Company failed to provide hot water and suitable rest facilities.
\nFailures continued despite HSE taking action.
\nProvision of suitable welfare facilities is legal requirement.<\/p>\n
A West Midlands based construction company has been fined after Britain\u2019s workplace regulator found repeated failures at four different construction sites across the region.<\/p>\n
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection at Ling Developments Limited\u2019s construction site at The Crest, Oldbury Park, Telford in April 2024 identified health and safety failings related to a lack of adequate welfare provision. This included the failure to provide hot or warm water in the toilets and a lack of suitable rest facilities for workers. The inspection resulted in two improvement notices being served, requiring the company to take action to comply with the law.<\/p>\n
There was no supply of clean hot and cold or warm water on site<\/p>\n
On three previous occasions, the company had been found to have breached the same legislation. An investigation, initiated by HSE, identified repeated failings by the company which, despite enforcement action and advice from HSE inspectors, continued to provide sub-standard facilities that contravened their legal duties.<\/p>\n
Under The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, principal contractors have a duty to provide specific welfare facilities for construction sites. Washing facilities must include:<\/p>\n
A supply of clean hot and cold or warm water;
\nRest facilities must be equipped with an adequate number of tables and seating;
\nSuitable arrangements to ensure meals can be prepared and eaten.<\/p>\n
Further guidance can be found here: Welfare: Overview \u2013 HSE<\/a><\/p>\n The rest facilities offered to workers were also not suitable<\/p>\n Ling Developments Limited of Maypole House, Maypole Street, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 13 (4)(c) of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined \u00a315,858 and ordered to pay \u00a33,858 in costs at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 13 April 2026.<\/p>\n HSE Inspector Natalie Spurrier said:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe provision of suitable welfare facilities such as hot running water and basic rest facilities are the minimum all workers should expect \u2013 they aren\u2019t a luxury.<\/p>\n \u201cOur investigation found that Ling Developments Limited failed in its duty to provide the minimum standard of welfare facilities at some of its construction sites.<\/p>\n \u201cFailing to comply with legal obligations such as in cases like this, places workers at unnecessary risk.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect these responsibilities to be taken seriously and HSE will continue to take action when standards fall short.\u201d<\/p>\n The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by HSE paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Further information:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Health and Safety Executive<\/a> (HSE) is Britain\u2019s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives. Company failed to provide hot water and suitable rest facilities. Failures continued despite HSE taking action. Provision of suitable welfare facilities is legal requirement. A West Midlands based construction company has been fined after Britain\u2019s workplace regulator found repeated failures at four different construction sites across the region. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMore information about the legislation<\/a> referred to in this case is available.
\nFurther details on the latest HSE news releases<\/a> is available.
\nRelevant guidance can be found here: Welfare: Overview<\/a>.
\nHSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"