NEWS IN NUMBERS
Court punishes unsafe builder
A Surrey builder has received a suspended prison sentence after a loft conversion in Windsor ended in disaster, destroying a family home and injuring three workers. Jack Savva, 70, of Wraysbury, was given a 13-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, following the incident in August 2020. He was also ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to the homeowner, who faced a £200,000 rebuild bill because Savva’s public liability insurance was invalid. The collapse occurred after Savva instructed his team to remove supporting timbers and steels from the roof structure, despite having previously noted an incomplete chimney breast that required propping.
The removal caused the gable wall to give way, striking workers and destroying the first floor of the house, which was occupied at the time. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found Savva had failed to ensure the building was stable during works and had not acted on clear structural risks. One injured worker said: “I still suffer from nightmares of the day of the accident. I haven’t slept more than two hours a night over the last four years.” HSE inspector Dominic Goacher described the case as a “completely avoidable incident”. He added: “Although three men were seriously injured, it was lucky nobody was killed. Jack Savva should have taken precautions to protect people from the risk of collapse.”
12,000 The number of people to be trained as construction workers over three years to tackle the labour shortage. Source: West Midlands Combined Authority
Retention reform under debate to protect SMEs
T he Department for Business & Trade has held a consultation on reforming cash retentions in construction contracts – a move that could affect SME builders. Retentions, usually between three and five per cent, are routinely withheld from payments until a project is completed and defects rectified. But research suggests around 13% of these sums are never repaid, with many SMEs losing out when larger firms go under. Two options are on the table. One osing out er. table. One is a complete ban on retentions, while the other would introduce “protected” arrangements, where funds must be safeguarded in a separate account or backed by insurance or bonds. Michael Kitson, Director of Construction Law at Lindsays, said reform could help level the playing field: “Whichever option is says, vel the option is ntions, roduce s, where ed in a ed by or of
chosen, strengthening SME working capital and reducing insolvency risk should benefit the long-term health of the construction sector, where many work on razor-thin margins.” Kitson said protected arrangements are more likely than a ban, but would require significant changes in how contracts are managed and would need support from banks and insurers. Any new rules would apply only to contracts covered by the Housing Grants Act 1996.
75% The percentage of people
working in construction who are worried about how climate change will affect site safety
over the next five years. Source: SafeSite Facilities
7,000 The number of construction workers who committed suicide in the last decade. Source: On The Tools
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