Spotlight On – HSE’s Basement Construction Safety Initiative

HSE’s Basement Construction Safety Initiative

This week, the HSE are carrying out a two-day inspection initiative regarding basement construction safety projects in two London boroughs. The aim is to improve safety in the growing basement construction sector. This comes amid concerns that health and safety related incidents in this sector are on the increase.

Basement Construction:

Basement construction is specialised, high-risk work, and this is something that is not always taken seriously by contractors. The construction or modification of a basement can drastically affect the stability of existing structures.

Such work requires careful planning, knowledge of the site, and the identification of any propping arrangements or temporary supports that need to be in place to ensure stability during the project. Basement construction may classify as work in a confined space, and as such ventilation devices may be necessary.

Basement Construction Prosecutions:

In recent years, there have been a number of prosecutions for failure to comply with health and safety regarding basement work.

• During the excavation for an underpin in a basement, a wall collapsed on a worker, crusing him to death.
  Both the designer and the contractors were prosecuted.
  They were fined a total of £95,000 and ordered to pay £60,000 in costs.
• During a basement conversion, a large mass of soil was left unsupported. It killed a worker when it collapsed onto him.
  The contractor was prosecuted.
  He was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs in excess of £60,000.

• Most recently, December 2014 saw a company director jailed for manslaughter following a worker’s death in a basement collapse in Fulham.

In fact, in the last decade there have been 17 incidences of fatalities as a result of collapsing excavations. A further 27 serious injuries were also reported to the HSE during this time. This demonstrates that safety needs improving in the basement construction industry.

Basement Construction Inspections:

It is due to incidents like these that the HSE’s construction inspectors will be focusing on basement construction safety this week. The inspection initiative will be focused in the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham. These key safety issues they will look at include:

• Collapsing excavations
• Risk of building collapse from structural alterations or undermining by excavation
• The dangers of handling heavy steel beams
• Poor access
• Risks of open or unprotected site areas
• Poor welfare facilities
• Lack of training

A further issue outlined by the HSE is that basement construction is often carried out under occupied properties as homeowners want the work done without having to vacate their homes. This is an issue as basement work can carry a substantial risk.

Something else the HSE will be paying attention to is the appointment of a temporary works engineer for these projects – something that contractors do not always ensure. This leads to a lack of knowledge in propping and support for excavations work and increases the risk of danger. This is being done despite the fact that the risk of undertaking work in unsupported excavations is well documented within the construction industry, as are the precautions required to ensure work is performed safely.

It is hoped that this targeted inspection will help to drive up standards in this growing sector of the construction industry. Spot checks on basement projects in June 2012 found that one in three basement projects were failing their safety checks across four London boroughs.

The HSE’s comments:

The HSE construction inspector James Hickman said:

“The construction of basements in London is increasingly widespread. Often it is carried out under existing homes as owners seek to increase their living space without a house move.

The work is technically challenging and can carry substantial risk. Standards are often poor and often vulnerable sections of the labour market are recruited.

Contractors are failing to appoint a competent temporary works engineer to design suitable propping to support excavations and existing structures. Likewise, on many projects basic safeguards are missing, such as edge protection to prevent falls from height. And all too often little thought is given to providing proper welfare facilities for site workers.

Where we find poor practice that is putting lives at risk we will take action, including stopping work and prosecuting those responsible.”

Further information from the HSE with regards to safe practice can be found here

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