Tamworth-based trade association, the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF), is emphasising the significance of proper training, following the fining of a principal contractor, after a roller shutter door damaged a market stall in Walthamstow. ‘Flex D B Construction Ltd’ of Rydal Gardens, London, was found guilty of breaching Regulation 13 (1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and was ordered to pay a fine of £45,000, plus £4,064 costs, together with a victim surcharge of £170.
The accident, which took place in August of 2016, involved employees removing a roller shutter door on the boundary of a site on the High Street, when the door fell onto the pavement, badly damaging a market stall. A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there was no risk assessment for the task of removing the roller shutter door and that the site manager was not on-site when the incident occurred; there was therefore no supervision of the workers. The investigation also found that the site issues could have been rectified by appropriate planning, managing and monitoring of the construction work.
The fine follows the death of a man crushed by a roller shutter whilst engaged on shop fitting work at retail premises in Woking, in October 2017. An investigation is underway.
Raising standards through on-going training has long been the clarion call underpinning DHF’s drive for higher quality and compliance. Widely regarded as the ‘go-to experts’ with regards to technical expertise, information, knowledge, advice, and practical help, the organisation, which now has more than 400 members, has very recently launched a new code of practice (DHF TS 012:2018) designed to raise standards of safety in the industrial door industry. It also offers a two-day Industrial Door Safety Diploma course for both members and non-members, as part of its continuing efforts to encourage a greater understanding of legislation affecting the supply, installation, inspection, risk assessment, maintenance, and repair of industrial doors. A one-day Industrial Door Safety Diploma course for installers and engineers will be launching soon.
“It is absolutely essential that those with responsibility for installation, maintenance, repair and dismantling of potentially dangerous equipment are properly trained and working within the framework of the law,” says DHF’s CEO, Bob Perry.
“Fortunately, in this particular instance, there were no injuries, but this accident and the subsequent legal proceedings should serve as a stark warning that work on roller shutters should be carried out by trained operatives with careful planning. Those who use DHF members can do so in the knowledge that the level of safety, quality and compliance we insist upon, is reinforced by comprehensive training and is subject to rigorous audit and inspection.”
