Health and Safety

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…

Richard Adams (pictured above left) is a partner and George Bridge (above right) is a solicitor at law firm Burges Salmon A month or so ago, most people had never heard of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC. The government’s recent decision to close all English school buildings constructed using…

Hywel Davies is chief technical officer of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) On 17 August, the government published new regulations for higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and major changes to the Building Regulations that will enable further parts of the Building Safety Act to be fully implemented in England…

Zoe Cooper is ‘of counsel’ with law firm CMS The importation, supply and use of asbestos was fully banned in 1999. Despite that, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that asbestos continues to kill about 5,000 workers each year, and is found in around 300,000 non-domestic properties and significantly…