Infobite 261: House Builder Fined for Serial Site Safety Offences

A Blackburn-based house builder has been fined over £100,000 after a long history of health and safety failings.

An investigation by the HSE found that they had failed to plan, manage, and monitor health and safety work on construction sites across England.

The firm was given a series of Notification of Contravention (NoC) letters – official correspondence that outlines how companies need to improve and provide advice on doing so.

They also received repeated formal Improvement and Prohibition Notices due to unsafe work, yet the firm continually failed to ensure the work being done on their sites was carried out safely and without risks to health.

The HSE said the company failed to reach the required basic legal standards.

Its investigation also found that managing director should have ensured measures were taken to comply with each concern when it was raised by HSE.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations and the company was fined £116,666 and ordered to pay costs of £8294.40 at Manchester Crown Court.

The managing director was served with a formal caution after accepting he was guilty of breaching section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, in relation the company’s failing of regulation 13 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 on the basis of neglect.

The HSE inspector said: They had every opportunity to improve standards and maintain these improvements but they sadly failed to do so and continued to put workers and contractors at risk.

“This firm has a long history of formal enforcement and prosecutions from HSE and it is hoped that this case will serve as a wake-up call for them to ensure that their management is robust enough to maintain any and all health and safety improvements they make in the future.”

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