Construction firm hit with fine for endangering workers

A major construction company has been fined for potentially endangering its employee contracts by not sufficiently protecting its staff members from falls from heights.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected a site owned by Gee Construction in South Wales last year and found it to be unfit for purpose with dangerous problems ranging from unguarded lift shafts to inadequate edge protection.

Being as official statistics showed that falling from heights was the main cause of deaths in the construction industry in 2008-09, it was felt by the HSE - who then passed their findings on to the authorities - that this was unacceptable.

Gee Construction - a London-based firm which was established following the merger of Wiggins Construction and Gee Walker Slater - was thereby fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £4,514.25 by Caerphilly Magistrates Court.

Inspector David Kirkpatrick explained that the HSE decided to act after the company failed to respond properly to previous warnings about the working conditions they provided.

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30/07/2010 14:46