Absence of Toilet Facilities Becomes a Costly Affair for Firm
The owner of a firm in Bridlington building had to pay a hefty fine for not catering to his employees’ sanitation and hygiene needs at a construction site. Bryan Ellis Brown, a partner in Bryan & Sons, Flamborough, ran into trouble with the HSE, owing to the absence of properly equipped washrooms on his site, and was prosecuted by them.
After an initial site visit on 23 July 2009, where the HSE found a lack of basic amenities, it issued an Improvement Notice to Mr. Brown. It required him to provide adequate facilities to the workers at the construction site of two cottages in High Green, Bridlington latest by 17 August 2009.
When the HSE arrived for the follow up site visit on 19 August 2009, they found that the notice had not been complied with. The only addition was a sewage outlet for the toilet, but no water supply had been provided to the unit as yet. The sinks in the cabins and the neighbouring toilet units still had no water supply. Soaps and wipes were also unavailable.
Yet another inspection on 17 September 2009 showed a blatant disregard for the directives. Although water supply had been provided to the toilet unit, as were soaps and wipes, the absence of running water at the sink units in both the cabins and the toilets remained.
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The HSE prosecuted Bryan Ellis Brown at the Bridlington Magistrates’ Court, where he accepted liability for violating two health and safety laws. The Court fined Mr. Brown £2,000 and another £1,215 toward costs.
The integration of good health and safety management systems is an essential principle of any business. Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues. An IOSH training course, accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, from Workplace Law is designed to give managers and supervisors all they need to know to help their organisation find the best ways to lead and promote health and safety.