Latest news with #FosterBrotherBuilders
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
Beeston builder sentenced for Bulwell explosion that injured man
A builder who caused a gas explosion that badly burnt a worker has been Newman, the sole trader of Foster Brother Builders, had placed a faulty heater connected to a propane gas cylinder in the basement of a property in Bulwell, Nottingham, to dry out a leak from the heater led to an explosion on 22 November 2022 which blew out the front of the property he was refurbishing and injured a pleading guilty to breaching safety regulations, the 58-year-old, of The Quay, Beeston Marina, was given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. Fire crews from six stations were called to the explosion in Commercial Road at about 12:00 GMT alongside a special rescue unit, police, ambulance, and the gas and electric nearby properties were evacuated and one person was taken to hospital by air ambulance. Inspector Roy Poulter, from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which investigated the blast, said it left the person "unable to work" and the explosion "could have easily resulted in someone losing their life".HSE said the 51-year-old man suffered "severe burn injuries" to his hands, legs, face and debris was "propelled" into the road putting the public at risk, it added. Investigations showed Newman failed to carry out a risk assessment and provide suitable and adequately maintained said it was used in a badly-ventilated area below ground it was not designed to be used in, as the gas is heavier than air and can pool if a leak was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work, and made to pay costs of £2,000 and a £187 victim surcharge.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Yahoo
Moment cowboy builder walks away from house he caused to explode
This is the shocking moment a rogue builder strolls away from a house he caused to explode just moments before. Barry Newman, 58, was undertaking renovations on a property in Bulwell, Nottingham, when the three-storey terraced house erupted from its first floor. The builder had positioned a defective portable space heater, linked to a propane gas (LPG) cylinder, in the property's cellar to combat dampness. READ MORE: New faces added to West Midlands' most wanted list as detectives say 'call 999 straightaway' Get our local newsletters like Black Country News, MySolihull and MySuttonColdfield straight to your inbox However, a gas leak from the heater led to a violent explosion, resulting in severe burn injuries to the hands, legs, face and scalp of a 51-year-old man. His injuries were so bad, he has been unable to work since. A nearby neighbour captured footage of the aftermath of the blast, showing smoke billowing from the semi-detached property and debris strewn across the pavement and road. Newman - the sole proprietor of Foster Brother Builders - can be seen walking unscathed from the property, glancing back at the devastation he has wrought. Last week (June 19), Nottingham Magistrates' Court handed Newman, of The Quay, Beeston Marina, Nottingham, a 12-month suspended sentence, sparing him an immediate stint behind bars. He was also instructed to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £2,000. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, which occurred on November 22, 2022, and discovered that Newman failed to conduct a risk assessment. He failed to provide appropriate and well-maintained equipment for the task at hand. The heater's manufacturer's guidelines explicitly state that it should only be used in areas with good ventilation and that LPG cylinders should not be stored underground. This is due to the fact that the gas, being denser than air, will accumulate at lower levels in the event of a leak. HSE guidance stipulates that employers must ensure work equipment is utilised solely for tasks and under conditions deemed suitable. Newman admitted to violating Regulation 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Roy Poulter, HSE Inspector, commented: "This gas explosion has left one man unable to work due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained and it could have easily resulted in someone losing their life. "This case should serve as a strong reminder to those in the building trade on the dangers of working with gas and the need to assess the risk, and just how serious both HSE and the courts take failures like this. "HSE will take action against those who do not do all that they can to keep people safe."
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment cowboy builder stumbles away from house after it explodes during shoddy renovation works
This is the shocking moment a cowboy builder staggers away from a house after it exploded during shoddy renovation works. Barry Newman, 58, was carrying out refurbishments on a property in Bulwell, Nottingham, when the three-storey terraced house blew from its first floor on Novemeber 22, 2022. The builder had placed a faulty portable space heater, connected to a propane gas (LPG) cylinder, in the property's cellar to dry out damp. However, a gas leak from the heater resulted in a violent explosion causing his 51-year-old client to suffer severe burns to his hands, legs, face and scalp. He has been unable to work since, due to the seriousness of his injuries. Footage taken by a nearby neighbour seconds after the blast shows smoke bellowing from the semi detached property and rubble scattered across the pavement and road. Newman - the sole trader of his company Foster Brother Builders - can be seen walking uninjured from the property whilst glancing back at the destruction he caused. Last week, Nottingham Magistrates' Court sentenced Newman, from Beeston Marina, Nottingham, avoided jail but was given a 12-month suspended sentence. He was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and required to pay £2,000 in costs. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and found that Newman had failed to carry out a risk assessment. He also did not provide suitable and adequately maintained equipment for the work being undertaken. The manufacturer's instructions for the heater clearly state it is only for use in well-ventilated areas and LPG cylinders should not be kept below ground. This is because the gas is heavier than air and will collect at the lower level if there is a leak. HSE guidance states employers should ensure work equipment is only used for operations in situations and under conditions that are suitable. Newman pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Roy Poulter HSE Inspector said: 'This gas explosion has left one man unable to work due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained and it could have easily resulted in someone losing their life. 'This case should serve as a strong reminder to those in the building trade on the dangers of working with gas and the need to assess the risk, and just how serious both HSE and the courts take failures like this. 'HSE will take action against those who do not do all that they can to keep people safe.'
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Shocking moment cowboy builder seen walking from house he exploded
Footage shows sole trader Barry Newman, 58, walking away uninjured from a property in Bulwell, Nottingham, that blew up from its first floor due to a faulty portable heater A cowboy builder is seen walking away from a house he caused to explode from a gas leak seconds earlier. Barry Newman, 58, was carrying out refurbishments on a property in Bulwell, Nottingham, when the three-storey terraced house blew from its first floor. The builder had placed a faulty portable space heater connected to a propane gas (LPG) cylinder, in the property's cellar to dry out damp. But a gas leak from the heater resulted in a violent explosion causing a 51-year-old man to suffer severe burns to his hands, legs, face and scalp - his burns were so serious, he has been unable to work since. Footage taken from a nearby neighbour captures the second after the blast where smoke can be seen bellowing from the semi detached property - rubble is also seen scattered across the pavement and road. Newman - the sole trader of his company Foster Brother Builders - can be seen walking uninjured from the property whilst glancing back at the destruction he has caused. Newman, of The Quay, Beeston Marina, Nottingham, was given a 12-month suspended sentence at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on June 19. He was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and required to pay costs of £2,000. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident which happened on November 22, 2022, and found that Newman failed to carry out a risk assessment. He also did not provide suitable and adequately maintained equipment for the work being undertaken. The manufacturer's instructions for the heater clearly state that it is only for use in well-ventilated areas and that LPG cylinders should not be kept below ground. This is because the gas is heavier than air and will collect at the lower level if there is a leak. HSE guidance states that employers should ensure that work equipment is used only for operations for situations and under conditions that are suitable. Newman pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Roy Poulter HSE Inspector said: 'This gas explosion has left one man unable to work due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained and it could have easily resulted in someone losing their life. 'This case should serve as a strong reminder to those in the building trade on the dangers of working with gas and the need to assess the risk, and just how serious both HSE and the courts take failures like this. HSE will take action against those who do not do all that they can to keep people safe.'
Metro
30-06-2025
- Metro
Cowboy builder walks away from job seconds after causing house to explode
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A builder who walked away from a job on a Nottingham home following an explosion has avoided jail. Barry Newman, the sole trader of Foster Brother Builders, was hired to carry out refurbishment works at a property on Commercial Road, Bulwell. The 51-year-old placed a faulty portable space heater connected to a propane gas can in a cellar to dry out. On November 22, 2022, the heater exploded due to a gas leak, destroying almost all of the ground floor of the home. Newman, who suffered burns to his face, hands and scalp, was filmed walking away from the gutted property. Debris from the blast was propelled onto the road and pavement. Newman failed to provide correctly maintained and suitable equipment and had not carried out a risk assessment, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found. The manufacturer's instructions for the heater he used state that the equipment should be placed in a well-ventilated area. Propane containers should not be stored below ground, where leaked gas is more likely to collect and ignite. At a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court this month, Newman pleaded guilty to breaching regulations regarding the use of building equipment. The builder was handed a prison sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years. More Trending He will also have to complete 240 hours of unpaid work as well as pay £2,000 towards the cost of the damage. Inspector Roy Poulter said: 'This gas explosion has left one man unable to work due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained and it could have easily resulted in someone losing their life. 'This case should serve as a strong reminder to those in the building trade on the dangers of working with gas and the need to assess the risk, and just how serious both HSE and the courts take failures like this.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Severe delays on M62 with westbound lane closed after massive lorry fire MORE: Huge fire on cargo ship sends smoke and 'burning plastic' smell billowing into city centre MORE: Man arrested after 'flipping over BMW and attacking woman outside hospital'
