Latest news with #HealthandSafetyatWorkAct1974
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Construction worker's fatal fall was 'avoidable'
A construction boss has admitted failings over the "wholly avoidable" death of a worker on a house extension. Affordable Lifestyle Design Ltd worker Stephen Pywell was walking on roof beams on a site in Thurmaston, Leicestershire, in March 2019 when he fell. The 59-year-old was taken to hospital and underwent surgery but died in May 2019 as a result of his injuries. Company director James Pitsillides, of Leicester, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was handed a suspended prison sentence, a community order and £10,000 costs at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 7 May. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Mr Pywell had used a ladder to access the beams, where there was no edge protection in place, leaving him to fall almost eight feet (2.4m). HSE said Pitsillides, of Orchard Lane, Great Glen, had failed to manage the roof work leaving subcontractors including Mr Pywell exposed to risk. Pitsillides, 45, pleaded guilty and was given a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. The district judge also ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £10,000 in costs. HSE inspector Phil Gratton said: "This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure to implement simple fall protection measures. "Had the company used suitable work equipment or devised a safe system of work, Mr Pywell's tragic death could have been avoided. "Our thoughts remain with his family and friends." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Health and Safety Executive HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Be prepared to take action on dust-related health risks
Charlotte O'Kane warns that a string of 'dust prosecutions' shows the HSE's determination to crack down on breaches Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A string of prosecutions in the UK should spur UK manufacturers to take action to meet their legal obligations to address health risks arising from dust. In the last year, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecutions have resulted in cases in which businesses – and, in one case, a director – were hit with criminal penalties for non-compliance with health and safety laws. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA), employers have a general duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. Silica and wood dust are listed as 'health risk priorities' in the HSE's 2024-25 business plan (Picture: There are further regulations that specifically address risks posed by hazardous substances that apply to dust. The HSE has demonstrated its focus on businesses' dust control measures by bringing increased criminal prosecutions over the past 12 months, including four successful 'dust prosecutions' in January. The most recent case involved London property developer Nofax Enterprises Limited which was fined £63,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,622, after pleading guilty to HSWA offences relating to a range of failures – including not sufficiently addressing risks of exposure to large amounts of silica dust and failing to protect workers from exposure to wood dust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In publicising the outcome of the case, the HSE said exposure to either wood or silica dust 'can result in very serious and life-threatening health conditions, including asthma, nasal and lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis'. Charlotte O'Kane, Senior Associate in Pinsent Masons' Litigation and Regulatory team (Picture: Peter Devlin) HSE inspector Tracy Fox said: 'Companies need to be aware that when HSE identifies repeated similar significant failings in the workplace, a prosecution will always be considered.' There is increasing political will to make sure workers stay healthy and stay in employment. One of the cornerstones of the UK Government's plan for economic growth is getting people into work and staying in work. The government's recent activity, including its 'Get Britian Working' white paper and 'Keep Britain Working' review, all point to the expectation that employers have a crucial role to play – and managing dust-related health risks is a vital element in this regard. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In its business plan for 2024-25 the HSE listed silica and wood dust as 'health risk priorities', planning a total of 4,000 proactive inspections as part of a broader initiative to 'reduce work-related ill health', which is a central goal of the 10-year strategy it published in 2022. 'To reduce workers' exposure, we will build regulatory influence by working with our partners and others in the supply chain. From quarry to construction sites, the focus will be on eliminating risk and substituting with less dusty products and processes,' the HSE added. The HSE said its plans to reduce work-related ill health will involve enforcement and that its inspections will 'enforce preventive controls for occupational lung disease from exposure to respirable crystalline silica, wood dust and isocyanate paints'. The direction of travel from the HSE, as evidenced not just by its comments in its business plan, but by its actions in bringing prosecutions, is clear: manufacturers should prepare for inspections of their approach to managing dust-related health risks and for enforcement action in the event failings are identified.
Glasgow Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow City Council paid £600k to employees hurt at work
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Glasgow City Council has been forced to fork out an eye-watering £629,291 over the last three years to workers injured in slips, trips, falls and manual handling of defective equipment while at work. The highest pay out to staff was £447,487 in the financial year 2022/23, while £181,804 was paid during 2023/24. Physical injury was the most common reason for action being taken, with 161 claims submitted. This number was followed by physical and psychological injuries, with 45 local authority employees successfully lodging actions. Councillor Paul Carey BEM says more care needs to be taken to safeguard people doing their duties and subsequently protect the public purse. Councillor Paul Carey BEM (Image: Supplied) He told the Glasgow Times: 'This is a shocking amount of money to spend on compensating staff injured doing their jobs. Here we have a cash-strapped council paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for slips and accidents that should be avoided. If more effective protective measures were in place and proper risk assessments had been carried out, this figure would be substantially lower. "The council quite simply doesn't have this kind of money to waste on claims that could, and should, have been avoided." Councils have a duty of care to staff under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states they should take every reasonable step to ensure people's safety in the course of their employment. Examples of measures include conducting regular risk assessments, communicating an up-to-date health and safety policy to all staff, providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and training employees to work safely without harming themselves or others. Failure to comply with any of the above can constitute a failure around health and safety codes and a breach of the local authority's duty of care. Employees who have been injured in a workplace accident may be able to make a claim for compensation if their employer is found to have been at fault by failing to provide a safe working environment. Solicitor for JF Law, Lucy Parker, said: 'Councils, like all employers, have a legal obligation and owe a significant duty of care to safeguard their workforce and prevent them from harm. "Unfortunately, council workers can often be involved in workplace accidents ranging from seemingly minor issues like slips on wet floors and trips on uneven surfaces to more serious incidents involving manual handling and defective equipment. Sometimes, workplace accidents could have been avoided with proper risk assessments and safety measures. "Making sure that councils are sticking to their legal responsibilities after an accident is crucial as it can ensure lessons are learned to prevent future incidents." In 2022, 78 workplace accident claims were made against Glasgow City Council, the highest number over the past three years. A year later, this number decreased to 71. The council has seen the number of actions drop over the past year, with a total of 64 successful claims. Glasgow City Council were approached for comment.
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Young mum dies on her birthday after two tonnes of bricks fall on her from crane
Michaela Boor was killed when a pallet of bricks weighing more than two tonnes fell from a crane on a building site in Bethnal Green, East London as a developer and four men face manslaughter charges A young woman was killed after a pallet containing more than two tonnes of bricks fell 70ft from a crane as she walked past a building site, as a developer and four men now face manslaughter charges over the death. Michaela Boor died in the tragedy in March 2018 when she walked along the pavement on the corner of Burdett Road in Bethnal Green, East London and passers-by rushed to help the young mum. They performed CPR until the air ambulance arrived on the scene and rushed Kayla to hospital where she turned 29 while she was fighting for life in hospital, but died two days later. Higgins Homes Plc is accused of corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence. Thomas Anstis, 68, Stephen Coulson, 68, Dawood Mann, 59, and Alexander McInnes 32, are accused of one count of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence and are due at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 16. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's special crime division, said: "Following a review of the evidence from the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), we have authorised criminal charges against a company and four individuals in relation to the death of 30-year-old Michaela Boor in 2018. "Ms Boor died after being struck by falling bricks as she walked on the pavement past a building site on the corner of Burdett Road in Bow, east London, on March 27 2018. "Higgins Homes Plc has been charged with corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, while Thomas Anstis, 68, Stephen Coulson, 68, Dawood Mann, 59, and Alexander McInnes 32, have each been charged with a single count of gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.' The Metropolitan Police said Higgins Homes Plc, a construction company that develops and builds properties across London and the south east, was charged by postal requisition on Wednesday, May 7. Crane operator McInnes and site manager Anstis were charged on May 8, while crane supervisor Maan and Coulson, who was responsible for compiling the lifting plan for the site, were charged on April 30. Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police continue to support Michaela's family, the force said.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Manslaughter charges over woman killed by bricks
A construction company and four men are to face manslaughter charges over the death of a woman who was killed seven years ago when she was hit by a pallet of bricks that fell from a crane. Michaela Boor died on her 29th birthday in hospital, one day after she was struck by two tonnes of material on the corner of Burdett Road in Mile End, east London, on 27 March 2018. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Higgins Homes PLC had been charged with corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence. Thomas Anstis and Stephen Coulson, both 68, Dawood Mann, 59, and Alexander McInnes, 32, have each been charged with a single count of gross negligence manslaughter. They have also all been charged with offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 June. The Met Police said specialist officers would continue to support Ms Boor's family. Higgins Homes describes itself as having "designed, built and managed a wide portfolio of new build and sensitively considered conversion and restoration projects across London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Sussex". Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS's special crime division, said: "The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have the right to a fair trial. "It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to HM Courts and Tribunals Service
