This year, PASMA celebrates a milestone 50 years of advancing tower safety.

Founded in 1974, today we have 360 amazing members who work alongside PASMA to champion safe equipment, deliver industry-standard training and share expert guidance.

Whether you’ve been a member for a few days or a few decades, you are part of PASMA’s journey and should be proud of everything you’ve done to promote the safe use of towers and prevent falls from height. Cheers to 50 years of progress and the promise of many more to come.

The Building Safety Regulator’s new regulatory regime has moved further ahead in its vital registration programme of in-scope high-rise residential buildings, that are at least 18 metres or seven storeys tall, with two or more residential units.

Building registration is a major step in a package of measures to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe for residents and users. The registration information provided by dutyholders will be used by the BSR to help it prioritise buildings for the building assessment certificate process from April 2024.

Principal Accountable Persons (PAP’s) were given until the 1 October 2023 to register all high-rise residential buildings in England. It is now an offence to allow residents to occupy an unregistered building.

Chris Griffin-McTiernan, Deputy Chief Inspector of Buildings at BSR, said: “We are encouraged to see that since the HRB registration service opened in April, the majority of Principal Accountable Persons (PAP’s) have recognised their mandatory registration obligations. When the registration deadline was reached on 1 October, over 13,000 applications had been started.

“We are now urgently reminding the minority of dutyholders who have missed the deadline for completing their registration application, that they could now face significant sanctions, including prosecution. Please respond to your legal duty – act now and register to avoid action being taken against you.”

Detailed guidance for owners and managers of high-rise buildings on their legal duties for registering their building, and information on how to complete the application, including the key building information, has been available since April 2023.

BSR’s recent programme of over thirty stakeholder sessions have focussed on supporting people with completing their registration applications, ready for the Regulator to begin the building safety certification process.

Issue

This safety alert highlights that the non-destructive testing (NDT) process is vulnerable to tampering.  HSE and other regulators have investigated several instances where NDT has been falsified. In particular, radiographic images of welds have been falsely obtained or tampered with, including:

duplicate images of welds and false identification numbers added after processing

suspected accelerated working by shortening the distance to the radiographic source

potential misrepresentation of image quality

images cropped to remove defects in adjacent welds

In these cases there is a significant risk of flaws and defects going undetected with a subsequent risk of structural failure.

Outline of problem

Metallic structures fabricated by welding are prone to defects, such as inclusions, porosities and cracking.  The absence of significant defects is assured, at the construction phase, by non-destructive testing (NDT) of the welded joints. This is often achieved by radiography. The weld can be examined for internal defects using an X-ray or radioactive source and a suitable medium (plate or film).

Joints not meeting acceptance criteria are usually ground out, re-welded and examined again to ensure the repair has been effective. The quality assurance at the fabrication stage is vital to ensure the initial integrity of structures such as pressure vessels, pipework and tanks, preventing catastrophic failure when in service.

Falsification of NDT

HSE has investigated a number of instances where the NDT has been falsified, mainly at the fabrication stage. Welds have not been thoroughly tested and/or the results have been misrepresented.

Most recently, during a large-scale steam boiler construction which required hundreds of internal tube welds and thousands of radiograph images, instances of film duplication were noticed by the inspector. Further investigation revealed large-scale falsification of weld images and shortcuts taken to reduce the time spent on site:

radiographs were produced without unique identification being affixed at the time of exposure. Identification numbers were ‘flashed’ on to the film during post-exposure processing, contrary to the requirements of the standard in place at the time (BS EN ISO 17636-1:2013), allowing falsification

multiple exposures were taken of the same weld at once (by film double loading). While this is allowed in the standard, it is intended for use when establishing exposure variables and allows selection of the best image from a number of films. It may also be used for examining a larger cross section of thicknesses in one exposure.  However, in this case, the spare images generated by double loading the film had false numbers added during image processing.

Other indications of gross malpractice were ignored, most notably the large number of welds radiographed in one working shift. Estimates of capability varied from between 10 welds to 20 welds per shift. But numbers regularly exceeded this, with one instance of 104 weld butts (312 images) supposedly undertaken. Neither the NDT company management, the main contractor, the customer, or the Notified Body recognised the implications of the large number of radiographs recorded.

There were other issues around competence of those verifying the work. The person appointed was qualified as a weld inspector, but not sufficiently qualified to interpret radiographs.

HSE is also aware of another example. Some film radiographs were marginally smaller than the majority submitted for approval post-fabrication. Further scrutiny revealed that:

the shorter negatives had been cropped by 10-15 mm

those negatives had captured part of the tank construction deemed to be exempt from radiography, because of access difficulties

the cropped sections contained defects that would require concession or, in some cases, cutting out and repair.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) estimated last year that around 25,000 additional workers would be needed for major projects, including those related to net zero by 2026.

New research reaffirms this but then reveals the labour demand gap will get wider with an estimated shortfall of 40,000 workers by 2028.

The ECITB’s new Labour Forecasting Tool (LFT) predicts the demand for new workers needed in the engineering construction industry by 2028 is much higher than previously thought.

This includes mechanical and electrical engineers, scaffolders, process engineers, project managers, pipefitters, welders, and instrument and control technicians.

People were the main focus as the powered access industry gathered for the annual UK conference of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF).

Hosted at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield, the IPAF Elevation UK conference and dinner brought together industry leaders to discuss recruitment and training under the theme ‘It’s all about the people’.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, IPAF promotes and enables the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide and offers globally-recognised training for operators of mobile elevating work platforms, mast climbing work platforms and construction hoists..

CEO and Managing Director Peter Douglas, spoke about key moments in IPAF’s growth since 1983, including the launch of its accident reporting initiative.

IPAF received 746 accident reports from 34 countries in 2022, and the data is used to promote safe working practices through improved training and raised awareness of common safety issues.

Mr Douglas said: “It is our most important initiative – it drives all the other initiatives.”

IPAF continues to grow, with a record increase in membership in 2022 and 2.5 million operators to date completing training to gain their Powered Access Licences (PAL Cards).

Continuing the theme of safety, Principal Mechanical Inspector Darren Nash from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) briefed delegates on investigative work around use of emergency stop buttons.

The HSE began looking into equipment design after an incident in which use of an emergency stop switch on a failing scissor lift had cut power to all sensors, meaning the operator was not warned when tilting took place.

Mr Nash explained that he was working with IPAF’s International Safety Committee to identify the way forward, which could see the development of a future policy on safe stops and isolation systems.

Leadership Development Consultant Ali Moore presented on‘the science of relationships’ and how organisational cultures will be crucial in attracting and retaining the workforce of the future.

Her key message was that the days of ‘a job for life’ are over, and that employers need to ensure they offer flexibility, an ethical approach, and a sense of purpose for their staff in order to retain the best talent.

Staff training and awareness was recommended as the best way to tackle the rising tide of cyber crime, in a presentation from Aviva Insurance Cyber Underwriter Jake McCanney.

Ensuring workers understand how to spot phishing attacks is crucial to protect organisations, alongside use of robust IT security systems.

Two employees at Wanzl Ltd. were asked to take apart a large metal cage at their workplace in Coventry.

The company hired scaffold towers so they could access the roof of the cage. After they started dismantling it, the roof gave way and they fell 3 metres to the floor. One man was so badly injured he was off work for 12 months.

The business was fined £320,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations, which requires employers to ensure work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

The HSE investigation found that none of the employees involved were trained in the assembly of towers. While they didn’t fall from the tower itself, it’s worrying to see from the photos that assembly wasn’t done correctly.

Moreover, the injured man was not trained in working at height. Dismantling the cage was a one-off activity and not part of his normal duties, which just goes to show how quickly accidents can happen and lives can change. If you’re working at height, you must be competent – even as a one-time thing.

Workers and managers using Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) to install and remove seasonal decorations and lights are being urged to download use IPAF’s a comprehensive new technical guidance booklet that can help to avoid safety issues and to mitigate risks involved in work at height in public areas and alongside roads.

The Safe Use of MEWPs in Public Areas guidance document is a 24-page digital booklet developed and published earlier this year by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). It is free to view or download via www.ipaf.org/resources and is also available in a professional print-ready format that can be co-branded with issuer’s company logo and shared with end users and contractors.

Brian Parker, IPAF’s Head of Safety & Technical, comments: “As we all know, installing or taking down seasonal decorations and lights can quickly turn into a festive hangover if those tasked with the work do not know how to select the correct type of machine, or overlook the need to use professionally trained operators and supervisors.

“At this time of year, there is often undue pressure placed on operators to try to save time and money by omitting to do a site assessment or disregarding safe-use practices. IPAF is keen to remind users of powered access to carry out temporary work at height that they should ensure that all operatives are trained, supervised and act in accordance with industry-recognised safe practices, particularly when working alongside roads and in public places.

“This year, as minds begin to turn towards the holiday season, we know many companies and municipal authorities will already be well underway with planning this work, and that we will start to see high streets in towns and cities, village squares, public buildings and shopping precincts adorned with lighting and festive decorations over the next weeks and months.

“This work is often carried out during the hours of darkness or inclement weather, and often operatives feel time pressured to keep up with demand and in order to meet their own festive commitments with family and friends. However, there is no shortcut to safety, so we urge all those planning and undertaking such operations to view the new document, which contains information on the key risks involved and the recommended ways to minimise, mitigate and manage these.”

Peter Douglas, CEO & MD of IPAF, comments: “We hope that the IPAF Safe Use of MEWPs in Public Areas document might help to prevent serious injuries or fatalities from occurring. We have made the document available in multiple languages and free of charge for all to view or download, in order that all those involved in putting up or taking down decorations this season do so as safely as possible.”

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has partnered with CITB and The Samaritans to create a wellbeing support tool, as part of the industry wide initiative Make It Visible.

Make It Visible aims to make welfare and wellbeing support visible on every construction site, helping to reduce the stigma around the subject and increase awareness of the support pathways available. Having secured over £400,000 in funding from CITB, a free website portal (External link – Opens in a new tab or window) was created earlier this year to support the initiative.

The portal provides a wide range of resources, covering themes of emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing. It aims to help individuals recognise when they’re struggling and how to cope with the challenges they’re facing. For each area, there is an extensive list of organisations that can provide further in-depth advice and support.

Research from the Lighthouse Club shows that stress, depression, or anxiety accounts for 27% of all work-related illness in construction. Tragically, it also reveals that two construction workers in the UK take their own lives each day. The charity’s mission is to ensure that no construction worker or their family feels alone in a crisis, and that they get the support they need before it’s too late.

The Make It Visible campaign also has a taskforce of people who are dedicated to visiting construction companies, builders’ merchants, hire centres, and sites across the UK and Ireland to get the conversation started and raise awareness of the free resources. The team has spoken to almost 30,000 people and visited more than 340 sites since the campaign’s launch in May, earlier this year.

The portal is currently referring visitors to the world’s biggest mental health check-in, One Million Lives. This free tool has been developed by mental health professionals to help users assess their current state of mind and better understand the complexities of mental health. One Million Lives aims to create a global ripple effect by encouraging users to share the tool with friends and family.

Bill Hill, Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity CEO, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from our industry to take on the challenge of improving workforce welfare and wellbeing as a unified force. This new portal curates all the amazing free services from various charities in the UK and Ireland and simplifies access for anyone seeking emotional, physical or financial help. The CITB has been instrumental in making this happen. There is much more to do but this is a great step forward.”

Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said: “We know that there is a huge mental health crisis in the construction industry, and we must do more to support workers and their families. The statistics presented by the Lighthouse Charity’s research are truly devastating, and with World Mental Health Day upon us, I urge anyone who is struggling right now to reach out to the charity’s helpline.

“CITB has been making improvements to ensure employees get the wellbeing support they need, and I feel very passionately about carrying this through to industry. The work we are doing with the Lighthouse Club will help drive long term culture change and promote fairness, inclusion, and respect across workforces.

“There is a great selection of resources online, and I hope that this will make support more accessible to the wider industry. When all workers can access support, without fear of stigma, lives will be saved and attracting new entrants will be easier.”

Two companies have been fined £46,000 in total after a labourer from Runcorn fractured his skull.

The man had been working on a new build house when he fell through a stairwell on 3 March 2021.

He was working for Total Brickwork (UK) Ltd at a construction site run by Challenger Building Services Ltd on Okell Street, Runcorn. The two companies had been working on the construction of four new semi-detached and five terraced houses at the site.

The 46-year-old, who was 43 at the time, was on the first floor in one of the new terraced properties after being instructed by the director of Total Brickwork to clear up debris and mortar that had been left behind by bricklayers.

He had climbed up the first floor using a ladder at the stairwell opening, which had been covered with temporary boards. The boards were slid apart to allow access to the first floor.

Intending to sweep the debris down the stairwell opening, the man lifted up one of the temporary boards and stepped forward as he was going to lean it against a wall.

However, he fell through the stairwell opening onto the ground floor below as there were no floorboards underneath the temporary boards.

He fractured his skull, sustained multiple broken ribs and needed a plate to be inserted into his collarbone.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the principal contractor Challenger Building Services Limited and Total Brickwork (UK) Ltd, the contractor in control of the work activity, had failed to plan, manage and monitor work at the site to ensure it could be carried out safely. Any worker accessing the first floor was at risk of injury due to a lack of appropriate measures for preventing falls from height.

Challenger Building Services Ltd, of Lee Lane, Horwich, Bolton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulation 2015. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £1,991.32 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 23 October 2023.

Total Brickwork UK Ltd, of Weston Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulation 2015. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £1,991.32 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 23 October 2023.

HSE inspector David Brassington said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the risks associated with working on the upper floors been adequately assessed and measures been taken to protect the stairwell openings.

A man from St Helens has been given a suspended prison sentence for carrying out illegal gas work in Cheshire.

Richard Goldthorpe, 37, installed various gas appliances at an address in Sandbach in April and May 2022 despite not being registered with the Gas Safe Register.

The homeowner contacted the police after noticing Mr Goldthorpe had not carried out the work properly. They were then made aware of Mr Goldthorpe’s previous chequered history.

 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had previously served Goldthorpe with a Prohibition Notice (in 2014), banning him from carrying out gas work. However, in 2020, he was prosecuted for carrying out more illegal gas work and given a 16-month prison sentence as a result.

Goldthorpe has also been exposed for his illegal gas work on BBC’s Rogue Traders TV programme.

 

An investigation by HSE found that Mr Goldthorpe carried out the installation of gas appliances despite not being Gas Safe Registered.

Richard Goldthorpe, of St Georges Road, St Helens, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(3) and Regulations 3(7) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) 1998 act and to breaching a HSE Prohibition Notice. He was sentenced to a total of 32 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to pay £1,000 costs at Chester Magistrates on 6 November 2023.

 

HSE inspector Rose Leese-Weller said: “Richard Goldthorpe brazenly undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do.

“All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life. Such offenders will be prosecuted.

 

“Goldthorpe has been previously prosecuted for the same offences and had even been warned on national television that he was breaking the law. The work he did was unsafe, it is only a matter of chance that no one was seriously harmed.

“All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online (www.gassaferegister.co.uk) or ring the Gas Safe Register customer helpline 0800 408 5500.”

This HSE prosecution was supported by HSE senior enforcement lawyer Nathan Cook and enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski.