Willmott homes arm fined £1.25m over flue gas exposure

Grant Prior 7 years ago
Share

Willmott Partnership Homes has been fined £1.25m after exposing members of the public to carbon monoxide fumes.

Aylesbury Crown Court heard how, on 11 December 2014, at Hamilton House in Wolverton, a number of gas installations were found to be either immediately dangerous or at risk following the report of a smell of gas by a householder.

An HSE investigation found that Willmott Partnership Homes built the flats several years before the incident and in 2014 some remedial was work needed to be carried out on an external wall.

During the demolition and reconstruction of the wall, many live flues of gas boilers were removed damaged and blocked, exposing the residents to a risk from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Willmott Partnership Homes as the principal contractor had not ensured that an adequate system of work was in place to manage the risks from working around the live flues.

Willmott Partnership Homes pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £1.25m and ordered to pay costs of £23,972.33.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “Risks from gas installations, including those related to carbon monoxide, need to be managed by all during refurbishment.”

“This incident could have been avoided if the company had implemented a safe isolation system for the live boilers.”

A spokesman for Wilmott Dixon said: “We have extensively reviewed our practices and procedures to ensure this type of incident never happens again and since it took place in 2014, there has been no repetition in over 500 construction projects completed in the past four years.  

“We uphold the very highest standards across all our activities, and while we accept the Judge’s ruling, our record since this incident shows that we maintain those standards across our activities.”

Latest news

Take That brother buys steelwork giant William Hare

Entrepreneur Simon Orange seals deal for £350m turnover contractor
15 hours ago

Civils contractor LF Solutions files administration notice

£20m-turnover specialist has labour supply arm and own plant fleet
1 hour ago

Keltbray strikes £30m funding deal for growth

Three-year funding deal to support push into higher-margin work
13 minutes ago

Joseph Gallagher lands £50m green energy deal

Major trenchless construction contract for HyNet North West project
43 minutes ago

New boss drives NG Bailey to record revenue

Fresh strategy lifts M&E group's order book to £1.6bn
10 hours ago

Costain wins vast underground hydrogen storage design job

Firms lands FEED contract for Cheshire salt caverns conversion
32 minutes ago

Graham gets green light for £70m Glasgow student tower

Construction due to start this year on 25-storey Anderston scheme
14 minutes ago

New £16bn National Housing Bank to drive 500k new builds

Homes England given new powers to finance stalled and complex schemes
9 hours ago

Morgan Sindall upgrades profits forecast for this year

Overbury fitout and construction operations exceed trading expectations
1 day ago

Major project bidders to face ‘British jobs’ test

Contractors to face tougher jobs pledge scrutiny under new procurement shake-up
2 days ago

Green light for £32m Wythenshawe Culture Hub

Construction to start this year on first phase of £500m town centre revamp
1 day ago

Hercules delivers record first half as HS2 fuels growth

Labour supply specialist says HS2 demand climbing with 630 workers now deployed
1 day ago

Private equity firm acquires Hepworth Clay pipes business

Historic UK drainage manufacturer sold by Wavin
1 day ago

Balfour Beatty names new Scottish MD

Nick Rowan to take reins as Hector MacAulay to retire after 40 years
2 days ago

£500m rail deal locks in future for Scunthorpe steelworks

Government-backed deal with Network Rail safeguards UK production
23 hours ago

Morrison rides in for £19m mountain bike R&D hub

Flagship Borders cycling R&D hub set for Caerlee Mill site
2 days ago

Revised plan submitted for Manchester landmark towers

400 more flats added to Albert Bridge House scheme
2 days ago

Job losses loom at consultant GHD

Redundancy consultation underway with jobs at risk
2 days ago

Knight Harwood lifts margin to 4.9% as profit hits £6.5m

London specialist sees strong office and luxury resi pipeline
2 days ago

Hampshire launches £150m minor works reboot

General builders, M&E and roofing firms invited to apply
2 days ago

Winners named for £2.6bn NHS SBS Modular 3 framework

Twenty-seven secure spots on health, education and resi framework
5 days ago

Leeds kicks off homes vision for Elland Road regeneration

Council plans to deliver 2,000 homes around United’s revamped stadium
5 days ago

Former Mace deputy chairman Mark Holmes awarded CBE

King's Birthday Honours spotlights industry's architecture and environment achievements
2 days ago

Britcon targets £70m turnover after string of framework wins

Major AMP8 win and regional expansion fuel contractor’s biggest growth push yet
5 days ago

Go-ahead for 37-storey tower at Leeds Merrion Centre

Town Centre Securities to deliver over 1,000 student rooms
5 days ago

Taylor Wimpey fined £800k after apprentice falls down stairwell

Teenage brickie injured after falling with pile of concrete blocks
6 days ago

Green light for life sciences buildings in campus expansion

Construction to start this year on Wellcome Genome Campus in South Cambridgeshire
5 days ago

Morgan Sindall scores £63m twin wins on flagship leisure projects

£36m Southampton and £27m Bishop Auckland jobs get underway
5 days ago

Hill and L&G partner on £450m Coventry city centre revamp

Partners to deliver opening phase of 991-home City Centre South scheme
6 days ago

Graham snaps up sector veteran to lead office fit-outs

Peter Allan most recently held director roles at ISG and Overbury
5 days ago

Contractor services