When a Prohibition Notice is served on a site, it's usually for a very good reason. In the case of Steetley Chambers, an industrial site in Sheffiled, it was served due to the building on the site being a potential threat due to its unstable state. With the buildings next to the site being in use as shops, it was paramount work did not continue without the relevant precautions be taken, notably temporary support be installed and an engineer brought in to assess the site.
The notice was served in 2008, but in late 2010 developer Ghulam Rasul decided to continue the demolition work without the safety work and assessment being carried out. That resulted in the gable end of the unstable building collapsing. 10 tons of bricks and rubble fell through the roof of the shop next door where two people were working. Through sheer luck both escaped unhurt.
The remaining structure has since been demolished through Sheffield City Council's dangerous structures unit. Ghulam Rasul pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him and received a total fine and costs bill of £8,418. He is lucky not to be facing further charges if the shop workers had been injured or killed by his actions.
HSE Inspector Dave Bradley commented:
"It was an entirely avoidable incident. Had Mr Rasul employed a competent engineer, temporary supports could have been designed and installed to prevent a premature collapse of the structure.
Demolition is a high-risk activity that needs to be carefully planned - from start to finish - to ensure it doesn't result in the uncontrolled collapse of a building or parts of it. The controls needed are well known in the industry and the costs involved are not prohibitively expensive when balanced against the risks."
Source: HSE
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