As we approach the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, we look at progress in tackling widespread safety failings, and at the wider lessons for OSH professionals.  In September 2021, an article in The Times trailed government plans to demolish the charred remains of Grenfell Tower in west London (Wheeler et al, 2021). The suggestion was greeted with protests from Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families of the 72 people who died in the fire that engulfed the 24-storey local authority apartment block in June 2017. ‘How can the tower be demolished before the legal process concludes,’ the group asked, ‘when no judge in the land can confirm it won’t hinder future criminal prosecutions?’

Findings from a new research report* reveal the majority (78 per cent) of environment, health and safety (EHS) professionals surveyed believe a failure to manage and address health and safety risks could see their company lose business to competitors who can better demonstrate success in this area.

Abbots Mead Limited, a building maintenance company based in Cheshire has been fined £20,000 for poorly managing work at height while carrying out repairs to a roof and cleaning the gutters of a commercial unit in Wolverhampton.  While carrying out repairs works to a fragile roof of a commercial unit, an apprentice employee fell through a skylight, Dudley Magistrates Court heard. The employee fell approximately six metres to the concrete floor of the warehouse below contacting the racking on the fall, on 29 January 2021. His injuries included fractures to the hip and wrist.

Individuals, rather than any corporate entities, were put in the dock at Newcastle Crown Court having pleaded guilty to health & safety breaches.  Newcastle Crown Court heard how, on 16th November 2015, a roofer fell through fragile asbestos cement roof panels while carrying out over-cladding work.  He fell more than five metres to the ground and suffered injuries that subsequently proved fatal.

Fall prevention has been identified as the number one priority by health and safety charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The charity is reaching out to businesses, business leaders and the wider health and safety community to use the skills they have developed in fall prevention in workplaces, to educate their employees to help prevent falls in the home.

A manufacturing company has been fined after a contractor sustained injuries whilst working on the top of a machine.  Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 30 July 2020, a contractor for Manufax Engineering Limited was working on top of the Correa machine which had an access gantry to reach the top.

Two former company directors have been sentenced and fined after a refurbishment project at a former department store was found to have disturbed asbestos containing materials (ACMs) while demolition work was still taking place.

A Manchester based construction company has been fined and its director sentenced to a community order of 200 hours unpaid work after workers disturbed asbestos during a refurbishment project.  Manchester Magistrates Court heard that between May and June 2021, Sal Construction Ltd had been contracted to carry out refurbishment work of student accommodation at Darbishire House, Upper Brook Street, Manchester.

A timber company has been fined after an employee suffered serious injuries when his thumb came into contact with a saw blade.  High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court heard that on 13 February 2019, Maceij Rudnicki, was setting up the floor mounted band resaw for a production run when his hand was drawn towards the blade with the power feed on.  The thumb on his right hand was severed when it made contact with an unguarded blade.