Latest news with #healthAndSafety
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Preston flats developer fined £165k for ignoring fire safety
A construction firm has been fined £165,000 for repeatedly ignoring fire safety when it turned a warehouse into 35 Court Ltd had a "blatant disregard" for fire precautions during the redevelopment works in Preston, meaning some residents had to leave their homes, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Fire And Rescue Service (LFRS) found there was no fire detection system in place, no means of raising the alarm in case of a fire, and inadequate escape firm based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was found guilty at Preston Magistrates' Court of four offences. The Glovers Court project was under construction on 16 May 2023 when it was visited by fire service issued a prohibition notice, meaning those already living there had to leave their HSE inspector visited the site as construction works were still "ongoing" and found the firm was not complying with its duty to ensure suitable fire safety HSE served a prohibition notice against Glovers Court Ltd, of Kingsway, stopping all further work on the property until adequate fire precautions were in place and ordered it to come up with a fire management during further visits in June and November 2023, the HSE found construction work had been continuing yet no action had been taken to comply with either of the notices. HSE inspector Christine McGlynn said the company had shown a "blatant disregard" to both fire safety and the law. "Each year there are estimated to be hundreds of fires on construction sites, potentially putting the lives of workers and members of the public at risk," she said fires put people at risk and also damaged and delayed the construction work, which can be avoided by careful planning. Glovers Court Ltd, which has now gone into liquidation, was found guilty in its absence. As well as a £165,000 fine it was ordered to pay £10,512 in costs.A spokesperson for LFRS said the prosecution highlighted "the critical importance property developers, owners and managers must give to fire safety". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Thames MSD staff refuse to work at mould, sewage smelling office any longer
The temporary Ministry of Social Development office operated out of the Wintec Building in Queen Street, Thames until Monday. Photo: Googlemaps More than a dozen Ministry of Social Development staff walked off the job over what they say is an unsafe office with a ''strong mould and sewage smell". Staff stopped working in the ministry's Thames office on Monday, leaving 12,000 clients without a face-to-face service. The office was supposed to be a temporary space, after the Ministry of Social Development closed its main office in Pollen Street in November 2023 due to damage. But there's been ongoing issues with the temporary building. Staff moved out for a period of time last year, and last month it was closed for three days for security and privacy upgrades. The Public Service Association has now issued MSD with a Provisional Improvement Notice under the Health and Safety at Work Act, which requires the employer to address concerns about health and safety. MSD has redeployed staff to Paeroa which was 33km away. Thames Community Board chairperson Adrian Catran told Checkpoint the situation for clients trying to go to MSD was "terrible". "Twelve thousand clients in and around Thames and in the Coromandel Peninsula are unable to have face-to-face contact with MSD in Thames." Catran said it was "wrong" that clients wanting to visit MSD in person would have to travel to Paeroa. "There is no actual transport available to just travel to Paeroa at the moment, so that means they have to find their own way." MSD staff have been working in the temporary office for 18 months, despite the space originally being used as a solution for four weeks. Catran said the temporary office has had a number of issues over a long period of time. "The building is not really fit-for-purpose and had shortcomings anyway. Now it appears that has manifested itself to a point that staff won't work there. "It's had other problems in terms of the space is too small for 13 staff for example, client privacy is not available within the building to the extent that a lot of clients wanted." He said on a previous occasion the ceiling had collapsed in another room in the building. The original building had been vacated due to black mould and water leaks, but had now reopened as a fruit shop, Catran added. Last year local MP Scott Simpson issued a statement saying it was unacceptable for people to have to travel to Paeroa to see MSD staff in person, which Catran said was still relevant today. The Ministry of Social Development told Checkpoint the Thames Service Centre was temporarily closed on Monday and staff were redeployed to Paeroa Service Centre. They had access to vehicles for travel. Acting Regional Commissioner, Sharlene Horne, said MSD was working through concerns about the building in conjunction with the landlord, while also working on securing new long-term premises that met the ministry's requirements. Horne said MSD was working to reopen the Thames Service Centre as soon as possible but many of the client conversations in Thames already happened over the phone, and she expected clients should still be able to complete their appointments. PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons told Checkpoint there had been long-standing issues with the working environment at the Thames office which was supposed to be a temporary site. These concerns came to a head on Monday and health and safety representatives at the office had since issued MSD with a Provisional Improvement Notice under the Health and Safety at Work Act. She said the PSA was working on ensuring workers were not disadvantaged by any alternative options proposed and that they would continue to support workers through this. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
31-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Three major investigations at Jersey workplaces
Three major incident investigations were carried out at Jersey workplaces in 2024, the island's health and safety regulator has said. In its annual report, the Health and Safety Inspectorate said it responded to 51 investigations into serious workplace accidents and ill health conditions during the year, as well as 140 regulator said it served 36 enforcement notices, 12 prohibition notices and 24 for report also said accidents and ill health in the workplace had cost the island more than £1.75m in 2024. The regulator said the three major investigations included Skinner Skips to the report, the employer was found guilty for failure to ensure the health and safety of its employees. It was fined £55,000 with an additional charge of £5,000 for remaining two major investigations saw one paramedic and one technician for the ambulance service found guilty of a breach of Article 4(a) HSW Law. The article states that employees have a duty under Article 4(a) to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and that of others who may be affected by their men were each given a two-year conditional discharge with costs of £500. The defendants sought leave to appeal which was dismissed.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- The Independent
Pontins in court over death of grandmother at resort
The parent company of Pontins holiday parks has appeared in court in connection with a grandmother's death. Eighteen people were injured at the Brean Sands site near Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset in February 2019 when a 40-metre section of structural ducting and ceiling fell inside an entertainment area. Grandmother Wendy Jones, 68, was among six people taken to hospital after she sustained serious injuries. She died in August 2019. Pontins' parent company, Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, has been accused of corporate manslaughter between January 1, 2015 and February 21, 2019. The charge alleges the company 'managed and organised its activities in such a way so as to cause the death of Wendy Jones in that exposed Wendy Jones to the risk of death from the collapse of the ventilation ducting, which was positioned at height in the Fun Factory at its Brean Sands site, in gross breach of its duty to take reasonable care for the safety of Wendy Jones as an organisation carrying out activities on a commercial basis and as an occupier of premises'. Stephen Bennison, 59, of Farington, Lancashire, has been charged with failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 between January 1, 2015 and February 21, 2019. The charge alleges he 'being self-employed within the meaning of the Health and Safety at Work Act failed to conduct his undertaking, namely as a contractor carrying out sound-prodding work at Pontins Brean Sands in such a way as to ensure so far as reasonably practicable that persons not being his employees and who may be affected thereby, namely members of the public, including Wendy Jones, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, namely the risk posed by overloaded ductwork in the Fun Factory'. The two defendants appeared before Bristol Magistrates' Court where District Judge Lynne Matthews sent the case to Bristol Crown Court for trial, where they will next appear on June 9. They did not enter any pleas to the respective charges they face. Bennison was released on unconditional bail. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed at the time it had been called to reports of a section of ducting collapsing into the bar area of a building at the holiday park. It said approximately 40 metres of structural ducting and ceiling sections had fallen, exposing live damaged electrics. Pontins Brean Sands is currently closed to tourists, with EDF housing workers at the holiday park as part of the Hinkley Point C project. The energy giant has a three-year-deal with Britannia, who owns Pontins, to use it for their workers until it reverts back to a holiday spot in either 2026 or 2027.
