Construction fined after failing to provide basic facilities to workers

A Cheshire construction company has been fined £5,000 after it failed to provide workers with adequate welfare facilities.

C.B. Homes Limited was carrying out work at a site on Bunbury Lane in Alpraham when it was visited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 23 March 2023. The proactive inspection found the company had failed to provide workers with adequate facilities for workers to wash their hands.

It wasn’t the first time the Tarporley-based company had failed to provide such facilities with enforcement action being taken by HSE on three other occasions. It is a legal duty for companies to provide workers with suitable welfare facilities.

Guidance on the provision of suitable welfare facilities is available.

Chester Magistrates Court heard that HSE served an improvement notice in relation to the offences, which the company subsequently complied with.

C.B. Homes Limited of High Street, Tarporley, Cheshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(4)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and were fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,984.

HSE inspector Sara Andrews said: “This company showed a flagrant disregard towards the health of its own workers.

“It’s a legal requirement to provide suitable welfare facilities, including a clean supply of warm water to enable workers to wash their hands in what is often a very dirty environment.

“The provision of suitable washing facilities is key to ensuring that the risk of workers developing some health conditions is adequately controlled. It’s also basic hygiene and the right thing to do.”

“Failure to provide them is a serious matter and, when a company falls short, we will take action. In this case, repeated failure has resulted in prosecution.”

This case was prosecuted by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward.

 

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
  2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
  3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
  1. Guidance on the provision of suitable welfare facilities is available.