Posted By Robert Thomas Hi Steve This case was discussed in Construction Manager, the magazine of the Chartered Institute of Building. For information I've copied part of the piece below; 'During construction of the extension to a factory in the Forest of Dean back in the Winter of 2000, employees of contracting firm Hodsons had been asked to lift blocks weighing 36kg each to build a new wall at the site. Manual handling guidance suggests a maximum weight of 20kg. Bricklayer employees of the firm later complained of severe back pain. Jon Cooper prosecuting for the HSE said, 'There was no regard for the foreseeable risk to health and safety. Muscular-skeletal injuries are the highest cause of lost working time in the UK.' The court heard that Hodsons boss John Hodson and his QS (Quantity Surveyor) had chosen the heavier 'dense' blocks rather than the lightweight blocks that Vesma had intended in the design. In mitigation, Vesma's solicitor said that the design had not specified the weight of the blocks to be used. However Vesma now accepted that the use of lighter blocks should have been clearly stipulated. The HSE was sure where the responsibility in this case lies. 'Every construction project starts with a design' said Stephen Frain, the HSE Inspector who investigated the case. The designer is the first person in the chain.' Vesma was fined £500 and ordered to pay £1000 costs.In an unusual step, he was also ordered under the Health and Safety at Work Act to undertake an HSE planning supervisor course to increase his awareness of safety issues.' Hope this is of use, Regards Rob