Will £125k fines inspire construction firms to use facilities management health and safety processes?
August 26th 14:50 Health and Safety
A number of businesses working in the UK's construction sector could be inspired to adopt improved health and safety procedures from a facilities management provider following the recent handling of two leading firms.
Laing O'Rourke Construction and Expanded Structures have been fined a total of £125,000 following an incident in which Steven McColgan suffered serious injury after falling 21 meters from a hospital building.
After pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Laing O'Rourke Construction was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,756.
Expanded Structures was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,154.
Victoria Wise, an inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, which carried out the investigation, said: "Laing O'Rourke Construction and Expanded Structures failed in their duty of care to Mr McColgan, who was lucky to survive the fall.
"Falls from height are the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. It is imperative that such a high risk activity is subject to a high degree of overall management and control."
