Both the company Awad (UK) Ltd, and its director, Andrzej Wilk have been fined for failure to comply with a prohibition and improvement notice.
It was presented to Southwark Crown Court that, on 31 March 2016, the company under the control of the director was issued a prohibition notice on the site, at which it was found that persons were at a serious risk of fall and injury from the unprotected edges at the site. The company was also issued with an improvement notice on 4 April 2016, for failure to provide adequate and suitable welfare facilities at the site.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Awad (UK) Ltd and Andrzej Wilk had not taken the appropriate steps to comply with the prohibition notice preventing any work near the open edges where there was a risk of fall and injury to persons. Following on, they also found that the company and its director had not complied with the improvement notice requiring the provision of adequate and sufficient welfare facilities.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations SI 2005/735 and also the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company has been fined £37,500 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.
The director, Andrzej Wilk pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £7,500 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.
In a statement after the case, HSE inspector Saif Deen said: "The risks associated with working at height and the requirement to provide adequate welfare facilities are well-known throughout the construction industry." Adding that: "In this case, the company and its director failed to comply with the HSE's enforcement action and continued to put persons at risk of serious injury."
