Sentencing of two companies involved in bridge repairs that led to the drowning of two stonemasons will take place in October, Limerick Circuit Court in Ireland decided this week (27 July).

The men drowned when a steel cable holding the cage they were working in snapped and the cage fell into the River Shannon. They had been working on Thomond Bridge at Limerick City.

The men were wearing life jackets but were connected to the cage by harnesses and could not free themselves. They were said to have been just 60cm under water. A third man did manage to get free of the harness and was rescued from the river.

The incident happened in 2015 (read the report at the time here).

The men who died were Bryan Whelan (29) from Co Clare and TJ O’Herlihy (36) from Co Kerry. Relatives of the deceased left the court in tears as the court saw a video of the moment the steel cage fell into the river.

Separate investigations by the Gardai (police) and the Health & Safety Authortiy (HSA) followed the incident and, as a result, criminal charges were brought against two companies: Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd of Dock Road, Limerick, and Palfinger Ireland Ltd of Church Hill, Cloncollog, Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The investigations found that a crane was mounted on a flat-bed lorry on the bridge with an extendable telescopic winch that held the cage by a wire cable. A safety mechanism preventing weight overloading on the crane had failed, resulting in “unbearable stress” on the wire cable holding the cage. The cable snapped and the cage fell into the river with the three men harnessed to it.

The two companies were in court this week (27 July). Both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act.

Palfinger had supplied the winch crane involved in the incident to Nationwide in 2003, but the court heard that the crane’s user manual was missing a chapter on the importance of frequent testing of the crane’s overload protection system, which it emerged had failed on the day of the tragedy.

Palfinger pleaded guilty to having failed to take steps to ensure Nationwide was provided with adequate information about the crane and its operation to ensure it would be safe in use.

Nationwide pleaded guilty to failing to ensure people employed by it were not exposed to risks to their safety, health and welfare.

Dermot O’Brien, lead investigator from HSA, said the two defendant companies had co-operated fully with the Authority’s probe and he hoped the information gathered would prevent similar tragedies.

Judge Tom O’Donnell said it would be inappropriate to deliver an immediate judgment after hearing a significant amount of evidence and “deeply poignant” victim impact statements. He adjourned sentencing to 7 October.

Police are appealing for help in finding the thieves who took stone from a National Trust property in Derbyshire.

According to the Derbyshire Times website, the stone was taken from a property just off Snake Pass and would have required a van to move. It included about 3m² of stone paving slabs and the seat from a stone bench.

This might have been stolen for a specific project and police ask anyone who has had, or knows of someone who has had, about 3m² of aged natural stone paving or coping installed to phone Derbyshire Constabulary on 101 and ask to speak to the Rural Crime Team.

Marshalls PLC has been actively working to improve human rights in global supply chains for almost two decades. To strengthen its work in this area, the hard landscaping materials supplier has appointed Emma Crates as Group Business & Human Rights Manager and Nasriah Jamaludin as Business and Human Rights Executive.

Emma is a former business journalist and modern slavery researcher who most recently worked as prevent policy lead for UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton, DBE QPM.

In this role, she led private sector engagement, collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders including government, businesses, investors and NGOs to promote best practice in addressing forced labour risk in supply chains.

Emma has written several reports on business and modern slavery for the Chartered Institute of Building and the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner. Her specialist interests include the construction and agricultural sectors, transparency in supply chains and investor strategy.

Nasriah speaks English, Malay, Indonesian and Mandarin. At University, she represented her native Singapore on international youth forums, leading in international relations. She later taught English in Henan province in China. After graduating with a Masters in Culture, Society & Globalisation from the University of York in 2020, Nasriah worked for an e-commerce organisation.

In their new roles, Nasriah and Emma will analyse and address human rights risk in Marshalls’ UK operations and international supply chains, support audit functions, and lead worker and supplier engagement initiatives. They will also support the business to capture and share vital data.

Emma says: “I’m delighted to be part of Marshalls, a company that continues to invest in and expand its human rights strategy at home and abroad. I look forward to exploring and developing best practice in due diligence and data collection in the rapidly evolving human rights space.”

Nasriah says: “I’m excited to be joining Marshalls and working with exceptional professionals. I look forward to being part of its mission to create a sustainable future through positive change.”

These new roles are based in the team run by Elaine Mitchel-Hill, ESG and Human Rights Director at Marshalls.

She says of the new appointments: “I am thrilled to have two people of such excellent calibre join our team. This further strengthens our ability to understand human rights risks in our operations and supply chains and work with procurement colleagues and suppliers to uphold international standards.”

Marshalls has proactively worked to improve human rights since 2005. In 2016 it became the first company to achieve BRE ELS 6002 for ethical labour sourcing, an accreditation it retains. As well as working globally, Marshalls also runs programmes to tackle modern slavery in the UK. It launched its sector-wide Power of Logistics programme in 2019.

Marshalls is a long-standing member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Child Labour Platform and has been a signatory of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) since 2009.

www.marshalls.co.uk

Mapei has extended its UltraCare range with the introduction of eight new products for floor, tile and surface protection. The new treatments join nine existing UltraCare cleaning products launched in the UK last October.

Aimed at both professionals and DIYers, Mapei’s UltraCare cleaners and protectors simplify application without compromising durability for every type of surface.

Lisa Breakspear, Mapei's UltraCare Category Manager, says: “With the launch of these eight new surface protection products we now offer a complete range of tile care and maintenance products to complement the Mapei system."

The UltraCare products provide protection and maintenance of surfaces in private, commercial and industrial settings. They were formulated in the Mapei Research Laboratories and fulfil specific requirements such as colour enhancing and providing water and oil-repellent protection for surfaces including natural and artificial stone, cement and terrazzo, and the protection of tiles before grouting.

For use on new installations and for maintenance, the products in the UltraCare range are supplied ready to use (they do not need to be diluted) on dry or slightly damp (depending on the type of product) clean materials using a brush, cloth or fleece applicator.

The new products joining the UltraCare line are:

• UltraCare Intensifier W: water-based, high penetration colour enhancer and protector
• UltraCare Intensifier S: solvent-based, high penetration colour enhancer and protector
• UltraCare Stain Protector W: water-based impregnator providing protection and anti-stain properties, with a natural effect for unpolished surfaces
• UltraCare Stain Protector S: solvent-based impregnator providing protection and anti-stain properties, with a natural effect
• UltraCare Stain Protector W Plus: water-based impregnator providing protection and anti-stain properties, suitable for use on all finishes of natural stone, terrazzo, agglomerates, brick, terracotta and polished porcelain
• UltraCare Grout Release: water-based product for application on porous material to protect against grout ingress and staining.  Also, for use on textured porcelain to make cleaning after grouting quick and easy
• UltraCare Grout Protector: water-based impregnator for use on cementitious grouts
• UltraCare Fuga Fresca Grout Refresh: easy to use grout refresher to rejuvenate the colour of cementitious grout joints in floors and walls.

For advice on cleaning regimes and more information about the Mapei UltraCare range contact: technical-uk@mapei.co.uk.

The long-awaited part 5 of BS 8298: Code of Practice for the Design & Installation of Natural Stone Cladding & Lining, has finally been produced and is out for public comment.

Part 5 covers interiors. It was intended to be produced for the 2010 revision that split the standard into supposedly five parts. The first four parts, covering the design and installation of stone cladding, were generally welcomed as they facilitated the use of thinner stone.

A revised version of the standard was published at the start of this year and reduced the standard for exterior cladding to three parts, with the first part of general principals being incorporated into the remaining three parts. There was still no Part 5 for interiors but there was a promise once again that it would follow.

This time it has. You can see it and comment on it on the British Standards Institution (BSI) website here. You have until 27 September to make your comments.

Part 5 covers the selection of stone, its testing requirements, the typical fixing details and the influence of loadings and impact on the stone’s thickness.

Portland stone company Albion Stone has summarised the standard on its website using the BSI data and welcomes the new Part 5 not least because it includes a worked example showing that Jordans Whitbed at 900mm x 600mm can be used at 30mm thick. www.albionstone.com

The Hamish Ogston Foundation has awarded £6.2million to the National Trust for a new Heritage Crafts Apprenticeship programme. 

The Hamish Ogston Foundation is a charitable organisation dedicated to three prime areas of philanthropic focus: Heritage, Health and Music. 

The Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Crafts Apprenticeship Programme will offer 52 apprenticeships in stonemasonry or carpentry & joinery, which will result in either a level 2 or level 3 qualification through the government’s formal apprenticeship scheme.

The apprenticeships will be followed by a one-year work placement arranged by the National Trust.

Training begins in September this year. For more information about the opportunity visit bit.ly/NTapprentice.

A brick and stonework restoration company, Brick Restoration Ltd, and its two directors, Stewart Bailey and John McCole, have been fined and ordered to carry out community service following the death of a construction worker using a dichloromethane (DCM) -based paint stripper in a confined space.

The use of Dichloromethane as a paint stripper is prohibited unless it is for professional use by a competent person who has completed the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) competence training scheme and is certified. The course can be carried out online.

Products containing DCM should not be sold to people who do not have not the certificate. If you want to take the course, call Mark Priestman on 07876 687212, or email him on mark@priestmanweb.com. More advice on using DCM can be downloaded from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website here.

In the Brick Restoration case, Alexandru Sorin was overcome by dichloromethane (DCM) vapour at a property in London on 25 July 2017.

He was working on his own stripping paint from the walls of a lightwell in the basement of Berkeley Gardens, London. DCM vapour is heavier than air and can accumulate in confined spaces with poor ventilation. While carrying out the work, Mr Sorin was overcome by the DCM vapour and died from the exposure.

An investigation by the HSE found that Brick Restoration Ltd failed to implement any effective measures to control Mr Sorin’s exposure to DCM. It concluded that his death could have been prevented by eliminating the risk associated with DCM by using a different paint removal method or by substituting the DCM paint remover for a less hazardous product.

At City of London Magistrates’ Court on 21 July, Brick Restoration Ltd of Worboys Road, Worcester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and was fined £50,000 with £2,805.64 costs.

Stewart Bailey of Worboys Road, Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was sentenced to 200 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £2,805.64.

John McCole of Savill Gardens, London also pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was sentenced to 200 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £2,805.64

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Owen Rowley said: "Mr Sorin’s death was entirely avoidable. DCM is a volatile solvent and exposure to high concentrations of vapour can cause loss of consciousness and death.

"Anyone intending to work with DCM-based products should carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and implement appropriate control measures. Crucially, DCM-based products should only be used in well ventilated areas to prevent the build-up of vapour.”

www.hse.gov.uk

The Natural Stone Industry Training Group (NSITG) is currently working with member company Wates to recruit trainees on a pre-employment programme leading to an apprenticeship working on the Houses of Parliament.

Apprenticeships will be offered in stonemasonry, carpentry and roofing.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will provide an introduction to the heritage conservation sector that would give those taking part an impressive start to a career in the sector.

The programme includes an induction to heritage craft trades on live working sites on the Parliamentary Estates, followed by a six-week assessment programme at the Building Craft College in Stratford, London. Successful candidates will then be offered an apprenticeship in a heritage trade.

• Opportunity to work on long term programmes involving the restoration of Parliamentary Estates
• Assessment programme course includes: accredited training, information, advice and guidance and work experience
• No previous experience is needed
• Fully funded

To be considered for this programme you must be willing to attend an awareness event and assessment day early in September. Successful candidates will then embark on the full six-week course and, on the successful completion of that, there will be the opportunity to undertake a full apprenticeship in stonemasonry, carpentry or roofing.

To apply you must:

• Be over the age of 19
• Live in London
• NOT be in full time Education

All applicants selected for the programme are expected to have good punctuality, show interest and engagement in the course, progress in skills, and work well as part of a team that includes other students.

To apply, contact Jon Brookes on 07740 485855 / jonathan.brookes@wates.co.uk. Postal address: Norman Shaw North, Victoria Embankment, London, SW1A 2TT.

A 13th century shipwreck in Poole Bay, Dorset, has been found containing two complete Purbeck limestone gravestones in almost mint condition, including tooling marks. There is also a broken tombstone and other examples of Purbeck stone, including Purbeck Marble, which was widely used in British and European ecclesiastical buildings and stately homes during the medieval period.

Before this discovery, there were no known wrecks of seagoing ships from the 11th to the 14th century in English waters.

The wreck has been given the highest level of protection under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. It becomes the oldest of just 57 wrecks in English waters protected in this way.

Known as the Mortar Wreck, the surviving oak timbers of the clinker-built hull were felled in Ireland more than 750 years ago, making this the oldest known protected wreck in English waters where remains of the hull can still be seen. Irish oak was frequently exported for shipbuilding during the Medieval period.

Analysis of the timber with tree ring dating shows the trees were felled between the 1240s and 1260s, during the reign of King Henry III.

As more of the wreck is uncovered, more artefacts are expected to be found that could provide information about the winning and working of the limestone from Purbeck. 

It is intended that finds from the ship will eventually go on display in one of Poole Museum's three new maritime galleries that are due to open in 2024. 

The Mortar Wreck was discovered in Poole Bay in Dorset by Trevor Small, who has operated diving charters from Poole in Dorset for the past 30 years. Further research of the wreck has been carried out by Bournemouth University, which has made a video of its dives (see below).

Two other exceptionally well-preserved shipwrecks have also been protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 – the 16th century Shingles Bank Wreck NW96 and the 17th century Shingles Bank Wreck NW68, both discovered off the Needles Channel, Isle of Wight, by divers Martin Pritchard and Dave Fox.

The survival of pre-1700 ships is extremely rare, as is the unearthing of previously unrecorded wrecks in the Solent, where people have been diving for many years. That makes these discoveries nationally significant.

Historic England says the two Purbeck stone gravestones with different Gothic designs on them are like those found in churchyards across the South Coast of England. They are particularly significant because they were carved and not blank slabs, suggesting a high level of demand for skilled stonemasons and their products.

The fact that they contain two different designs is also relevant, as it had been assumed one of the designs followed the other, but this indicates both designs were used at the same time, possibly during a transitional period between the two.

Other finds on the Mortar Wreck include a large cauldron for cooking soup, a smaller cauldron, which would have once had a long handle, for heating water, and mugs covered in concretion (a hard mass that forms over objects underwater over time).

Historic England has been working closely with Bournemouth University and Trevor Small to investigate the Mortar Wreck. Historic England says it reveals a rich web of maritime trade using the English Channel and Irish Sea in this period.