The independent Inquiry into the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh starts today.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear from affected patients and families when the first oral hearings begin on Monday.

The inquiry will determine how issues relating to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted on patient safety and care and whether these issues could have been prevented.

It will also examine the impact of these issues on patients and their families and whether the buildings provide a suitable environment for the delivery of safe, effective care. It will make recommendations to ensure any past mistakes are not repeated in future NHS infrastructure projects.

The inquiry was ordered after patients at the Glasgow hospital died from infections linked to pigeon droppings and the water supply, and the opening of the Edinburgh site was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system.

Lord Brodie, Chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry said: “No other group has been more affected by these issues than the patients and families from whom we will be hearing in the next few weeks.

“Their experiences will help inform future lines of investigation as we turn our attention to subsequent phases of the Inquiry.

“This first diet of hearings is the culmination of a year of preparation, providing us with a foundation to ensure that the Inquiry is led by the evidence it uncovers during the course of its lifetime.

“Ultimately, our role is to understand what went wrong with the construction of these hospitals so lessons can be learned to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future.”

The following organisations have been designated as core participants by the Chair:

Currie & Brown UK LimitedGreater Glasgow Health BoardIBI Group (UK) LimitedIHS Lothian LimitedLothian Health BoardMott MacDonald LimitedMultiplex Construction Europe LimitedNHS National Services ScotlandScottish Futures TrustThe Scottish MinistersTÜV SÜD Limited

 

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Thompsons of Prudhoe successfully brought down the iconic Dorman Long tower at the former Redcar steelworks in an explosive demolition over the weekend.

The building was brought down in the early hours of Sunday morning in a series of 10 second controlled explosions which saw four major structures demolished at once.

The project went ahead after new culture secretary Nadine Dorries overturned a decision by Historic England last week to grade II list the concrete coal silo, which campaigners were battling to save as a symbol of Britain’s industrial heritage on Teesside.

An independent report by engineers Atkins showed “ongoing and irreversible” damage to the structure meant it could cost between £7m and £9m to secure and maintain.

Concrete cracking and weakening saw concerns raised about demolition costs rising further in future years.

Structures before being brought down in controlled demolition by Thompsons

The demolition, which was carried out at night in order to avoid disruption to train services, paves the way for a mammoth new factory to manufacture wind turbine blades.

Wind turbine manufacturing and assembly facility at Teesworks

The huge 800,000 sq ft facility, in the South Bank zone of the Teesworks site, will sit alongside a new 1km heavy lift quay, creating the UK’s premier location for offshore wind.

Construction is due to begin in October sustaining 2,250 construction jobs before the factory comes on line.

The first blade is expected to roll off the production line in 2023, with the factory serving Dogger Bank, the world’s largest wind farm located just 80 miles off the North East coast.

 

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A construction contractor has become the first firm fined following a Covid spot check at a site in Manchester.

The HSE revealed it has carried-out 316,000 Covid spot checks across all industries since the start of the pandemic – with only one prosecution so far.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that on 9 July 2020, a safety inspector performed a proactive Covid-19 spot check at a construction site in the city.

During the inspection, a host of safety issues were identified including working at height, welfare, Covid-19, site security, and electricity. The principal contractor was served with a Prohibition Notice and two Improvement Notices.

A return inspection was made on the 17 August 2020, after very little communication from the principal contractor. Little or no improvements had been made regarding the issues and additional enforcement action was required, including a further Prohibition Notice regarding an unsupported excavation.

It was subsequently established that the contractor had failed to comply with any of the Improvement Notices HSE had served.

Principal contractor Umar Akram Khatab, now resident in Bradford, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was sentenced to a 12-month community order. He was also ordered to pay £3,000 towards costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Vaudrey said: “HSE prides itself on being a proportionate and evidence-based regulator. Since the beginning of the pandemic HSE has carried out more than 316,000 Covid spot checks, with the priority to urgently make workplaces safe from transmission risks, rather than heavy-handed enforcement.

“These checks have demonstrated that the majority of employers want to do the right thing to ensure their workers go home safe and well.

“This is the first prosecution to arise from the Spot Check programme. We’ve repeatedly stressed that prosecution is a last resort, but this case clearly illustrates that where there is consistent disregard to Covid or other risks to employees’ health and safety, HSE will use its powers to take action.”

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