Blog Archives
February 2011
Network Rail Boss rolls out break-up plan
Network Rail will undergo a radical break-up to hand power to nine new regional operating units in a bid to force through efficiency savings worth hundreds of millions of pounds says the Construction Enquirer.
Each region will be run by a separate boss responsible for delivering maintenance and infrastructure renewals. This radical change promises to be the biggest in rail infrastructure delivery since British Rail was privatised in 1996.
Former Olympics boss David Higgins, who took over as chief executive just three weeks ago, unveiled the radical changes just weeks before his submission to the official review of rail costs by Sir Roy McNulty, the former chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority.
For more on this article see The Construction Enquirer
UK Asbestos Law not up to EU Standard
The TUC February newsletter reports that the government has been told that the UK version of a European Union-wide law on asbestos safety is illegally lax and must be amended.
The UK legislation currently focuses on the measurement of exposure to asbestos and not enough on the how the material will be affected by the work itself, while the directive deals with both exposure and the material.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said "this is another nail in the coffin of the myth that the HSE has been 'gold-plating' regulation. European regulations are there to protect workers and governments should see them as being minimum standards rather than trying to weasel out of their commitments."
For more on this article see TUC Risks Newsletter #494
Source: TUC Risks Newsletter #494
UK Firm Fined Over Asbestos
A UK demolition firm has been fined over Asbestos say the Demolition News. The Yorkshire-based firm was the principal contractor on a demolition project and they were fined for failing to manage and monitor asbestos removal work at a site in Nottinghamshire. A number of buildings on the site contained notifiable asbestos, the removal of which should be declared to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and carried out by a licensed asbestos contractor.
The main issue was that they did not record details or have evidence to demonstrate the safe removal or disposal of the asbestos. This is one area where contractors think they can save money, not so it would seem.
For more on this article see Demolition News
Source: Demolition News
TUC: Government Cuts Will Affect Health, Safety & Sickness
The TUC has stated that the way to reduce the number of people on long term sick leave is to prevent them from becoming sick in the first place.
But they suggest that the cuts in the budgets of the Health and Safety Executive, and the fall in enforcement activity from local authority safety inspectors will mean more employers can get away with running unsafe and unhealthy workplaces.
The TUC are concerned over the review in sickness pay saying that "You do not get workers back to work by cutting their access to benefits or pay. You get them back by providing access to early rehabilitation and supporting those who have been ill for a long time by giving them the confidence to return."
For more on this article see Government review of sickness absence must not cut sick pay
Source: TUC
CLM's Olympic Delivery Fee Rises to £718m
Although CLM has been praised by Olympic chiefs for keeping costs down the Construction Enquirer reports that the CLM consortium, overseeing construction of the 2012 Olympics, has seen its fee for delivering the job rise to £718m.
Some sceptics state that this fee will end up being one tenth of the project value. CLM consists of Laing O'Rourke, Mace and CH2M Hill. O'Rourke and CH2M Hill both have a 40% stake with Mace owning the remaining 20%. Their incentive is to drive costs down in the programme, time will tell on this huge project.
For more on this see CLM's Olympic delivery fee rises to £718m
Geotechnical Firm Found Guilty of Corporate Manslaughter
The BBC reported on February 15th that Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings has been found guilty of corporate manslaughter in the first ever conviction under the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007.
This is big news as it has taken so long for anyone to be brought to justice. Perhaps now this case has come to light, with consequences, clients will take the act more seriously now.
For more on this see Company guilty of Cheltenham geologist's manslaughter
HSE February Blitz - Construction Site Visits
The HSE is starting a month long blitz on the construction industry by carrying out surprise visits to hundreds of sites across the country.
The inspectors will be concentrating on refurbishment, repair and maintenance sites which they say accounted for nearly three-quarter of deaths last year.
For more on this see The Construction Enquirer
Source: The Construction Enquirer
Newsletter - February 2011
The February 2011 edition of the Ai Solutions Newsletter is now available: February Newsletter.
Have Your Say On Amending RIDDOR
SHP reports that the consultation on amending the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) in line with the proposals made by Lord Young last year is now live.
All interested parties are invited to submit their views on the proposed amendments by visiting the 'current consultations' area of the HSE website and clicking on CD233 - Proposed amendment to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
The consultation period is is open until 9 May 2011.
For more on this see SHP Online
Source: SHP Online
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