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Construction
Companies
Found Guilty
A leading construction firm and a concrete contractor have been fined after a metal frame
collapsed at a site in Birmingham, knocking two workers from scissor-lift platforms.
Bell Formwork Services Ltd
had been subcontracted
by Costain Ltd to build the
metal frame for a concrete
tank at a new pumping
station and water treatment
site at Frankley Water Treatment Works.
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court
heard on the 2nd February that
two steel fixers, a 65-year-old
man from Brownhills, Walsall,
and a 45-year-old from Cheslyn
Hay, Staffordshire, had been
raised nearly five metres above
ground in separate scissor-lifts to
take measurements of the tank
wall.
An investigation by the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) into
the incident on 12 November
2012 found both Bell Formwork
and Costain had failed to ensure
the workers were able to do their
job in safety.
HSE identified that the steel reinforcement for the tank walls, 21m
long and 6.3m high, was unstable
due to its size, the slenderness of
the steel bars and the weight of
the steel at a high level.
A temporary support should
have been put in place every
seven metres. However, on the
day only two support frames were
used at 8.3-metre spacing, leaving
a section of eight metres unsupported.
HSE found principal contractor
Costain Limited did not plan,
manage or monitor the work
properly. They were aware of the
risks of collapse and the need
for temporary support, including
from a similar collapse in March
of the same year at another site.
Bell Formwork Services Limited
failed to ensure that all practicable steps had been taken to
prevent danger to persons, to
ensure the reinforcement did not
collapse.
They then did not take reasonable steps to prevent the collapse
of the wall and failed to identify that support was inadequate
because there was no managerial
level supervision or monitoring
during these early stages of the
work.
Costain Ltd of Vanwell Business
Park, Maidenhead, Berkshire,
pleaded guilty to breaching the
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, and were
fined £15,000 and ordered to pay
costs of £1,980.
Bell Formwork Services Ltd of
Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, pleaded guilty to a separate breach
of the same regulations and was
fined £15,000 and ordered to pay
£1,851 costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE
inspector Luke Messenger said:
“This was a serious incident and
considering the size and weight of
the wall, and the height from which
the scissor-lifts overturned, it is extremely fortunate that no serious or
even fatal injuries occurred.
“Construction and related companies need to ensure that the same
degree of care and attention is
given to the design and construction of temporary structur \