Roofer fractures neck in six metre fall

Contractor Trevor Cook Construction Ltd has been fined after a worker fell six metres through a fragile roof sheet whilst working on a barn at a farm in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 22 May 2019, the employee was replacing broken roof sheets using a mobile elevating working platform to gain access to the roof of the barn and crawling boards to traverse the roof.

The employee’s foot slipped from one of the crawling boards and he subsequently fell through the fragile roof material, sustaining serious injuries including neck fractures, a collapsed lung, and a bleed on the brain.

An HSE investigation found that Trevor Cook Construction failed to plan the work appropriately.

The company was aware of the risks and often used netting when undertaking large re-roofing projects, but made a conscious decision not to install nets for smaller jobs, which involved the replacement of individual roof sheets. The chances of falling whilst working on fragile roofs are very high and the company should have had the appropriate safeguards in place.

Trevor Cook Construction Limited of Marlborough, Wiltshire pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £63,278 and ordered to pay costs of £6,721.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephan Axt-Simmonds said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

“Falls through fragile roof materials are not inevitable. They can be prevented by careful planning, using trained and experienced workers with suitable equipment, and employing a high level of supervision.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by using established control measures and safe working practices.”

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Torus gets green light for £30m Liverpool scheme

Developer Torus has won planning permission to build 185 apartments and 10 townhouses adjacent to Liverpool’s historic Stanley Dock complex.

Torus will now choose a builder from its contractor framework for the £30m Lightbody Street redevelopment where construction is due to start next Spring.

The contractors in the running for the scheme are Seddon, Anwyl Construction, Lovell Partnerships, Caddick Construction, Eric Wright and Vistry Partnerships North West.

Work will completely transform the vacant former industrial site on Lightbody Street and bring a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, townhouses and commercial space to the iconic location, at the start of the Leeds to Liverpool canal.

Managing Director of Torus Developments, Chris Bowen said: “We’re incredibly excited to receive planning for the Lightbody Street scheme and create homes that will further add to the unique history and landscape of the city.

“This development will completely transform the area and help create a thriving community everyone can enjoy – from residents to local businesses and even tourists – Lightbody will have an incredibly positive impact on the city at large.”

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Cementation Skanska switches all large-scale plant to bio-fuel

Piling contractor Cementation Skanska is switching all its plant fleet, including piling rigs, to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in the New Year.

The decision follows a successful trial using the green bio-fuel on a Liebherr LB36 piling rig with an 390kW engine, the largest engine to ever trial the use of HVO.

The trial, carried out in collaboration with HS2 and the Skanska Costain Strabag JV, collected data measurements with the engine running on diesel and then the engine running on HVO fuel alone.

The data, verified by Brighton University, revealed that CO was reduced by 57%, NOx was reduced by 38% and PM reduced by 36% during the normal operations.

Terry Muckian, Cementation Skanska Managing Director, said: “The use of HVO on a piling rig of this size had not been tried in the UK before due to concerns over potential damage to the engine.

“Following this successful trial, we can confidently take this next step forward and demonstrate our credentials in green leadership to significantly reduce emissions associated with our plant.

“This move comes after Skanska mandated the use of HVO fuel to power all site plant and equipment and to act on our pledge to become Net-Zero Carbon by 2045.”

Use of Green D+ will lead to significant carbon savings compared to red diesel. Supplied by Green Biofuels, it is certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Scheme and exclusively generated from waste or secondary renewable sources.

 

 

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