A judge has told a roofer that he came “within a whisker” of losing his liberty after causing a fire in a hotel which put the lives of 100 guests and staff at risk. Where did he go wrong? Repairs In November 2013 Roy Cross (C), trading as Roofcraft, began roof repairs at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club, Isle of Man. The work involved the replacement of lead sheets in the roof valleys with fibreglass. C brought two employees on site and began the process of stripping the lead and laying fibreglass resin on to the plywood below. But their work was interrupted by rain and despite covering the area the rainwater spoilt the fibreglass and soaked the plywood. This needed to be dried before work could progress and C decided that the quickest way to achieve this would be to use a gas-fired blow torch. The fire…
Two firms fined for failing to check for asbestos in basement conversion
Two family run companies have appeared in court after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an unannounced visit on a basement conversion and found that neither firm had undertaken an asbestos survey. Hatters Hostel, Newton Street. Image credit: © Manchester Evening News Manchester Crown Court heard last week that Hatters Taverns had appointed its sister company Hatters Hostels as the main contractor for the refurbishment, which was planned underneath a hostel at 50 Newton Street, Manchester. The work involved the refurbishment of the basement, a former restaurant unit, as a bar. When the HSE arrived unannounced to inspect the work, inspectors discovered that an asbestos survey had not been carried out before the tradesmen had started stripping out the space. According to a report in the Manchester Evening News work had already been underway for eight months and had involved workers from six firms. While no asbestos had…
CDM Regulations Changing in 2015
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations(CDM) are the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects. On Monday 6 April 2015, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 replaced the 2007Regulations. Whatever your role in construction, CDM aims to improve health and safety in the industry by helping you to: sensibly plan the work so the risks involved are managed from start to finish; have the right people for the right job at the right time; cooperate and coordinate your work with others; have the right information about the risks and how they are being managed; communicate this information effectively to those who need to know; consult and engage with workers about the risks and how they are being managed; The changes from CDM 2007 to CDM 2015 were substantial, the Health and Safety Executives guidance on CDM 2015, ‘Guidance on The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015’, provides advice…
Ofcom unveils timetable for 4G auction
Mobile phone operators have until December 11 to put down a deposit and apply for a spot in the UK’s upcoming 4G spectrum auction, says Ofcom this morning. The telecoms regulator has published a timetable for the auctions, which it claims will be the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the UK. A reserve price of £1.3bn has been set on the total spectrum being auctioned. Operators will need to apply to take part in the bidding process and put down an initial deposit by December 11 and will be informed if their attempt was successful in February or March next year. New 4G services will go on sale as early as May. Ed Richards, Ofcom’s chief executive, said: “Today marks an important shift from preparation to the delivery of the auction, which will see widespread 4G mobile services from a range of providers. The entire industry is now…
Latest News
d6
Latest News
....
.
.