Bexley construction firm fined for ignoring safety warnings (From News Shopper)
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Bexley construction firm Unicorn Services Limited fined for ignoring safety warnings
8:30am Friday 27th April 2012 in Business News By Kelly Smale
Dangerous systems and procedures for working at height at Sylvan Hill
A BEXLEY construction firm has been fined £20,000 for repeatedly ignoring safety warnings.
Unicorn Services Limited, of Montpellier Avenue, was given eight probation notices in September last year to stop dangerous practices at its construction site in Croydon.
The notices covered dangerous scaffolding, people working unsafely at height, fire-related hazards and dangerous electrical equipment.
The Health and Safety Executive returned to the site in October and discovered little or no improvement had been made.
An Improvement Notice was served but the manager failed to meet the compliance date by November.
On April 25 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court Unicorn Services Limited was found guilty of breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.
It was fined and ordered to pay £5,940 in costs.
HSE Inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: "Unicorn Services Limited blatantly ignored enforcement notices and continued to neglect its duty of care to its workforce, most of whom were vulnerable migrant workers.
"The construction site at Sylvan Hill was a potential death trap, with scant regard for safety or employee welfare.
"Even though there were no reported incidents at the site, serious safety breaches were routinely committed that could have resulted in death or serious injury."
