Archive for the ‘News’ Category
12/03/2021
Construction back on the rise after December dip
Construction activity is back on the rise after a stutter in output growth at the end of last year. New work increased by 1.7% in January driven by private commercial and infrastructure, which grew by 4.5% and 3.1% respectively, according to fresh data from the Office of National Statistics. But small falls in repair and […]
09/03/2021
Ground worker loses arm in disc cutter accident
A civils contractor has been fined £250,000 after a self-employed ground worker lost an arm following a disc cutter accident. Truro Crown Court heard how on 1 June 2017, self-employed ground worker Morgan Prosser, contracted by MJL Contractors Limited, was working to complete ground works at a new building site near Bodmin, Cornwall. Prosser was […]
26/02/2021
Police Called to Site to Stop Dangerous Digger Driver
A digger driver has been sentenced after police were forced to stop him causing chaos on a Blackburn demolition site. Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard how Peter Walling’s company had been contracted to demolish a former medical centre in Blackburn and clear the land ready for development. Between 15 November and 6 December 2018, four separate […]
26/02/2021
Microbrewery Receives £120,000 Fine for Fire Safety Breaches
A Bristol-based microbrewery has been fined £120,000 after admitting its failure to comply with fire safety laws resulted in a 2018 fire. Brewhouse and Kitchen pleaded guilty in February to four breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. They included: failure to take general fire precautions; failure to ensure adequate fire safety arrangements; […]
12/02/2021
Network Track Worker Killed by train
A railway track worker was struck and killed by a train on Tuesday morning close to Surbiton Station on the South Western Railway. Transport police and paramedics were called at around 11.40, but despite treatment the 30-year-old man from Hampshire was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other workers who were nearby are not thought […]
12/02/2021
Highways England referred to CPS over smart motorway death
Highways England could face manslaughter charges after the death of a 62-year-old grandmother on a stretch of smart motorway. A coroner investigating the death of Nargis Begum has referred Highways England to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider whether manslaughter charges are appropriate. Nargis Begum was killed in September 2018 after her car broke down […]
26/01/2021
Builder Crushed by Falling Pile of Plasterboards
The director of a construction company has been sentenced after a subcontractor suffered serious injuries when a stack of plasterboards fell on him at a site in Thames Ditton, Surrey. Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard that on 12 April 2019, subcontractors were moving sheets of plasterboard weighing 32kg each from the ground floor to the second […]
26/01/2021
CSCS Skills Cards go Virtual
Virtual skills cards are now available in a move hailed as an industry “game changer” The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has announced the launch of virtual CSCS cards and a new app. Virtual cards are the same as traditional plastic ones but stored within the My CSCS app on a Smartphone or Tablet rather […]
20/01/2021
Workers Appeal for Damages After “Horseplay” Dismissed
A contractor who suffered hearing loss following a practical joke by a company employee has been unsuccessful in his claim. Site fitter Mr Chell appealed against a decision to dismiss his claim for damages against Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd, following an incident at its site. He had been contracted out to Tarmac Cement and […]