Construction company and director sentenced for safety failings

A construction company and its director have been sentenced after healthy and safety failings were discovered which created significant safety risks on a building site in Irvine.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard how three inspections by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were carried out at the construction site at Eglington Park in Irvine between October and December 2016.

After these inspections, multiple prohibition and improvement notices were served on Stable Homes Limited for health and safety failings consisting of unsafe scaffolding, unsafe electrics, unsatisfactory welfare, unsafe traffic management, site untidiness and insufficient general fire precautions.

The HSE investigation discovered that as client and principal contractor, Stable Homes Limited had not created an adequate plan to manage and monitor the construction phase of the development and this had resulted in significant risks on site. They also did not take adequate steps to put right the failings and comply with the enforcement notices.

The HSE investigation also discovered that Ravinder Singh, Director of the company, was acting as site manager and directly involved in the company’s shortcomings.

Stable Homes Limited of Mill Crescent, Irvine, pleaded guilty to seven charges under health and safety regulations and was fined a total of £35,332.  Ravinder Singh, of the same address, pleaded guilty to six charges under Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the offences by the company being committed with his consent or attributable to his neglect.  He was sentenced to 166 hours community pay back order and was disqualified from holding a directorship for two years.