Firm fined £45,000 for site breaches after ignoring warnings

A firm acting as a principal contractor has been fined £45,000 after ignoring multiple warnings about site issues from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

An inspection by the HSE to a home-build project being undertaken by Stockport Development Ltd on Kingsley Road, Manchester, in November 2023 uncovered numerous health and safety failings.

Officers found missing edge protection on first floor landings, missing and damaged security fencing, a lack of fire alarms and extinguishers, heavily obstructed walkways and inadequate welfare provision for workers, the HSE said.

It led to inspectors issuing the firm four improvement notices requiring it to take action.

The HSE said it was then discovered there had been four previous visits to the company’s construction sites between February 2021 and March 2023, which had all resulted in enforcement action being taken in relation to poor health and safety standards.

“The investigation established that the company had repeatedly failed to fulfil its principal contractor duties and had failed to take heed of previous warnings and advice given by HSE inspectors,” the HSE said.

According to the HSE, Stockport Development Ltd, of Bird Hall Lane, Stockport, pleaded guilty to a breach of regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 at Manchester Magistrates Court on Friday 12 December. It was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay an £18,000 surcharge and £6,297 costs.

HSE inspector Claire Whitehurst said: “This company showed a total disregard for keeping its workers and members of the public safe by failing to meet the most basic health and safety standards.

“Principal contractors have a responsibility to ensure they identify and manage risks involved in construction work, and to put safe systems in place to protect all who may be affected by their undertaking.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecution, against those that fall below the required standards, even where no incident has occurred.”