Newsletter
Construction Worker Injured in Fall
The Health and Safety Executive has warned the construction industry of the danger of working at height following the prosecution of a Swansea man after a worker received serious injuries in a fall at work
Landfill Tax Due to Increase
The standard rate of landfill tax will be increased from 21 GBP per tonne to 24 GBP per tonne. The lower rate of tax, which applies to inactive wastes disposed at landfill, as listed in the Landfill Tax (Qualifying Material) Order 1996, remains unchanged at 2 GBP per tonne.
The 24 GBP per tonne rate applies to any standard rated disposal of waste made, or treated as made, on or after 1 April 2007.
Section 42 of the Finance Act 1996 specifies the rates of landfill tax, and will be amended in the Finance Bill 2007.
Fighting the Invisible Killer
Exposure to asbestos kills 3,000 people in Britain every year. Those who work around this substance risk contracting a range of diseases from asbestosis and lung cancer to plural thickening. The annual mortality rate is expected to rise to 10,000 a year by 2020.
With these figures in mind the new Control of Asbestos regulations came into force in November 2006. This act gives a duty to manage asbestos on all industry contractors working on industrial, commercial or public buildings and even certain domestic properties.
Contractors must first identify if asbestos is present and if in doubt they must assume it is and then decide how best to manage the problem and they must continually monitor and update their plan. From April 2007 contractors are advised to obtain a certificate of site clearance on any site where asbestos work has been carried out.
A surveyor accredited by UKAS can only issue this certificate. Contraventions of these regulations are punishable by Customs and Excise and subject to fines and even imprisonment. In addition insurers may refuse public or employers liability insurance.
Laing Hit by Legacy Writ
Laing O'Rourke has been hit with a writ for work its predecessor Laing Construction carried out at a Nottinghamshire shopping centre 13 years ago.
The 500,000 GBP legal action is believed to be the first time O'Rourke has been caught up in a claim following its deal to buy Laing Construction over five years ago.
As well as picking up Laing for 1, O'Rourke boss Ray O'Rourke left behind 13 problem contracts including huge loss-making schemes to build the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the National Physical Laboratory in West London with the construction arms parent company, John Laing.
Pupils were not at risk as the work was done during the summer holidays, but they were unable to return to school until the following Easter. The school was eventually stripped out and refitted at a cost of 6.5 million.
CSCS
Until March 2009 CSCS cards will still be available for asbestos workers via the existing route, after that time they may be required to hold NV2 qualifications or be registered.
On the scheme the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association are advising their members on the appropriate course of action.
HSE
The Health and Safety Executive are placing much greater emphasis on the fitness of asbestos operatives to work in accordance with Management of Health and Safety which were Regulations in 1999.
Members of the ARG group include:
- ARG Contracts Ltd. Building and refurbishment contractors
- ARG Europe Ltd. Fully accredited asbestos surveying and removal contractors
For further details of our services please call:
Doug Olive, ARG Group Ltd. 020 8804 8008 e-mail : enquiries@arggroup.org