GBP10,000 for construction company who failed to protect workers

A South Wales construction company has been fined £10,000 for failing to protect its workers from falls at height.

A Health & Safety Executive inspector visited a site at Castlegate, Caerphilly on 22 October 2009 where he found a number of shortcomings.

During the inspection the Inspector found unguarded shafts on first and second floors and inadequate edge protection to prevent workers from falls.

Principal contractor on the site was Gee Construction Ltd was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,514.25 after pleading guilty to breaching of Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company had previously received two prohibition notices for work at height issues in 2008 and 2009.

HSE inspector David Kirkpatrick said: "When we visited the site, we found clear failings that left workers at risk of falling from height, and it was necessary to stop all activity above ground floor level until safe systems of work were put in place. As principal contractors, the company was responsible for the safety of everyone on the site. It had previously received warnings from HSE and its own safety consultants about safely working at height, but clearly this advice had been ignored."

Inspector Kirkpatrick concluded: "Fortunately, despite the increased risk no-one was injured on this site, but this case must serve as a warning to companies of the need to ensure working at height is properly managed."

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