Health and Safety

Mark Manning is a partner and Sian Barrett is a senior associate at law firm Ashfords Following the RAAC scandal last year, many expected a mass influx of claims to hit the industry, potentially causing huge headaches for contractors. To much surprise, this hasn’t been the case. Why? And are…

Zoe Cooper is of counsel and Gregor Woods is a partner at law firm CMS On 15 January, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched its ‘Asbestos – Your Duty’ campaign, with the aim of improving understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves. Even though its use…

As concern grows over the structural safety of post-war housing blocks, the Building Safety Regulator is prioritising the issue On 16 May 1968, four people died and 17 others were injured after the 22-storey Ronan Point tower block in east London partially collapsed. A gas explosion in an 18th-floor flat…

Chris Ridge is technical policy manager at the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) The Building Safety Act doesn’t begin and end with higher-risk buildings (HRBs); it will have a much wider impact and some aspects will apply to all building types. This includes providing evidence that individuals and organisations appointed…

In September, an obscure building material suddenly hit the front pages of national newspapers. Days before the academic year started, more than 100 schools were told to evacuate buildings immediately. It was later revealed that the Department for Education (DfE) had been spooked by three roof collapses over the summer.…

In April, the Building Safety Act came into force. It has been described in some quarters as the biggest piece of legislation to affect construction since the Second World War. Introduced in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze, it dramatically increases the scope of potential liability for defective buildings.…

Individual companies are left to their own devices when dealing with alcohol and drug use among their workers. Is this the right approach? Industry-wide policies on the use of drugs and alcohol are woefully inadequate. So says Callum Mackintosh, president of the Scottish Plant Operators Association (SPOA). “We know that…

Is it time to revive the crane register or is the HSE just under-resourced? On 28 November, two people were injured after a crane collapsed onto a block of flats under construction in Leith, Edinburgh (pictured). According to local media reports, the falling structure narrowly missed a worker. A Health…

With Christmas approaching, Construction News examines the importance of staff safety at social gatherings Earlier this year, Build UK released a template drugs-and-alcohol policy to be used by companies across the construction sector. The document, designed to be copied entirely or adapted for use, had been circulated among members in…

As the crumbling concrete hits the headlines, CN takes a closer look – and asks, what happens next? Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) crashed into the public consciousness in late August when, days before the school year started, the government ordered more than 100 school buildings to be closed or…