Friday 31 March 2017

O’Rourke fined £800,000 for Heathrow dumper truck death

Laing O’Rourke has been fined £800,000 after a worker was killed by a dumper truck driven by his brother at Heathrow Airport.

Southwark Crown Court heard how Philip Griffiths died in October 2014.

His brother Paul accidentally reversed into his 38-year-old sibling when the pair were trying to move a broken down scissor lift on a service road, while working for Laing O’Rourke.

Paul Griffiths tried to tow the scissor lift away using a dumper truck under the direction of managers.

During the attempt his foot got stuck between the brake and the accelerator and the truck reversed.

Philip, who was standing between the two vehicles, suffered crush injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An HSE investigation found that neither worker was authorised with the appropriate certificate to use the dumper truck, and that the operation was not properly overseen or managed.

Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited of Dartford pleaded guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

Speaking after sentence, HSE Inspector Jack Wilby said: “This incident was a tragedy for all concerned and, as revealed by our investigation, entirely avoidable.

“Laing O’Rourke did nothing to address the trend of these workers carrying out tasks they weren’t trained or authorised for.

“These dedicated staff, including Philip and his brother, needed appropriate supervision.

“Had there been appropriate supervision, then better segregation between Philip and these two vehicles could have been established and maintained.

“This case should act as a reminder of the dangers of using workplace transport without proper planning, management or monitoring of the risks involved.”

A Laing O’Rourke spokesperson said: “Laing O’Rourke fully accepts the findings of the court following the tragic events in October 2014.

“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts remain with Philip Griffiths’ family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.

“The company is committed to continually reviewing and improving its health and safety systems.”



from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2017/03/31/orourke-fined-800000-for-heathrow-dumper-truck-death/

Wednesday 29 March 2017

The growth of construction industry and property investment in UK

The Property Investment Companies UK has started investing towards the construction industry in the present situation as the property investment in this area has gained a lot of momentum. The construction industry in the UK have seen a lot of improvement and growth since the year 2007 as the government itself has given the permission to build multipurpose domestic buildings for the citizens in many cities. This has attracted many property investors and has benefited them to invest in the construction industry as well.

The UK companies have recently undergone a survey that suggested the growth in the year 2013. The constructions units showed that the Property Investment Companies UK had done greater activity in the third quarter of the year. The growth in the construction sector was seen in the housing and domestic sector as stated above which is due to the reason of permitted number of constructions allowed by the British government. The director at CPA, Francis declared that the growth in the construction industry was seen to be immense while a decline was seen in the repair and maintenance workings of the houses.

The boost in the construction industry can be verified through the fact that the largest number of homes were built by the construction companies are highest. The numbers have shown that the total number of houses built in the year 2013 were 133,670, which is said to increase by the year 2014. The biggest kind of construction companies and the Property Investment Companies UK have stated that the 250,000 houses will be required this year to compete for the desired number of credential buildings required in the country. This state for a huge investment opportunity for the construction companies and property investment companies. The construction companies have matched a high level of expectancy from the other kind of businesses. Thus, the newer trends have shown growth and investment opportunities.

The city of London alone needed to have the right kind of investment opportunities by the investors. The city of London needed the biggest amount of homes in the sector previous years. The number of new houses built in the year 2013 was 26,230 in this city. The number was found to be 26 percent which is the highest in the history. The history showed that the trend would be increasing positively in the days to come as well. The increase in the industry is a very prominent fact for the Property Investment Companies UK has.

This also calls attention for the foreign investors as well. The investors from all over the world are known to be attracted towards this region for the most positive results in the sector. This can be proven better for the future for the industry again. The boost in the industry, which is the highest one after the year 2007, shows that the region of Europe has considerable amount of chances for the investors.

The post The growth of construction industry and property investment in UK appeared first on Econ Construction LTD.



from Econ Construction LTD http://www.econconstructionltd.co.uk/growth-construction-industry-property-investment-uk/

Redrow abandons Bovis merger talks

Wednesday 15 March 2017

The Classic Barn Company

The Classic Barn Company

Our Background

Our family business specializes in crafted English oak framed buildings, our business has grown from a small acorn to a grand old oak tree by simply sticking to good business ethics. Our ethos is simple. To create beautifully detailed oak framed barns that become renowned for their superior quality. Support this with a service that is both transparent and efficient to ensure each client receives excellent overall value, enabling our good name to be passed on.

This ethos has won us numerous awards, appearances on TV and various publications.

Campaign

“The Best of British, facing Brexit”. So Brexit is on its way and apparently we all have a challenge. No one knows what effects are on the horizon but one things for sure we all share a common denominator, we own one of the best brands on the planet – Great Britain ! So we’ve decided to play to our strengths by encouraging others to stop devoting time to Brexit ‘what if’s’, ignore those who have a self-vested interest in forecasting about Brexit and instead start focusing on starting your own campaign by showcase your #BestOfBritish product, be proud and switch your mind set to being proactive. Lets show them what were made off !

We’ve kicked this off by launching our new video to the world – British Craftsmanship At It Best !

If, like us you feel inspired to support this campaign then go ahead and show others.

Retweet: https://twitter.com/OakFramedGarage/status/841624157473394688

Facebook: @oakframedgarages

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6247390681543778304

Google +: https://plus.google.com/101378448103358399105/posts/JUKZYRbcBb6

Andrew Guppy
The Classic Barn Company

https://www.oakgarages.com/our-company



from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2017/03/15/the-classic-barn-company/