A company director was cautioned and his firm fined more than £100,000 over health and safety failings at new build housing developments which led to workers being put 'at risk'. Work building properties on one Mullberry Homes site in Middleton was stopped by the Health and Safety Executive.
The HSE also noted health and safety breaches at sites in Liverpool and Barrow-in-Furness. Manchester Crown Court was told that an inspection was carried out at the firm's development in Boarshaw Clough, Middleton.
Breaches of health and safety noted by inspectors included 'work at height' regulations and the potential exposure of workers to potentially carcinogenic 'brick dust'. HSE inspector Matt Greenly ordered work to be stopped at the Middleton site.
He said that it was 'rare' in his experience for such an order to be made. Other issues were also reported at sites in Wango Lane, Liverpool, and Thorncliffe Road, Barrow-in-Furness, including a lack of PPE for workers and insufficient traffic management systems.
"There were repeated failures on the part of Mullberry Homes to put in place those measures that are recognised within the industry," prosecutor Rosalind Emsley-Smith said. She said that the company was responsive to the HSE and rectified issues but that the 'same kind of issues' occurred 'repeatedly'.
On Monday, Judge Nicholas Dean KC fined the Blackburn based company £116,666, and it was also ordered to pay costs of £8,294.40. Managing director Alastair Wilcock attended the crown court hearing and has received a caution.
The court heard that the company was prosecuted in 2013 under its previous trading name, Paddle Ltd, following a 'fall from height' which led to an 'injury' while the company was not being run by Mr Wilcock. Defending, Craig Hassall KC the company had co-operated with the HSE investigation and has made a 'step change' in its procedures.
He said: "No actual harm befell anyone on any of these sites. The company has overhauled its health and safety management system."
The firm admitted an offence under the construction, design and management regulations. After the hearing, HSE Inspector Matt Greenly said: "Companies have a duty of care to those they employee and HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.
"Mullberry Homes and their director, Mr Wilcock had every opportunity to improve standards and maintain these improvements but they sadly failed to do so and continued to put workers and contractors at risk. Mullberry Homes Limited, and it’s previous company name of Paddle Limited, has a long history of formal enforcement and prosecutions from HSE and it is hoped that this case will serve as a wake-up call for them to ensure that their management is robust enough to maintain any and all health and safety improvements they make in the future."
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