£4,500 Fine For Client Under CDM 2015

As reported in the June 2018 IOSH magazine a construction client, a principal contractor and a demolition contractor were fined a total of £30,500 after a building collapsed on a demolition worker in Inverclyde, Scotland.

The client had appointed a Principal Contractor (PC) to redevelop a site into two ground floor retail units with residential apartments over. The PC appointed a contractor (sub-contractor) to carry out the demolition works which suffered a partial collapse seriously injuring an operative.

An HSE investigation found numerous breaches by the PC and the contractor and ultimately the Client who admitted being in breach of Regulation 4 duties in relation to managing projects and was subsequently fined £4,500.

The HSE inspector was reported as saying the “… client, set the tone by failing to make suitable arrangements to ensure the demolition work would be carried out safely and failing to ensure that the PC they appointed was complying with their legal duties.”

WCP assists many of its clients in fulfilling their duties in relation to CDM Regulation 4 and their other obligations under CDM by carrying out specific CDM Audits on their various sites either on a regular or an ad-hoc basis. We provide a fully documented report covering observed deficiencies and/or non-conformances together with recommendations and a timetable for corrective action. In this way our clients can have an auditable trail demonstrating that they have suitable arrangements for managing the project in accordance with Regulation 4 (including the provision of welfare facilities as required by Schedule 2) and that they are maintained and reviewed throughout the project.