When you would expect the carpenters to get the length of nail right…but no
What happened?
Brendan Flynn Construction Ltd was contracted to carry out carpentry work at a house in Crawley, West Sussex in November 2009. The company did not safely secure cladding on the building, and a number of the panels were blown off during strong winds. The wrong type of nails had been used to secure them to a building.
Two members of the public were injured by the falling cladding panels. One of the panels fell and struck a pensioner on the ankle, nearly severing her foot. Another panel struck a man who was walking past the property and he sustained bruising between his wrist and shoulder. The falling panels also damaged several vehicles that were parked in a nearby supermarket car park, as well as passing vehicles on the road outside the building.
An HSE inspector revealed that the firm did not use the correct nails to secure the cladding. He said: “they used a specialist cladding product but did not take the time to ensure workers were using the correct fittings. It is basic practice for a carpentry firm to get this right.”
Legal Outcome
In the June 2011 court case, Brendan Flynn Construction Ltd The construction company pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £8000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,760.
What can we learn from what happened?
It is very probably that the prosecution was brought because of the potential severity of this accident – it could have led to a fatality. Once again, it is a matter of competence, and it is a reminder of the importance of choosing the right contractor, and having systems in place that monitor and check the quality of work they carry out.
Source of Information
SHP Online