Building contractor and company director fined over fire risk failings

In January 2018, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertook a proactive inspection to investigate alleged Health and Safety failings by S&S Quality Building Contractors Limited at a construction site at Regent House in Brentwood, Essex after a concern was raised that people were sleeping on site.

The subsequent HSE investigation, which was assisted by officers from the Essex Fire and Rescue Service, identified failings in fire management at the site, which then posed risks to workers and members of the public who were visiting show flats outside of business hours.

The environment at Regent House was “poorly managed” and the construction work was being carried out in an unsafe manner, which could well have resulted in a fire.

S&S Quality Building Contractors Limited had previously been subject to HSE interventions after risks of a fire had been identified across a number of sites over several years. Evidence gathered during the proactive HSE investigation indicated that company director Shlomo Pines regularly attended the Regent House site, but had failed to implement necessary improvements outlined by previous HSE interventions.

Detail on the fines

S&S Quality Building Contractors Limited of Hawthorn Business Park, Granville Road in London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974. The company was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay costs of £36,894 at a hearing conducted at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday 25 October.

Company director Shlomo Pines of St Johns Road, Golders Green in London pleaded guilty to contravening Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974. He received a community order to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was also fined £4,200.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Prentiss Clarke-Jones said: “S&S Quality Building Contractors Limited completely ignored the importance of fire safety measures on a construction site led by a director who wilfully chose to ignore the risks despite evidence that he knew how to make things safe. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a site where risks were also ignored by his workers.”

Offering advice to other contractors, Clarke-Jones added: “Follow the guidance, seek competent advice and, at the very least, assume the degree of responsibility required by law or someone may be hurt. Thankfully, the latter didn’t happen in this case.”