Calls for 'unsafe' UK government building to be closed
The first incident is understood to have happened in October 2024, when a pane of glass in the building cracked.In July, a window fell out of the fourth floor, and a third incident followed in August, when a window fell from the third floor.The building opened in 2020, and about 1600 members of staff work at the Treforest site, though office attendance is currently fixed at 40%.Since opening, the building has also experienced issues with flooding.
In a statement, PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: "The DWP office at Ty Taf has been a disaster since it first opened. Despite PCS raising several health and safety issues over the years, the DWP has failed to remedy the problems."We urge the DWP to urgently conduct a full audit of all our reps' safety concerns and close the office until the audit is complete and the full range of remedial measures are implemented."The DWP must allay the fears of our members. The most sensible thing would be to allow them to work from home until staff can be assured that their workplace is safe."It is understood that PCS has asked for a meeting with DWP staff about the issue.A DWP spokesperson said: "We take staff and customer safety seriously. The site has reopened after being declared safe."
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