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From Cradle To Nearly A Grave
Two men working in a cradle on a London residential tower, with a front elevation being constructed with windows and sliding doors, have cheated an early...
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£600,000 Is The Cost Of Nearly Killing A Child
Three companies involved in a roof, window and gutter refurb job have been hit with fines and costs over £600,000 after a slate tile fractured the skull of a three-year-old child – nearly killing her.
The slate came off and fell approximately five metres during work at the Moonfleet Manor hotel in Weymouth, Dorset.
The child had been leaving the hotel with her father and older brother after attending a swimming lesson. The pre-schooler received first aid and was then taken to hospital where she was placed in an induced coma to stabilise her. She then underwent a two-hour operation to remove fragments of slate from her head.
The roof was being renovated by Rocare Building Services Limited. The company had taken off the old tiles and began replacing them with new slates. The new slates had been stacked around the roof, leading to one piece falling off.
Windows and gutters
Rocare Building Services Limited had been appointed by Moonfleet Manor as the principal contractor to oversee the refurbishment work which also included replacing windows and restoring chimneys and gutters.
Poor plan
Quadra Built Environmental Consultancy Limited had been hired by Moonfleet Manor as the principal designer, in charge of planning, managing and monitoring the pre-construction phase. The company failed in the planning and design stage to properly assess the risks of objects falling from height and hitting people. There was insufficient consultation and collaboration between the various duty holders.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into this incident found scaffolding was not fit for purpose because it did not have sufficient measures to prevent items falling such as protective fans, covered walkways or at a minimum, brick guards around the entire perimeter. Such measures are cheap and readily available within the industry. Moonfleet Manor ignored requests and failed to put in measures to address an obvious hazard of falling objects coming into contact with members of the public using the busy thoroughfare to the swimming pool.
Moonfleet Manor was more concerned about putting convenience of the guests and preventing the hotel from looking like a building site than the safety of their guests, the judge found.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
At Bournemouth Crown Court on 24 October 2023, Rocare Building Services Limited, of Headlands Business Park, Salisbury Road, Ringwood, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Regulation 10 (1) of Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,554.78.
Quadra Built Environmental Consultancy Limited, of Kingsmead, Lechlade On Thames, Gloucestershire, was found guilty of breaching Regulation 10(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £25,000 in costs.
Health and Safety at Work Act
LFH (Moonfleet Manor) Limited, of Manfred Road, Putney, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £143,482.04 in costs.
Nearly fatal
HSE inspector Nicole Buchanan said: “This incident has caused significant injuries and extreme distress to a child and her family; and could have been fatal. She said: “Clients and construction companies must always remember their legal duty to keep both workers and members of the public safe. The client, principal designer and principal contractor all have a duty to work together to implement the industry standards to ensure members of the public are safe particularly if a venue is to remain live.”
Picture: The scene at the Moonfleet Manor hotel where a three-year-old girl was struck by a slate tile on 13 June 2019.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
08th November 2023