These regulations have been introduced [under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005] to implement the majority of the recommendations made to government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the law.

Convictions following roofer’s death. Two construction company owners have been convicted of health and safety offences, including one conviction of manslaughter by gross negligence, after a worker fell to his death on a building site in Hove. Steven Wenham, 48, of Brighton, and John Nicholas Spiller, 52, of Portslade, have been found guilty of several charges at Lewes Crown Court following a long and complex investigation led by Sussex Police, with support from the HSE.

A Grantham man has received a suspended prison sentence for deceiving the public about his ability to handle asbestos safely. A court heard that between 2017 and 2019, Lee Charles of Caldicot Gardens acted as a de facto director of Lincs Demolition Ltd in securing lucrative jobs. He was able to do so by marketing himself as a registered asbestos-removal specialist.

Northern Gas Networks Ltd has been sentenced for safety breaches after a fire and gas explosion at residential premises in Mirfield resulted in the death of the homeowner.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published statistics that cover work-related ill health, fatal / non-fatal workplace injuries and enforcement action taken by HSE, in 2020/21.

In this Briefing Note we review the management of construction work as defined by the Regulations and is in response to a number of recent requests from clients for further information and advice. Note: although domestic clients are mentioned in the Regulations, they are not addressed in this briefing note.