Mulberry Homes Limited has been fined £116,666 after a catalogue of health and safety failings were reported. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Mulberry Homes had failed to plan, manage and monitor health and safety work on multiple construction sites across England. The company was issued multiple Notification of Contravention (NoC) letters, these are official correspondence that explains how to improve failings as well as advice on how to do this.
Mulberry Homes Limited also received a number of formal improvement and Prohibition Notices yet the company repeatedly failed to ensure that work being done on their sites was safe and without risks to the workers.
The Health and Safety Executive said the company failed to reach the required basic legal standards. The investigation also found that managing director Alistair Wilcock should have ensured measures were taken to comply with each concern when it was raised by HSE.
Mullberry Homes Limited pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations and the company was fined £116,666 and ordered to pay costs of £8294.40 at Manchester Crown Court.
Anthony Wilcock was served with a formal caution after accepting he was guilty of breaching section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, in relation the company’s failing of regulation 13 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 on the basis of neglect.
It was accepted by Health and Safety Executive that responsibility for compliance with the relevant legislation was not limited to Wilcock.
HSE inspector Matt Greenly said:
“Mullberry Homes and their director, Mr Wilcock had every opportunity to improve standards and maintain these improvements but they sadly failed to do so and continued to put workers and contractors at risk.
Mullberry Homes Limited, and it’s previous company name of Paddle Limited, has a long history of formal enforcement and prosecutions from HSE and it is hoped that this case will serve as a wake-up call for them to ensure that their management is robust enough to maintain any and all health and safety improvements they make in the future.”
Source: Construction Enquirer
