A Health and Safety Executive blitz last month saw a team of inspectors raid 107 sites across Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.
Enforcement action was taken at 36 of those sites – an overall rate of 34%.
Prohibition notices were issued on 41 sites stopping work with immediate effect, and 21 sites required safety improvements to be made.
The majority of the prohibition notices related to unsafe work at height, with dangerous excavations also an area of concern.
Inadequate welfare provision accounted for three quarters of the improvement notices.
The HSE said the checks showed domestic basement projects remained a serious cause for concern.
Although HSE’s lead inspector said that contractors who have previously engaged with HSE had made improvements.
Andrew Beal, Principal Inspector for HSE’s Construction Division in the City and South West London said: “What we found during the inspections was that better standards were usually at sites managed by companies who are known to HSE, a number of whom have previously received enforcement notices requiring improvements to be made.
“It illustrates that lessons have been learned, and we hope the latest failings that required action will have a similar impact.”
Domestic basement projects are technically-challenging and carry substantial risks.
Common issues
- Failure to appoint a competent temporary works engineer to design suitable propping to support excavations and existing structures
- Poor or absent welfare facilities for workers
- Basic precautions missing, such as edge protection to prevent falls from height, especially into excavations
