NEWSBRIEF

White Finger ruling could lead to claims

Last week's multi-million pound award for thousands of miners suffering from vibration white finger - a crippling disease caused by the use of pneumatic tools - could herald a surge in claims from the construction industry. Research by the Health and Safety Executive reveals that more than 800,000 construction workers use power tools which have been linked to hand/arm vibration problems.

Kier and Mivan to build in Romania

Kier and Mivan have teamed up for a £75 million contract to build housing and water supplies for villages in Romania. Finalisation of the contract is expected by the end of this month and the job will take 24 months to complete.

Ucatt to campaign for minimum standards

The Midlands Region of Ucatt, the construction workers union, is to embark on a concerted campaign against abuses of basic employment practices and principles. The campaign to enforce minimum standards of employment in the construction industry will start in Birmingham on 10 August 1998 and move to all cities in the midlands throughout the coming months.

Bovis wins £50m prague Palace contract

Bovis has won a project management contract for a £50 million project in the Czech Republic to convert the Prague Palace of Culture into the Prague Congress Centre. The building will be converted to accommodate exhibitions and conferences and 12,000m2 of office space will be added, along with 2,100m2 of retail units and a 354-bed hotel. Bovis is also project managing a 31,200m2 office block adjacent to the centre.

BAI goes into provisional liquidation

Insurer, The Builders Accident Insurance, has gone into provisional liquidation following the mounting of debt to £40 million in the second quarter of 1998. Daniel Schwarzmann and Christopher Hughes of Price Waterhouse Coopers have been appointed provisional liquidators to determine the true financial position of BAI which was underwriter for employer and public liability for builders. BAI has been in run-off since June 1995 and no new business has been taken on since that date, as it was viewed as unprofitable. The insurer entered insolvency last week when the directors found that claims were coming in at a much higher level than previously forecast.

Waagner-Biro to roof British museum

Waagner-Biro has been appointed to supply and construct the glass and steel roof for the new £97 million Great Court project at the British Museum. Some 6,000m2 in area, the roof will span the 0.8ha courtyard at the centre of the museum to create a large covered public square. The roof requires some 6,000 individual members, totalling 10km of steel, to be attached to each other by 1,800 uniquely shaped nodes. Not one of the 3,312 glass panels is identical to another.

Key responsibility for maintenance

Architects and designers have a key responsibility to ensure that all new buildings can be cleaned and maintained safely. This warning comes from health and safety officers in the Corporation of London's Environmental Services Department who are currently investigating a fatal accident earlier this year. In light of the investigation, manufacturers of suspended access systems are also being urged to ensure that all safety-critical components can be expected to last the working life of the system with correct maintenance.