“Management shortcomings” to blame for fatality

A waste-transfer station must pay £105,000 in fines and costs following the death of a worker at its depot in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.

Swindon Crown Court heard that Bert Reeves, 62, was working as a totter for Shanley and Sons Ltd, when he was run over by a reversing skip lorry, on 21 June 2007.

Mr Reeves was standing in the depot’s tipping yard, operating an industrial shredding machine, which is used to process skip waste. At the same time a vehicle was delivering waste products, and the driver was attempting to park in the yard, in order to tip out the load. The driver could not see Mr Reeves as he was stood in the vehicle’s blindspot. He was struck by the rear of the vehicle, and fell underneath its wheels. Mr Reeves suffered serious head and chest injuries and died in hospital two hours later.

The HSE visited the site and issued an Improvement Notice in July 2007 for the failure to separate vehicles and pedestrians.

Inspector Liam Osbourne said: “This was a truly horrific case of a man killed doing his work in a needless and entirely preventable incident.

“Large moving vehicles on waste and recycling sites are a major risk to people who have to work on foot. Safety laws were introduced in 1992 that require managers of these sites to organise them to reduce the risk of people being killed or injured in this way.

Shanley and Sons appeared in court on 25 September and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974, and reg.17 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, for failing to segregate vehicles and pedestrians. It was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.

The firm mitigated that it had no previous convictions for health and safety offences, and had complied with the Improvement Notice. It has subsequently installed a one-way system, pedestrian-only areas, and signage to separate vehicles and pedestrians. It has also stationed a traffic coordinator in the yard to guide lorries into the tipping area.

After delivering his sentence Judge Hart revealed that it was his belief that Mr Reeves’ death was caused by “management shortcomings”. He said: “This case makes disturbing reading and there was a substantial gap between reasonable practice for risk management and what was actually in place.

“Failure to put in place pedestrian segregation was a direct cause of the accident. There was also a lack of management strategy and a blatant inadequacy of risk-assessment training and a safe system of work.”

HSE Warns Construction Companies after Deaths Of Two Workmen

A crane company has been prosecuted for breaching health and safety law, prompting the HSE to remind construction companies of the financial penalties of not carrying out full risk assessments or ensuring staff are properly trained.

WD Bennett's Plant & Services Ltd was fined £125,000 plus costs of £264,299 on 31st July 2009 after they were found guilty of two health and safety breaches at Chichester Crown Court at a previous hearing in March. The two breaches led to an incident which caused the deaths of two workers and injuring a third.

Eurolift (Tower Cranes) Ltd have been charged alongside the company and pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 8(3) of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 at the start of the trial.
The incident took place at a construction site in Worthing on 11th February 2005, when Steve Boatman and Gary Miles were working on the jib of a crane. Both men died, with another was severely injured.

The injured man was working in the mast of the crane and was instructed to begin de-tourquing the crane's mast bolts. This should have been carried out one-by-one and then retightening each bolt in turn, however, he was not trained in this area of work and did not retighten the bolts, leaving them part undone. Subsequently the crane collapsed as it turned.

Mr Boatman and Mr Miles, died from the injuries they received after being thrown from the crane.

Peter Collingwood, the HSE inspector who led the investigation said: "This fine reflects the seriousness of the company's breaches of health and safety legislation. The accident, in which two men lost their lives, was avoidable. It was caused by the inadequate supervision of a worker who was not trained, nor competent for the task that he was asked to undertake.

"To avoid future tragedies like this, employers and contractors must ensure that tower crane work including erection and dismantling is only undertaken by trained, experienced and competent people who are supervised adequately."

Corporate Manslaughter Trial to Begin in February

Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings, who are the first company being charged under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 are expected to be tried next February, Bristol Crown Court was told today (19th August).

The company is being prosecuted under the Act, for the death of a geologist by gross negligence. The company's director, Peter Eaton is also charged with manslaughter under common law.
The deceased, Mr Alexander Wright, 27, was collecting soil samples from a trench, when the walls collapsed in on him.

Mr Eaton was due to enter his pleas at Bristol Crown Court, however, after an application for more time by his legal counsel, a plea hearing will now take place some time in October. The trial regarding the case however, has been provisionally set for 23rd February next year.

Hampshire Waste Firm Fined £60,000 over Worker's Death

The Health and Safety Executive is warning companies that adequate risk assessments must be in place after an employee died after being hit by a vehicle at a waste transfer station.

Frederick Aubrey who worked for John Stacey and Sons died on 1st June 2007 at its Tadley facility in north Hampshire.

Mr Aubrey and two other employees were hand-sorting material in a process known as totting at the waste management and construction firm. A fourth employee was instructed to tip over a skip using a shovel loader and in doing so, reversed over Mr Aubrey, who died from his injuries 5 days later.

John Stacey and Sons appeared at Winchester Crown Court on July 29th 2009 and pleaded guilty to section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and regulations 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 at a previous hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 29th June. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £29,061, plus a victim surcharge of £15.

The HSE explained that the process of totting had only been carried out at the company for about 2 weeks before the incident occurred, and the company had not identified that this practice unnecessarily exposed employees to the risk of vehicles moving around them without protection to them.

HSE Inspector David Bibby said: "This case highlights the importance of assessing risks and putting adequate controls in place to protect pedestrians from vehicles, and the tragic consequences when this is not properly done."

"This should serve as a message to all companies, and especially those in the waste industry where unfortunately accidents like this are all too common, to ensure that risks from workplace transport are identified and suitable measures put in place to prevent accidents."

Firm to Pay £733,000 After Deaths

An international firm has been fined more than £700,000 after two of its employees died after an argon gas leak.

Stuart Jordan, 50 and Richard Clarkson, 29, who worked for Bodycote HIP Ltd at a Hereford metal refining plant died 5 years ago after argon gas leaked from a large vessel in a pit.

After admitting to breaching the Health and Safety at work Act 1974, Bodycote HIP Ltd of Macclesfield, Cheshire, were fined £533,000 plus costs of £200,000.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who brought the case against the firm, informed Worcester Crown Court that the two men were found collapsed on the stairs that lead to the pit at the College Road site on 14th June 2004. The HSE continued to tell the court that on the day of the incident, the pit's oxygen alarm system was switched off, and the ventilation system, which could have saved the men's lives, was not running.

The HSE also said that there was no evidence that Mr Jordan had received any appropriate safety training.

In it s defence, Bodycote HIP Ltd said that complacency had developed, however there was not a general disregard for health and safety at the company and that since the incident, the health and safety deficiencies have been remedied.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Luke Messenger said: "Both these tragic deaths were not only regrettable but also entirely preventable".

He added: "Confined spaces can be found in a wide range of workplaces and these deaths should serve as a reminder to all industries of the dangers of this type of work."

Fatal Glasgow Factory Blast "Avoidable"

An inquiry into an explosion at a plastics factory in Glasgow, which killed 9 people, concluded it to be "an avoidable tragedy".

The incident which occurred in May 2004 at ICL Plastics Ltd and its associate company ICL Tech Ltd also injured about 40 workers after the explosion flattened the factory in the Maryhill area of the city.

The inquiry found that the blast was undoubtedly caused by a leak from an old underground metallic pipe, which was carrying liquefied petroleum gas.

The pipe was corroded due to being buried without proper protection and the report found that the management of the two companies had shown a lack of understanding concerning LPG and the risk of explosion.

The report also mentioned that there were deficiencies in the HSE's oversight of the site with a failure to understand the risk of underground pipes and to promptly carry out the follow up visits.

Lord Gill, the inquiry chairman wrote: "This was an avoidable tragedy... Nearly five years after the explosion HSE has not produced a coherent action plan to deal with underground metallic pipework and the risk of a recurrence.

While the probability of another explosion may be low, the consequences of a similar event, should it occur, may be catastrophic. A sense of urgency would be an appropriate response to the serious issue of public confidence that this disaster has raised."

In 2007, ICL Plastics and ICL Tech pleaded guilty to four health and safety breaches and were fined £200,000 at the Glasgow High Court and were both fined £200,000.

The firms commented: "The ICL companies wish to express profound sadness and apologise for their omissions and the shortcomings of those who were responsible for the health and safety of the employees".

They continued: "The inquiry's analysis of the essential facts and crucial expert knowledge provides much needed answers and recommendations which will have an important bearing on the future."

Jim Murphy, Scottish Secretary said that the government will be providing a full response to the report in January: "What is clear from the report published today is that this disaster could and should have been avoided," he said. "It lays out a litany of failings and it is imperative that we take on board Lord Gill's recommendations for a better and more effective safety regime surrounding LPG installations to ensure an unnecessary and preventable fatal incident such as this never happens again."

HSE Warns of Dangers of Not Maintaining Plant Equipment After Driver's Death

A telescopic forklift truck driver has died after he was crushed between the descending arm and side of his vehicle. Subsequently, the HSE has warned of the danger of not maintaining plant equipment.

MB Plastics Ltd and Birse Integrated Solutions Ltd were both prosecuted in relation to the incident which occurred in September 2003 at the Davyhulme Waste Water Treatment Works, Rivers Lane, Trafford, Greater Manchester. The two companies were sentenced on 30th June 2009 at Manchester Crown Court.

MB Plastics Ltd of Warrington, who employed the deceased, pleaded guilty to an offence under health and safety legislation and was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of £24,323.

Birse Water Ltd of Cheadle Hulme, who was the principal contractor for the project also pleaded guilty and was fined £50,000 with costs of £41,073.

The vehicle's off side cab window usually acted as a guard, however it had been damaged in a lifting operation five weeks previous to the fatality, the court was told. The cab window was completely gone at the time of the incident.

Judge Peter Lakin, commented that while there were no witnesses to the incident, the most likely explanation is that the deceased leant out of the cab window, coming into contact with joystick, which brought the arm of the forklift truck down onto him.

MB Plastics Ltd was charged with failing to ensure the safety of employees under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, while involved in operating and working with, or in the vicinity of a telescopic forklift truck.

Under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Birse Ltd was charged with failing to ensure the safety of people not in its employment. Birse had failed to ensure that MB Plastics Ltd had prepared suitable and sufficient risk assessments in relation to its telescopic forklift truck operations. The court also found that Birse had failed to adequately monitor MB Plastics, subsequently failing to identify the cab's broken window and ensuring it was replaced.

Warren Pennington, HSE Inspector said: "This incident would have been entirely avoidable if the proper health and safety procedures had been followed.

"MB Plastics Ltd did not have a system in place for formal regular inspections of the plant. As a result, the company failed to maintain the cab window which could have saved this man's life.

"Birse, the principal contractor on the site, also had a duty to supervise its subcontractors properly. The company had a comprehensive management system but it was not implemented and, as a result, something as simple as a missing window was not spotted.

"This incident emphasises how important it is that companies should not only ensure they have the proper procedures in place - but also ensure they are followed. We're therefore calling on employers to take their responsibilities seriously so that future tragedies can be avoided."
When passing sentence, Judge Lakin said: "MB had primary responsibility for the welfare of its employees. The harsh reality of this case is that, in relation to this contract, MB completely failed to have any proper regard to their health and safety obligations.

This directly led to the development of an unsafe and sloppy system of work in relation to the use of telehandlers. As a result MB's workforce was exposed to completely unnecessary and avoidable risk.

"Birse, as principal contractors on site, failed to implement their own systems and accordingly failed to properly monitor what MB were doing. This lack of monitoring allowed MB's disregard for health and safety to continue over a number of weeks. In short, Birse failed in their supervisory role."

Number of Workplace Fatalities Hits Record Low

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reported that the number of workplace deaths has fallen to a record low.

Their report shows that 180 people died due to work related incidents in the year ending March 2009. This is 53 people less than the previous year's statistics and is the lowest number since records began in 1974.

Number of people killed at work throughout the years:

1981 = 495
1991 = 368
2001 = 251
2009 = 180

The Chair of the HSE, Judith Hackitt said: "We very much welcome any reduction in the number of workers being fatally injured and the fact that the number for 2008/09 is a record low.

"There is inevitably variation in the figures year on year, but we can take heart from the fact that Great Britain consistently has fewer fatal injuries than comparable industrialised nations in the rest of Europe."

She added: "These statistics are encouraging but there is no magic wand in health and safety. When those running organisations show personal leadership, and when workers are involved in tackling the risks they face, safety can be improved and lives saved - that is how we can turn this encouraging sign into real sustained improvement."

Commercial marketing director, Richard Evans of St John Ambulance who train 500,000 employees per year in first aid at work had this commented on the findings: "We welcome the news there has been a reduction in workplace fatalities. It shows taking health and safety seriously can make the difference between life and death. However, 180 deaths are 180 too many."

Even though there is a downward trend in workplace fatality statistics, the year-on-year improvement is slowing down.

Coroner Warns of Hotel Fire Risks as Penhallow Inquest Returns Open Verdict

In 2007, a fire at the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay took three lives. The coroner leading this inquest, has warned of a risk of further deaths and calls for government support for hotels and guest houses to invest in fire safety to ensure compliance with the law.

The comments were made by Dr Emma Carlyon at the conclusion of the inquest in Truro, when she directed the jury to return an open verdict.

She said: "I... intend to write to the minister for tourism to highlight to her the concerns raised by those at the inquest about the change in fire legislation and to self regulation in 2006 and the risks of future deaths, in particular of hotels and guesthouses, if sufficient measures are not provided to support the investment in fire safety or to ensure compliance."

Dr Carolyn reminded the owners of hotels and guesthouses that they are the only ones responsible for complying with the provisions of the Fire Safety Order, particularly regarding regular fire risk assessments and taking general fire precautions.

Investigators were unable to clarify how the fire at the Penhallow Hotel began, however there was evidence to suggest that the fire started from a naked flame.

Four people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation into the fire last year have been released without charge.

Detective chief inspector Darren Lockley, speaking after the verdict said that the speed and spread of the fire was exceptional. "The inquest goes some way to explaining the tragic loss of lives; however we now wish to appeal for any information that will enable the families to fully understand what happened."

A statement on behalf of the bereaved families said they were satisfied with the evidence that had been given at the inquest but were disappointed with the open verdict.

Crane Hire Firm Fined Over Deaths

A crane hire company has been fined after two workers fell to their deaths when a crane collapsed.

Gary Miles, 37, and Steven Boatman, 45, from Berkshire, died in 2005 as the 118ft (36m) tower crane was being dismantled in Durrington, West Sussex.

They were working for Eurolift (Tower Cranes) Ltd, which was taken over by WD Bennett Plant & Services Ltd in 2003.

Eurolift was fined £50,000 for health and safety breaches and £1,000 in costs, at Chichester Crown Court.

The Hampshire-based company had admitted the breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at an earlier hearing.

Judge William Wood said the company deserved to be fined up to £200,000, but he accepted it would not be able to afford it as it had ceased operations since the accident.

WD Bennett, based in Gloucestershire, is currently in administration and will be sentenced when financial information becomes available.

It had denied both health and safety breaches but was found guilty following a trial at the same court in March.

The crane had been used in the construction of a school in Durrington before it collapsed.

A third man, Dave Smith, suffered broken bones in the incident.

During the trial, he told the court he had been asked to loosen the bolts of the crane's tower despite having no training.

Witnesses described hearing "a noise like pistol shots" as the crane collapsed while Mr Miles and Mr Boatman were still up it.

Both men were flung off, and died of multiple head and chest injuries.

Jurors heard there had been a "management vacuum" at the site because the person in charge of health and safety was off sick on the day of the accident.

Corporate Killing Case Referred to Crown Court

Company director Peter Eaton has appeared before magistrates in Stroud to hear a charge of corporate manslaughter against his company, Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings.

The prosecution is the first to be brought under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act. Eaton, 60, also faces a charge of gross negligence manslaughter, and both he and the company are accused of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The charges relate to the death of 27-year-old Alexander Wright, a junior geologist who was killed in September 2008 when he was buried beneath several tonnes of mud as he collected soil samples in a trench. It took rescue workers two days to recover his body.

No pleas were entered and Stroud magistrates referred the case to Bristol Crown Court, where Eaton will appear on 23 June.

Eaton, who told the court his position in the company was "principal or sole director", was granted unconditional bail.

This story first appeared on Health and Safety Professional

HSE Could Add Safety Rules to Building Regulations in Crackdown

In order to reduce the construction industry's death toll, the Health and Safety Executive may introduce strict safety criteria to local building regulations and step up its publicising of convictions.

The chair of the HSE, Judith Hackitt and the chief executive Geoffrey Podger confirmed that the HSE was considering a range of proposals in a bid to tackle the in industry's death toll.

In 2008/09, early indications show that fatalities within the construction industry may have declined by more than 20% to approximately 55. Despite the percentage drop, the HSE remains adamant to crackdown even more and prevent an increase in fatalities when activity in the sector picks up.

New Rules

Ms Hackitt told the Work and Pensions Select Committee that one way of clamping down on bad practice, could be strict new rules within the building regulations.

Ms Hackitt said: "We want to look at the practicality of doing that because... we think there is a sound logic to the notion that says not only should [an] extension be built to last and to not put at risk those who are going to live in it, it should be built in a way that doesn't put at risk the people who have to build it in the first place."

However, she did caution the committee that the cost of pressures within local authorities could have an affect on any possible further proposals.

Mr Podger told the committee that the HSE was also looking at ways of increasing publicity about firms convicted of health and safety offences.

He said: "Often for companies it is not the fine that is the punishment, but the publicity around it. This is an area where we want to try and do more.

"We want to try and publicise some of these cases nationally, as well as regionally and locally."

Committee chair Terry Rooney, who was scathing of the regulator's enforcement levels, called on the HSE to re-examine the fines being handed down by courts around the country.

He said it was concerning that companies were still fined less for fatalities than for anti-competitive behaviour, and said "something needs to be done" about geographical differences in fines.

"There is concrete evidence of widespread geographic differences in penalties. For example, in the South-west you will get fined a lot more than you will in the North-east," he said.

Ms Hackitt assured him: "I think both of those things need to be addressed.
"We should not rest where we are, but continue to press for a more equitable viewing of different offences."
Committee criticisms

The regulator, however, shrugged off criticisms from the committee that enforcement notices were down for the fourth year running.

Mr Podger said: "I don't accept at all that there is a downward trend that is just going to manifest itself forever."

Meanwhile, the relationship between the HSE and construction union Ucatt deteriorated further amid a row over the recording of the employment status of construction workers killed at work.
Ucatt raised serious concerns about the collection of what it called "vital evidence" following fatalities, including data on whether victims were members of the Construction Industry Scheme.

Committee member Tom Levitt asked Ms Hackitt and Mr Podger why CIS data was still not being thoroughly collected, despite a pledge to do so in September 2007.

Mr Podger hit back, claiming CIS data was not relevant to the HSE's work and that the regulator simply got "the best data that we can". He said the nature of construction sites made "it more difficult to get a grip of what is going on".

He added: "From our perspective, which is different to Ucatt’s, we would have the data we need and we would act on it."

Three Directors Disqualified after Firm "Put Business Before Safety"

A haulage company has been put out of business after it was recently fined for Health and Safety breaches in relation to the death of a member of the public.

Munro & Sons (Highland) Ltd's operating licence was revoked by Scotland's Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken. She also disqualified two directors for seven years and a former director for two years.

The commissioner's decision came after the company was prosecuted in relation to an incident on 5th July 2006. The company breached sections 3(1) and 33(1) of the HSWA 1974, when a 30-tonne wheeled loader, which the company was considering buying from Umax Ltd, rolled off the trailer it was being transported on for tests, and crushed a car on the A9 Inverness to Scrabster road. A woman was killed in the collision, while another was injured.

Warning other operators she said: "Disqualified operators often seek to re-emerge in other corporate form. I warn other operators and persons to be very wary of providing a front for continued operation by Messrs Munro."

A court concluded that Munro's driver did not have adequate plant, materials or any information about the vehicle's weight. The court also stated that the driver had an inadequate number of sufficient weight-bearing chains to secure the loader and was not informed about the poor quality of the brakes on it.

Further information to the Crown included a remark attributed to Munro's contracts manager, Andrew Gillies, who said: "The chains broke once the lorry went up the hill and the machine came off. These old f**king chains are never checked." The company director William Munro declined any responsibility for the wheel loader or agreement to purchase it, and it was returned to Umax Ltd.

In April 2008, Munro & Sons was fined £3,750, but after an appeal in January of this year, the Appeal Court judge increased this penalty to £30,000. This was after a ruling that the sentencing judge had based the original fine mainly on Munro's ability to pay, and had not taken the gravity of the offence into the account.

Following a public inquiry and driver-conduct hearing in March held at Inverness, the company has now been put out of business.

The Traffic Commissioner said: "The operator clearly had no idea of modern competence in the manner of moving heavy equipment. It was the grossest error of judgement undertaking that journey with that equipment. For a goods-vehicle operator it was an act of astonishing recklessness."

Aitken accepted that the company had organised some driver training, and had appointed a health and safety consultant to look after its road-haulage business. However, she concluded that the directors, William and David Munro, had "put business before safety", adding that their "demeanour as respectable and responsible has the allure of the mirage".

She disqualified David and William Munro for seven years, as well as former director, Pamela Munro, for two.

Company fined £135,000 for Worker Death

A company based in Dartford have been fined £135,000 with costs of £18,313 after a man fell 10 metres to his death. Laing O’Rourke Construction South Limited was fined for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The steel worker fell through a hole that had been covered with plywood whilst on site on the Jemstock Project, Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets.

Even though risk assessments and method statements had been undertaken, the weekly and monthly checks required from these assessments were not being sufficiently carried out. The plywood used to cover the whole was of poor quality, and site managers were not aware of this, nor who was responsible for covering it.

Small-firm Builders at Greater Risk of Fatal Injury, Report Claims

More than half of the building workers killed in 2007/08 worked for small companies, despite such firms employing little over a third of the construction workforce. This is the main finding of a report written by the Centre for Corporate Accountability for construction union, UCATT, which wants more HSE inspectors to support a tougher regime of enforcement and prosecutions, and apply pressure on small construction companies "all year round".

The report, Small isn't beautiful, reveals that in 2007/08, 51 per cent of construction workers killed worked for companies with fewer than 50 employees - a disproportionately-high total, while almost half of these deaths occurred in companies that employed five or fewer workers (so-called micro companies). Figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) show that 34 per cent of the construction workforce are employed by small and micro-sized firms.

UCATT says the research also suggests a potential need to impose statutory directors' duties on smaller firms, as well as medium and larger firms. General secretary, Alan Ritchie, said: "As the law stands a company boss is more likely to be sent to prison for not paying their taxes than killing one of his workers. It is an appalling state of affairs and sends a terrible message that we as a society consider life to be cheap."

The report also provides information on who died, where they worked, how they died, and their age. According to the CCA, a report of this kind could not have been published until recently because the HSE refused to publish the names of those whose deaths were reported to it. The Executive is now obliged to provide the names of the deceased following a ruling by the Information Commissioner in July last year.

Added Ritchie: "Each and every one of these deaths is an individual tragedy. This report spells out in stark clear terms how each individual died. In order to achieve real improvements in safety it is vital not to hide behind statistics."

Commenting on the report and the union's demands, Brian Berry, director of external affairs at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), told SHP: "There is already a considerable amount of health and safety legislation in place but the real challenge is not more regulation but better enforcement of what already is in place with a strong emphasis on ensuring its practicality on site.

"We need to bring about a cultural change within the construction sector that takes health and safety more seriously. Better funding of the HSE would help, as would better advice to small firms and more access to training for all members of staff to help reduce the number of accidents and deaths on construction sites.

"The FMB encourages all building firms, particularly its members, to take advantage of the free publications available from the HSE, which are also available on the FMB website.".

HSE forced to reveal details of construction industry fatalities

The Guardian has reported that the names of construction workers killed on building sites, the companies they worked for and their causes of death are to be revealed for the first time after the Health and Safety Executive was forced to disclose details of construction-sector fatalities by the Information Commissioner.

The disclosure indicates that more than half the 72 builders who died last year worked at small companies employing fewer than 50 people, with a quarter of affected firms employing fewer than five people.

The building workers' union, Ucatt, says the figures highlight the effects of rampant casualisation in the industry, in which big building concerns subcontract major work and the bulk of the industry's 2 million workers are self-employed. The result, says Ucatt, is that small companies compete aggressively on price to win work, meaning safety standards are frequently compromised.

Last year, 229 workers of all types were fatally injured in the UK, with construction responsible for more than 30% of those deaths. More than 2,500 building workers have died in the past 25 years. Next month the government will publish a detailed analysis into safety in the sector.