A company and its director have been fined after they failed to provide suitable welfare facilities at a construction site in Belsize Park, North London.
East Sussex firm ID8 Design and Build Ltd was in charge of the site on Carlingford Road where the company was carrying out a full refurbishment of a two-storey flat into a converted house, including the erection of front and rear dormers.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection of the site on 29 November 2021 found the welfare facilities did not comply with the minimum requirements as set out in Schedule 2 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; the toilet provided was not flushable and was in a room without a door or window coverings. There was no sink, no hot water, no soap and no towels – cold water was only available from a pipe in the room next to the toilet. No rest area had been set up by the company either.
ID8 Design and Build Ltd was then issued with an Improvement Notice by HSE requiring the firm to ensure suitable welfare facilities were available at the site.
However, a second inspection by HSE on 5 January 2022 found no sufficient improvements had been made as required by the Improvement Notice issued.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 February 2023:
“Inspectors will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against employers who fail to comply with an Improvement Notice. Welfare is a fundamental and basic necessity for workers. It is also required by law.”
The HSE has guidance on welfare facilities for constructions sites here.
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This is great to see, but depending on the duration of the project they may have saved money with the relative low fines and costs incurred, as decent proper compliant welfare costs money and that is why some do not even set up the basics. Good to see they went after the Director as well, Directors have hidden for to long under the company name, and it is correct that they should be held accountable for their failings.