Building firm fined for lack of facilities
A building company in Bristol failed to respond to an Improvement Notice issued by the Health and Safety Executive on one of its building sites. This error has now cost them dearly, as another of their sites was subsequently inspected and found to be lacking in even the basic washing and welfare facilities.
Building companies are legally required to provide a heated room where workers can prepare hot food or drinks, change their clothing or rest. They also are obliged to provide facilities that allow workers to use clean and working toilets. It follows that they also need facilities that allow them to wash their hands thoroughly and hygienically, particularly as they come into contact with certain substances or chemicals on a building site.
Sixteen people were working on the site for almost a year before the lack of facilities was highlighted. This omission has now cost the building company £2,000 in fines and more than £2,000 in costs. These failures are inexcusable in any company, and you don’t need health and safety training to understand that employees need adequate facilities in their place of work.