Construction firm fined for health and safety breach
July 27th 14:14 Health and Safety
Companies may wish to focus on facilities management after hearing of the case of a construction company which has been fined for breaching health and safety requirements.
An October 2009 investigation at a site in Castlegate, Caerphilly, revealed principle contractor Gee Construction Ltd was failing to properly protect its workers from falls from height at the site in South Wales.
David Kirkpatrick, inspector at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: "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."
After pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations, Gee Construction Ltd was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,514.25.
In 2008-9, 53 people working in the construction industry died in the UK.
Twenty-one of these deaths were a result of falling from a height.
