Saltend Hull blockade part of wildcat strike action over redundancies

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Protesters which included scaffolders blockaded the BP Saltend site this morning as part of wildcat action in a row over redundancies. About 400 workers started a picket which blocked the entrance to the biofuel plant, causing traffic chaos for commuters. Traffic returned to normal after the workers ended the blockade at around 9.30am. The dispute involves mechanical contractors for Redhall Engineering, a firm based in Middlesbrough, who are working at the Saltend site. They have accused Redhall Engineering of not sticking to a national agreement on redundancies. Strikers say the company should be offering redundancy specific to individual contracts, not to its employees nationally. Keith Gibson, a GMB member who works on the site, told the Mail: “All we want is for Redhalls to honour the national agreement. “It is an unofficial strike, we have not taken a ballot, but we want action and we want it now.” The strikers were made up of scaffolders, electricians, welders and other mechanical engineers. Mr Gibson said shop stewards were in conversation with Redhall officials about the matter. A spokesman for BP said: “We wish to confirm that the disruption caused in the Saltend area this morning has involved contractors working for Redhall Engineering Services Ltd who are working on the Vivergo Fuels Limited project.” Via: www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk

UPDATE: Man has now died after falling 35ft from scaffold

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We reported about this story last night and unfortunately this man has now died. It is believed he may have fallen from scaffolding in Lind Street. He was taken to St Mary’s Hospital where he later died as a result of the injuries. DS John Stirling from Newport told Isle of Wight Radio: “They were fitting the scaffolding up yesterday afternoon and it appears one of the men who were fitting the scaffolding has fallen off the scaffolding. He’s injured his head in the fall and sadly when he’s gone to St Mary’s Hospital he’s died a short time later. “The police are working closely with the Health and Safety Executive looking at all the circumstances surrounding the death, but we have now finished at the scene. “The coroner has been informed, there will be an inquest and a post mortem will be carried out over the next few days. Speaking at the scene, DS Stirling added: “It looks like an accident. THe Health and Safety Executive will look at it a little bit closer to see how the structure was put up in the first place.” Report by Emma Philo Via: www.iwradio.co.uk

Man in serious condition after 35ft scaffold fall

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A man suffered a serious head injury when he fell 35ft from scaffolding whilst carry out work on a  Property in Ryde Isle of Wight this afternoon. The man was carrying out work to scaffolding in Lind Street Ryde at about  3.30pm today (Tuesday) when he fell. A neighbour noticed part of the scaffolding had fallen down and alerted emergency services. One eye witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “There was a big crash which was really loud and a scream. The man has been taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport to be  treated for “multiple injuries” The man, who has not been named, is detained in hospital today, where his condition is described as “critical but stable.” Police officers have cordon off an area around a  house with blue Police tape in Lind Street. The Health and Safety Executive have been in formed  about the incident and  are due to attend the scene  in due course. A spokeswoman for the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, said: “We sent one rapid response vehicle, and an ambulance to the scene. “On arrival crews found one man who is believed to have fallen approximately 35 ft. It is believed he was up some scaffolding at the time, doing some work to the roof. A spokesman for St Mary’s Hospital said “The man has been treated for multiple injuries, including a serious head injury”. A specialist from the  Southampton Neurology  unit  is carrying out a further assessment on the man . A spokesman for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police confirmed a probe had been launched and they are working with the building company and the HSE Via: www.iwgazette.co.uk

Tyneside firm sentenced after worker’s scaffold fall

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A Tyneside construction company has today been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries following a fall from unsafe scaffolding. Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident in the grounds of the Old Vicarage, off Knaresborough Road, Murton, County Durham on 1 May 2009. Consett Magistrates’ Court heard Mr Kevin Clark, 54, from Swalwell, Gateshead, was working on the windows of a new building when the scaffolding platform he was standing on became dislodged, causing him to fall more than four metres to the ground.
Kevin Clark
Mr Clark suffered several crushed vertebrae in his spine and a fractured left foot and was in hospital for two weeks following the incident. The HSE investigation revealed that the company had failed to control alterations to the scaffolding, failed to conduct inspections of the scaffold at least every seven days, failed to identify and correct unsafe alterations and allowed workers to use unsafe scaffolding. Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd, of Jesmond Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500 at Consett Magistrates’ Court today (28 February 2011). After sentencing, Mr Clark said: “I took it for granted the scaffolding I was working on was safe. If it had been checked properly the incident never would have happened and I wouldn’t be left with the injuries I have to live with now. “I’ve had steel rods put in my spine, I’m in constant pain and it restricts my movement and makes walking really difficult. I’ll probably never be able to do the job I did again. “I hope this prosecution helps make other employers realise the importance of ensuring scaffolding is safe so other workers don’t have to suffer as I have.” After the case, HSE Construction Inspector Andrea Robbins said: “This incident could and should have been prevented. Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd failed in their legal duty to ensure the safety of its employees by failing to manage the scaffolding on site adequately. “As a result of these failures, Mr Clark has suffered serious injuries and is still living with the effects of those injuries more than a year and a half later. “Scaffolding is widely used as a temporary working platform or means of access and this incident clearly illustrates the absolute need to ensure that it is safe. “I’d like to stress to all companies and employees who use scaffolding that it should always be constructed to a recognised standard, any alterations should only be made by a competent person and it should be inspected by a competent person on handover and at least every seven days as work progresses.” Falls from height are the biggest cause of fatal and major injuries in the construction and maintenance industry. During the three year period up to the end of 2010, there were 132 fatalities in relation to falls from height – 85 in the construction industry alone, two of which were in the North East. For further information about working at height log onto the website at www.hse.gov.uk/falls Via: HSE

Spectacular Tyntesfield Estate back to its best after 28 miles of scaffolding is dismantald

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NOW that an incredible 28 miles of scaffolding has been taken down, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Bristol area is fully open to the public again. Large parts of the spectacular Tyntesfield Estate at Wraxall have been under wraps while a team of around 100 contractors have been working on a project to restore the Gothic mansion. The work, which has seen the roof of the main house repaired and replaced, and the property rewired and re-plumbed with a new heating system, cost £4.6million. It was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other donations, and is part of a wider £16million project being carried out on the estate, saved by the National Trust in 2002. For the first time in two years visitors will be able to see the Gothic architecture of the spectacular Victorian mansion with- out scaffolding in the way. For the last 18 months the roof of the house has been hidden behind one of the largest temporary free-standing roof structures in Europe – the size of 10 tennis courts – while repair and restoration work was carried out. The turrets and pinnacles, chimneys and gables that make up the Tyntesfield skyline are now back on show along with the new watertight and weatherproof roof. Visitors will be able to see the restored red and black tiles that have not been seen by the public for generations. The multitude of contractors that worked in all of the 106 rooms in the house have now gone, leaving behind new plumbing, wiring and thermostatically controlled heating. The house was last rewired in the 1950s but has now been brought up to date with each room now having electricity. The refurbishment work has been carried out in keeping with the property which was one of the first in the country to have electric lighting installed in 1890. Rooms which had been stripped of their contents, covered in dust sheets or used as storage during the renovation works have been unwrapped, deep cleaned and reinstated. Objects that were carefully packed away and moved into storage by trained staff and specialists have returned. Acting house manager Meghan Wilton said: “This colossal project has been a bit like moving house, but imagine a house with over 100 rooms and more than 40,000 objects, ranging from Victorian cooking utensils and toys to rare and delicate pieces of furniture. “It’s incredibly satisfying to see all the work complete as we begin to re-present the rooms, evoking the different ways all four generations of the Gibbs’ family used the house. The Main Hall, for example, with its chairs and jigsaw puzzles, recalls its time as a family living room in the 1890s, making it the perfect place to stop off and relax.”

Scaffolder drug driver was ‘over limit from the night before’

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A SCAFFOLDER arrested for drug driving said he was still suffering the effects after using cannabis the night before. Michael McIntosh, 36, of Crowborough Road, was stopped after driving erratically past a crime scene in Mount Pleasant Road last November. He was found to be carrying a knuckleduster and did not have a valid licence. He appeared at Hastings Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he admitted driving under the influence of drugs, possessing cannabis, possessing an offensive weapon, not having a licence and supplying false information to an insurance company. Peter Bolwell, prosecuting, told the court police were manning a go-slow zone near the scene of an unrelated incident when McIntosh’s BMW approached. He said: “They heard the sound of an engine being thrashed and saw a car coming down the hill at about twice the speed limit before braking very heavily. The officers immediately noticed a strong smell of cannabis even before he wound down the window.” McIntosh handed over the knuckleduster and a small bag of the class B drugs when questioned, and further checks found he did not have a full driving licence and that the insurance policy which covered the car had been obtained under a fake name. Noelle Magennis, defending, said McIntosh had acted rashly after being offered a job as a scafffolder last year. “He had to have his own transport and did not have a licence but he rather foolishly thought that desperate times called for desperate measures. “He was late for work that morning and panicking a little bit. He was driving faster than he should have been and although he had been using cannabis the night before he says he stopped at about 11pm or midnight. He thought he was fine to drive.” In regards to the knuckleduster, Miss Magennis said McIntosh was a “martial arts enthusiast” who had borrowed it from a friend at work. “He was just going to keep it as an ornament and totally forgot he had it on him,” she said. McIntosh has previous convictions for drug offences and was in breach of a conditional discharge for stealing money from a phone box when he was arrested in November. Magistrates sentenced him to 180 hours of community service and banned him from driving for 18 months.

Man sold his dad’s scaffolding business equipment off

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A 25-YEAR-old former Amman Valley man has been told he will not face jail despite admitting selling off thousands of pounds worth of his father’s business equipment. Christian John Garland, of 3 Derwen Deg in Pontardawe, admitted selling scaffolding and a lorry belonging to dad Brian Cooper in June 2010 and pocketing the cash without his father’s knowledge. Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court that on June 9, Garland sold £220 worth of scaffolding equipment to a rival firm. The following day he sold the same firm another £800 worth of scaffolding and some days later sold another £600 worth of equipment. Garland also sold his father’s Leyland DAF lorry for £600 on June 14. Ammanford magistrates were told that Mr Cooper had been serving a jail term at the time of the thefts and was unaware of the sell-off. Ms Vaughan told the court that Garland has been given the keys to his father’s business premises in Glanaman because the firm was facing mounting debts in Mr Cooper’s absence. Garland had initially claimed he was selling off the equipment to meet outstanding rent arrears on the premises. Hywel Davies, defending, told the court that Garland had worked for his father prior to the latter’s imprisonment. “When his dad went into custody he was left running the unit,” said Mr Davies. “Business went downhill and he started selling off the items to pay the bills. “However he does accept that he did not give anything back to his father.” The court was told that Garland had spent all the money raised on new clothes. “His relationship with his father had now broken down because of this,” said Mr Davies. Magistrates adjourned sentencing for the completion of probation reports, but told Garland that even though he could be sent to jail for the thefts, they would limit his sentence to a high-level community order. Garland will next appear at Llanelli Magistrates Court on March 9 for sentencing. Via: www.southwalesguardian.co.uk

Wolverhampton Council brings in charges for skips and Increases charge for scaffolding

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Charges for having a skip on the road are being introduced while costs of putting up scaffolding and fences are to soar under council cuts in Wolverhampton. Plans unveiled today show that Wolverhampton City Council is to charge for a licence to have a skip and people will have to pay £25 for a month and £15 to renew. Residents who want an H-marking, a white mark which they can put on the street to remind drivers not to block their access, will have to pay £65 from April. It is currently free. Hoarding and fence licences will more than double from £40 to £95 despite recommendations from consultants that they should be no more than £75. Scaffolding and tower licences will almost double from £50 to £95. Using Queen Square for promotions currently does not cost anything but everyone apart from charities will have to pay £75. A charge for turning on and off traffic lights will be introduced at £100 per weekday, £350 Saturdays and £500 Sundays and bank holidays. Companies which need to dig up the roads will have to pay £370, compared with £110 at present. It is estimated that the charges will bring in £72,000 a year for the council at a time when it is trying to save £36m over the next 12 months. In a report, head of highways David Orton said: “The present financial situation makes it essential that the city council maximises its income so as to ensure that it recovers its costs for the services provided. “Within the transportation service there has been no comprehensive review of highway related fees and charges for a number of years. Consequently there are many services where full cost recovery is not being achieved and also there are services where we have the option to charge but have not done so.” The proposals will be put to the Labour cabinet of the council on Monday. Opposition Conservative transport spokesman Councillor Paddy Bradley said today: “The money the council will make is peanuts in the grand scheme of things but it will be costly for businesses and could be off-putting for developers.” Henry Carver, who this week launched the Wolverhampton Business Group to lobby for pro-business policies, said: “Anything that costs businesses more will be anti-jobs and anti-investment.” Via: express and star

Scaffolding company fined after Bow St. collapse

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PORTSMOUTH — A Manchester scaffolding company committed four “serious” violations that led to the fall of a bricklayer at a Bow Street construction site, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A settlement agreement between OSHA and Boston Ladder & Scaffolding Co. states the violations occurred Nov. 30 at the Martingale Wharf, a historic building currently under construction at 99 Bow St. One OSHA violation states that each scaffold component was not capable of supporting, without failure, its own weight and at least four times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it. As a result of that finding, OSHA imposed a $2,450 fine. Boston Ladder & Scaffolding also agreed to post notice of the OSHA finding and penalty near the accident site for a period of three days or until the violation is remedied. OSHA also found the scaffolding company’s employees were not supervised by “a competent person qualified in scaffold erection, moving, dismantling or alteration.” For that “serious” violation, the company was fined $2,100. A third violation with another $2,100 fine states the scaffolding company did not provide fall protection for employees. The fourth violation states the Manchester company’s employees were not trained by a competent person and for that violation, it was fined an additional $2,100. By terms of an agreement, the fines are due April 1 or they increase. Emergency responders were called to the construction site the morning of Nov. 30 when a bricklayer fell through scaffolding to the ground, two stories below, where he was covered by fallen bricks and construction materials. “Something gave way or fell,” Fire Capt. Bernie Marvin said at the time. Marvin said the worker fell from one scaffolding, through a second one, then to the ground; a pan of mortar, scaffolding materials and a pile of bricks fell with and on top of him. The worker landed on a set of stairs with the bricks and boards, and it took responders about 15 minutes to free him from the debris. “He was in a fair amount of pain,” Marvin said about the injured bricklayer, described as 37 years old and from Milford. The worker was extricated, transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital and released later the same day. Developers Butch and John Ricci have been working on the building as a part of a two-year demolition and construction project which is expected to include 52,000 square feet of mixed-use space on six floors overlooking the Piscataqua River. The Riccis are working with contractor Mark McNabb, who previously told the Herald the worker suffered no permanent injuries and broke no bones. According to OSHA’s Web site, “falls are the most frequent cause of fatalities at construction sites and annually account for one of every three construction-related deaths.” OSHA cites 2007 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics noting that 442 construction workers died that year as a result of falling on the job. Via: Seacoastonline

Open verdict after scaffolders drugs overdose at homeless shelter

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A CORONER recorded an open verdict into the death of a homeless man who died from a heroin overdose, as it could not be established who injected him.
Jordan Burgess, left, leaving Derby Coroner's Court, is in prison for an unrelated offence.
Robert Mitchell, 33, was found dead at Milestone House shelter following a drug and alcohol binge. Derby Coroner’s Court heard the unemployed scaffolder got others to inject heroin into his neck, as he could not see to do it himself. Mr Mitchell’s cousin, Jordan Burgess, also a resident at the shelter in Green Lane at the time of Mr Mitchell’s death, had been accused by Coroner Dr Robert Hunter of administering the fatal injection on June 4 last year. Dr Hunter said evidence suggested it was “likely” the injection took place inside Mr Burgess’s room after 2am. CCTV showed Mr Mitchell did not leave the room after that time, while Mr Burgess came and left on several occasions. But during cross-examination, Mr Burgess, who is in prison for an unrelated offence, denied he administered the fatal injection. “I did not inject Robert,” he said. The inquest heard police found traces of heroin and an empty syringe wrapper inside the room, but could not find a needle or syringe. Mr Burgess said he woke at about 9.30am to find Mr Mitchell unconscious and initially claimed he “straight away” alerted staff. But CCTV footage showed him then leaving his room before reporting what had happened 18 minutes later. Asked if he took the syringe or anything else from the room, or tidied it up prior to the police arriving, Mr Burgess said: “No.” Dr Hunter said he could not record a verdict of unlawful killing as he could not be sure beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Burgess administered the fatal dose. He said it was possible Mr Mitchell could have used a mirror, or located the vein using his hands, to inject himself. There was also a 43-second period in which Mr Mitchell left the room at around 1am, in which he could have injected himself elsewhere in the building, accounting for no needle being found by police. Dr Hunter said the uncertainty meant he could also not record a verdict of misadventure, as he could not be sure Mr Mitchell had injected himself. “Therefore, the only verdict left available to me is an open verdict,” he said. Suicide was also ruled out despite Mr Mitchell being “depressed” at not having access to his son. Home Office pathologist Professor Guy Rutty said a combination of alcohol and drugs killed Mr Mitchell, whose “tolerance levels” to drugs could have been lowered during time he spent in prison prior to his death. Via: www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk
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