A sub-contractor has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after they discovered several safety breaches. One of the contractors working for Mr James was burnt while working on a pavement in Birmingham. He hit a cable that was running under the ground which resulted in a jet of fire being released.

The worker suffered with some minor burns to both of his arms. His eyebrows were also burnt along with his clothing. The investigation that followed found that Mr. James, the sub-contractor for the hob was responsible for the work being undertaken by the injured contractor. He had not been able to identify where the live cable was positioned and this resulted in the accident.

As a result of the investigation Mr. James was fined £2,500 for failing to comply with regulation 25(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations after he pleaded guilty. He must also pay £4,727 in costs.

Learn About the CDM

The CDM is one of the topics covered in the Site Managers Safety Training Scheme. This is a five day training course designed for managers and those with health and safety responsibilities within construction. All managers and supervisors risk prosecution of health and safety failings are discovered, whether there is an accident or not. Therefore training is necessary for the managers to protect themselves and know how to work and manage others within the law.

There are other topics covered on the five day course which makes it an excellent course to choose. Candidates will cover risk assessments and method statements. Other elements include excavations, scaffolding, demolition and working in confined spaces.

If you would like to help protect people you work with and yourself, it’s essential to get the right training. The SMSTS is a popular course to choose. Business owners can choose to send their managers on the course, and the self-employed can also sign up for the course. All candidates will be qualified for five years until the certificate expires. A refresher course will be needed to be completed before the certificate expires to remain qualified.

Learn more about CDM regulations and SMSTS courses by calling our team on 0800 576 6750.