Contractor commits catalogue of safety breaches and receives minor fine.
The Health & Safety Executive’s findings make it very clear. A Leicester construction company endangered the lives of both its workforce and the public while demolishing an old factory in Leicester city centre, a court has heard.
Saleh Properties Ltd was demolishing a disused factory on 21 April 2010 when an HSE inspector found that the building was at risk of uncontrolled collapse. Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard that workers had removed structural parts of the building without supporting it properly. Some workers were even spotted standing on the roof, demolishing parts of the building by hand, and were working at height without suitable equipment to prevent falls. Missing safety signs and fencing were ordered to be installed to ensure members of the public were kept away from the unsafe building.
The HSE inspector immediately stopped work and served prohibition notices preventing any more activity until a demolition plan was in place and a competent supervisor was on site.
And the penatly for such a catalogue of unsafe practice? The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,084.
What hope is there for professional and properly trained contractors when safety breaches such as this result in a minor slap on the wrist?
