For two-and-a-half years a company in charge of the renovation of a property in Blackpool put its workers at risk of serious personal injury or death.

The workers did not have the appropriate skills to carry out the work and no measures were put in place to protect them from falls from height, exposure to asbestos, or electricution from dangerous electrical systems.

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that workers on site had carried out work in an unsafe manner without the appropriate measures in place to ensure their health, safety and welfare and the employees and contractors did not have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to complete the work.

The principal contractor was Navkaar Ltd, of Station Approach, Northwood in Greater London. It pleaded guilty at Preston Magistrates’ Court on 7 August of breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 for failing to comply with its duty to plan, manage and monitor the work being carried out on site.

It was fined £35,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,860 for offences that took place between 12 December 2015 and 14 June 2018.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jacqueline Western said: “These risks could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”