them.”

Skanska UK has reported a strong rise in first-half revenues and profits but has once again seen its margins squeezed a little further.

In the first six months of 2012, Skanska UK made an operating margin of 3.6%. Last year it was down to 3.2%. This year it is 3.1%.

However, it was still a strong first half performance for Skanska UK’s construction business, as it made an operating profit of £19.9m, up 14% on 2103’s first half operating profit of £17.5m. Revenue was up by an even healthier 20% to £651.4m (£12013 H1:£545m).

New orders also grew strongly. In the first six months of 2014, £858.8m of orders were booked by Skanska. This includes the £250m redevelopment of the Worthy Down, Hampshire and Deepcut Surrey barracks for the Ministry of Defence, and Creechurch Place, a new £95m commercial property development in the City of London.

Skanska UK president and CEO Mike Putnam said: “Our order bookings equate to a book to build ratio of 132%. Any figure greater than 100% is good as it means we are taking in more bookings than revenue. We are in the process of recruiting an additional 1,500 people to fill new roles as a result of this success.”

The outlook for the year as a whole is positive, said Putnam: “We have a very strong pipeline of work, which includes preferred bidder status for Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.”

Projects completed so far in 2014 include the construction of Bath Spa University’s ‘commons’ building, Crossrail’s Western Ticket Hall Box at Bond Street Station, two sections of the M25 and the Alexandra Wing of the Royal London Hospital. In the City of London, Skanska has completed commercial developments Moorgate Exchange and 6 Bevis Marks, as well as the refurbishment of Aldermanbury Square.

Mothballed brick factories in Worcestershire and Surrey are to be reactivated to help meet UK brick shortages.

Austrian company Wienerberger, which has 14 plants in the UK, said that it plans to increase its brick production capacity by 200 million bricks before the end of this year, creating 120 new jobs in the process.

Wienerberger will be implementing the capacity increases by bringing factories at Hartlebury and Ewhurst back into action and investing in technology upgrades. It will also supplement UK production by increasing imports.

Managing director Harald Schwarzmayr said: “This capacity increase shows our absolute commitment to ensuring that enough new housing is built to meet the requirements of the market. The UK needs a minimum of 200,000 new homes to be built each year, approximately 35,000 more than will be started in 2014. With our capacity increases equating to approximately 25,000 homes each year, Wienerberger is capable of manufacturing the core material for more than 70% of that extra housing requirement needed.”

Former Kier chief executive Paul Sheffield has been appointed managing director of Laing O’Rourke’s Europe Hub and a member of the group executive committee.

Mr Sheffield handed in his notice at Kier in February after 31 years with the company. (See previous report here.) Aged 52, he had joined Kier as a graduate engineer in 1983 and rose to the top job in April 2010.

He was on an annual salary of £481,000 at Kier, with entitlement to receive a cash bonus of up to 100% of that basic salary, taking his package towards a cool million. It was clearly not enough to keep him in post.

His resignation after just four years in charge came as a surprise, especially as he had only recently led the acquisition of May Gurney. He officially departed at the end of June and starts his new job in October.

At Laing O’Rourke Paul Sheffield will have executive responsibility for leading the development and delivery of the group’s growth agenda in the United Kingdom, Canada and the Middle East. He will report to group chief executive Anna Stewart, who said: “During this period of industry transformation, there is no better person to lead the development of Laing O’Rourke’s Europe Hub than Paul Sheffield.  He is a proven leader with hard core engineering and construction skills, industry vision and the ability to unite people behind that vision.  His passion for how the construction industry can positively influence the world around us is exactly what Laing O’Rourke needs as we enter our next chapter of innovation and growth.

“With a broad executive remit, he will spearhead the Europe Hub strategy to get closer to our customers by delivering the inherent benefits of our unique business offering.  As one of the few remaining civil engineers to lead a major international contractor, his experience of successfully running complex businesses will greatly benefit the group as we evolve our strategic focus towards expanding the opportunities to deploy our Design for Manufacture and Assembly approach.”

Commenting on his new role, Paul Sheffield said, “To make real progress towards the ambitions set out last year in the UK government’s industrial strategy for construction in 2025, businesses need to have the courage to find ways of doing things differently.  The 30% time and 50% cost savings targeted will not be achieved by incremental change alone.   Recent investments in innovation, manufacturing and engineering excellence at Laing O'Rourke have shown that they have the ambition to lead this change agenda and to drive it at a pace that I have not seen in any other business in the industry. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to be at the forefront of this paradigm shift in the way our industry works, and am very much looking forward to meeting the team and getting started in October.”

Chairman Ray O’Rourke said: “We are absolutely delighted that Paul has agreed to join us and lead the development of our international businesses across the Europe Hub.  He is one of the leading figures in our industry and has an outstanding reputation in business development, corporate leadership and construction delivery. The opportunity ahead for Laing O’Rourke is huge, but in order to seize it, we must have clear focus, move at pace, while continually innovating and transforming our customer offering.  Paul possesses the skills and experience to help make this happen and the Board is looking forward to working with him.”

Former Arup Group chairman Sir Philip Dilley has been confirmed as the next chairman of the Environment Agency.

He was nominated for the post by ministers last month but the appointment had to be approved by the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee. This approval has now been given.

Sir Philip will take up the £100,000-a-year post in September, when the term in office ends of Lord Smith of Finsbury, the former culture secretary.

The committee questioned the civil engineer about his previous experience and suitability for the role, considering his business skills, dealings with government and media-facing experience.

Sir Philip Dilley is expected to spend two or three days a week on the job, which employs around 10,600 staff and is the frontline service for flood protection, environmental regulation and water resource management.

Committee chair Anne McIntosh said: “We are satisfied that Philip Dilley has the professional competence and personal independence required for the post of chair of the Environment Agency. We wish Mr Dilley every success in his new post.”