A Gateshead construction firm has been prosecuted for safety failings after the roof of a temporary extension at Lynemouth Power Station was blown off in high winds.
A 25-metre span of the roof, that weighed two tonnes, was blown off its eight-metre high scaffolding end supports on 23rd December 2012.
It struck the roof of an adjacent biomass shed before landing 50 metres away beyond the other end of the shed 鈥� on a roadway used by delivery wagons and occasional pedestrians. Fortunately the timing of the incident, just before Christmas, meant that the normally busy road was deserted.
The contractor responsible for the roof, Pyeroy Limited, was prosecuted at Bedlington Magistrates鈥� Court yesterday (28th January) after an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) identified problems with its design and build.
The court heard that the roof structure was part of a temporary extension to a permanent shed at the power station, designed to provide weather protection during deliveries by tipper wagons.
It was constructed in June and July 2012 by Pyeroy鈥檚 own workforce with the help of a specialist roofing contractor. However, poor communication resulted in an incomplete design plan being used and was inherently unsafe.
Magistrates were told that on 22nd December some of the sheeting on the structure was re-tied down because the wind was picking up. The next morning the whole rood structure was blown off its end supports and carried away.
HSE inspectors concluded that Pyeroy Ltd had failed to ensure those involved in the construction of the extension had the necessary knowledge and experience to do the work.
The company also failed to properly communicate with the build team and to check the construction was carried out as it should be.
Pyeroy Limited, of Kirkstone House, St Omers Road, Western Riverside Route, Gateshead, was fined 拢10,000 and ordered to pay 拢1,045.50 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the case, HSE inspector Andrew Woodhall said: 鈥淭hankfully no one was injured as a result of this incident, but it should not and need not have happened. It was easily preventable had Pyeroy Ltd ensured the work was carried out to the correct standards; that its team had the necessary skills and experience to carry out the work; and had it checked on the work during construction of the extension.
鈥淩egardless of the wind speeds, no-one knew whether the structure would be properly built or had been properly built, so they could give no assurances about the robustness of the roof. As a result of these failings, workers and others visiting the power station were needlessly put at risk.鈥�
Pyeroy was acquired by industrial services company Wood Group PSN in July 2013.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
