http://www.globalsafetysolutions.co.uk/

Global Safety Solutions, Smethwick (2025)

31/10/2024

THE LABOUR PARTIES FIRST BUDGET:
Here is a Summary of the Budget
Good old Rachel Reeves new UK budget introduces significant changes that impact landlords and property investors. Here are the most relevant aspects for all investors:
1. National Insurance: Employers' contributions are set to rise from 13.8% to 15%, with the threshold dropping from £9,100 to £5,000. This could lead to increased payroll expenses for landlords hiring on-site staff, as well as indirect pressure on costs through supplier wage increases.
2. Stamp Duty Increase: The stamp duty surcharge on second homes rises from 2% to 5%. This impacts investors purchasing additional properties
3. Capital Gains Tax: The increase in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on shares from 20% to 24% for higher rate taxpayers signals that property CGT rates could stay under scrutiny. While CGT rates for property remain at 18% and 24%, this focus may influence future property tax policies
4. Non-Dom Abolition: The phasing out of the non dom tax regime from April 2025 could impact investors who use non dom status for tax efficiencies. While not directly affecting resident UK landlords, this change may shift some investment back into UK tax residency, possibly stabilising rental demand as other investment assets are repriced.
5. Inflation linked Income Tax: While income tax thresholds will only rise with inflation post 2028/29, this maintains pressure on net income until then. For landlords, rising operating costs, especially with energy and service inflation, will remain a challenge without adjustments to offset these thresholds.
The budget brings in rising upfront costs (stamp duty) and ongoing expenses (National Insurance), and it creates new complexities with CGT and non dom taxation, pressing property investors to re-evaluate profitability strategies in their portfolios.
These changes suggest a shift towards placing more financial responsibility on property and other asset owners.

31/10/2024

’s fine hiked by £5,500 when appeal fails
A landlord who was fined £37,000 for severe safety violations has had an appeal rejected, and now faces a bill of just over £42,500.

Ahmed, from Cardiff, was represented at Crown Court by his daughter: they requested an adjournment to gather evidence from the South Wales Police to support his claim that he was unable to carry out the necessary repairs due to alleged anti-social behaviour and squatters in the building. However, the court found this excuse insufficient and refused to adjourn the case.

The issues came to light in April 2023 when South Wales Police contacted South Wales Fire & Rescue Service due to concerns about the property. Soon after, council officers and the fire service inspected the property and found a long list of unacceptable conditions for a rental property. The two-storey Victorian property had been subdivided into four flats without planning permission or any dealings with the council’s building control department, or a private building control company.

Key findings included the property entrance was insecure; fire doors to all the flats were defective; the electricity supply to the entire property was cut off due to continual attempts to bypass the meters; there was no working fire alarm, heating, lighting, or power to run electrical appliances such as the fridge and freezer; there was a rodent infestation; kitchen facilities were unsafe and unacceptable; the electric meter cupboard wasn’t protected from fire.

Emergency Prohibition Orders were served in respect of all four flats and the common areas, meaning the tenants could no longer live there and had to move out. Ahmed was given a list of repairs to ensure the property could be lived in.

The case was brought to court in February this year when Ahmed was ordered to pay £37,000 in fines, a £2,000 victim surcharge, and legal costs of £461.84.

Now that the legal appeal has failed, Ahmed must pay £42,521.84, an increase of £3,060 to cover the council’s additional legal costs.

A council spokesperson adds: “Private rented housing in Cardiff plays an invaluable role as part of the city’s housing stock, and we work closely with good landlords to provide the best possible accommodation for their tenants. Unfortunately, some landlords choose to cut corners and put their tenants in danger, and sadly, this case demonstrates that. The large fine imposed on the landlord was for a reason; the property wasn’t safe to live in.

28/10/2024

A COMPANY has been fined £900,000 following an outbreak of legionella at its sheltered housing accommodation in Birkenhead, putting vulnerable residents at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

The deadly bacteria was detected at Vincent Naughton Court following the sampling of its water systems in the communal areas and flats in July and August 2018.

With all 44 samples testing positive for legionella, the residents were then evacuated from the Sanctuary Housing premises in August 2018, before returning in October and November 2018 after the water system was remedied through the installation of a chlorination unit.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Sanctuary Housing poorly managed the risk of legionella in the water system of Vincent Naughton Court, with staff inadequately trained and supervised. The residents were a particularly vulnerable group due to their age and underlying health issues, putting them at a higher risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

The HSE investigation found that legionella was detected during testing on 16 and 31 July, which prompted a letter being written by Sanctuary Housing to residents, advising that work would be carried out on the water system on 6 August.

The letter, dated 3 August, misleadingly stated that the contaminated tap water could be stored in sinks and boiled in kettles. More importantly, the letter failed to inform residents that they should avoid using their showers, which would lead to residents being exposed to the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.

Further testing on 8 and 15 August confirmed legionella was still present as work to fix the water system was carried out. The residents were later evacuated on 24 August.

Sanctuary Housing Association, of Castle Street, Worcester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £900,000 and ordered to pay £11,480.60 in costs at Liverpool Crown Court on 22 October 2024.

HSE inspector Rose Leese-Weller said: “Sanctuary Housing failed to protect vulnerable residents living at Vincent Naughton Court through its mismanagement of the site’s water system. It is very fortunate that none of the residents became ill as they were allowed, without any proper warnings, to continue to use the grossly contaminated water for a large period of time. Not only was there a failure by Sanctuary Housing to manage the risk of contamination in its water systems, but the company had not provided its staff with adequate instruction and training.”

09/07/2024

Successfully prosecuted a landlord for his failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which put the lives and safety of tenants at risk.

At Preston Crown Court, Mohammed Asif Khan pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Fire Safety Order in relation to the premises at 25 Bond Street, Blackpool FY4 1BQ.

LancashireFRSFSOProsecution
On 19 June 2019, fire safety officers from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service checked the property as part of a multi-agency inspection process and issued a Prohibition Notice referencing the first floor flat at the premises (which, at that time, were occupied by a tenant of Khan’s).

The two offences to which Khan pleaded guilty are as follows:

*failure to take such general fire safety precautions so as to ensure the safety of tenants

*failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment

Decision to prosecute
These breaches posed a serious threat to the life and safety of the occupier and anyone else who may have visited the property. As a result, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service took the decision to prosecute Khan for his failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order.

He subsequently pleaded guilty on 21 May this year.

On 1 July at Preston Crown Court, Khan was sentenced as follows:
*five months in prison to be served concurrently, suspended for eighteen months

*three hundred hours of community service

*twenty days of rehabilitation

*a fine of £7,500 for failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order

Khan was also ordered to pay £23,120 in costs to the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

Legal duty
Ian Armistead, Protection Department Group manager for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Mohammed Asif Khan is responsible for these premises and has a legal duty to ensure a safe environment for those who use them. We hope this prosecution ensures that his properties meet legal standards.”

Armistead continued: “As part of our ongoing effort to make the county of Lancashire safer, our fire safety enforcement teams are actively identifying other dangerous premises. We hope the custodial sentence in this case sends a clear message that fire safety is paramount. The inadequate fire safety measures and management in this instance could have resulted in serious injury or loss of life, leaving us no choice but to take action.”

Further, Armistead noted: “Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to working with those who are willing to address fire safety issues and we will continue to support businesses in complying with the Fire Safety Order.”

In conclusion, Armistead commented: “We encourage landlords and responsible persons to visit the Business Safety section of our website for advice and guidance on fulfilling their legal fire safety duties.”

07/10/2023

For all your Health and Safety needs, FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS, HHSRS Inspections, Legionella Reports and Gas Safety Certificates

26/05/2022

A landlord in breach of Gas regulations - sentenced to a 12- month community service order of 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £3,292.05 and a victim surcharge of £85.

The Essex Landlord was in breach of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998, Regulation 36(3)(a), Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Section 21 and Section 20(2)(j)

And…

"Newham Council London has undertaken 1,100 prosecutions, serving 384 civil penalty notices, serving 2,549 notices relating to property standards, and conducting 450 joint operations with police, fire brigade, or HMRC to tackle illegal activities." quoted Landlord Today

With 168 laws and 400 regulations now affecting the Letting of Residential Property, letting your property can be a minefield and very stressful.

15/02/2022

Team Briefing over lunch today on Safety within HMOs

01/12/2021

Director jailed after ignoring HSE enforcement notices
01 December 2021

A DIRECTOR of a former car salvage company has been jailed for failing to comply with HSE enforcement notices served to protect the health and safety of workers in his workplace and visitors to the site.

Director jailed after ignoring HSE enforcement notices
Newport Crown Court heard that between 2018 and 2021, Tahir Karim was in control of activities and persons working at the site known as Long Life Spares, at Graddfa Industrial Estate, Llanbradach and failed to comply with four enforcement notices. The notices had been served in relation to structural safety and the use of unsafe forklift truck vehicles.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Karim had failed to comply with all of the prohibition notices served. However, he was aware of the risks and directed workers to act in a way that contravened the prohibitions and risked their own safety.

Tahir Karim of Graddfa Industrial Estate, Colliery Road, Llanbradach, Caerphilly, Mid Glamorgan pleaded guilty to four offences that contravened Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sian Donne said, “We do not tolerate disregard for health and safety and consider the non-compliance of HSE Enforcement Notices as a serious offence.”

15/09/2021

The Consequences of Safety Breaches:

A Birmingham tyre firm and its landlord have been fined a total of £43,333 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.

Birmingham City Council brought the prosecution following the discovery that a faulty tyre lift – which had already received a Prohibition Notice during an earlier inspection – had been switched back on and used again.

The initial routine inspection on 14 February 2019, found that a large platform lift at Blue Tyres Birmingham Limited was dangerous. The safety gate was missing and a safety interlock and mains control panel had been bypassed, resulting in the lift receiving a Prohibition Notice.

However, whilst inspecting another business on 4 June 2019, a council health and safety inspector found the mains power to the lift had been switched back on and the lift had been used without the defects rectified.

'A Prohibition Notice had been served 14 February 2019. It is practice to check that such a notice has not been breached, particularly during an investigation,' Birmingham City Council told IOSH magazine.

Blues Tyres was prosecuted under section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. However, the landlord of the premises, 365 Services Limited, was also brought to court.

Explaining the decision to prosecute 365 Services as well as the occupying business, a spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: 'The lift – the plant – is the property of the landlord. It had a duty under section 4(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.'

At a hearing a Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 6 August, Blues Tyres Birmingham Limited was fined £26,677 fine and ordered to pay £3,751 in costs and £170 victim surcharge. 365 Services Limited was fined £16,666 and ordered to pay costs of £4,000 and a £170 victim surcharge.

'The Court decides who pays the victim surcharge. There were no incidents or injuries which led to the court case,' Birmingham City Council said.

Cllr Philip Davis, chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, added: 'In this case, the lift was still being used months after it was identified as being dangerous to use by a health and safety inspector. Both companies are very fortunate no harm came to any persons using the lift after the Prohibition Notice was served.

'Falling from height is a well-known cause of serious or fatal injuries. Our officers will continue to take action where minimum standards of health and safety are not met or flouted.'

27/05/2021

Seeking an experienced property inspector to inspect HMO properties to assess accommodation standards, support plans and take enforcement action if HHSRS standards are not met.

Inspections will be conducted in compliance with COVID 19 guidance and relevant risk assessments.

26/05/2021

Looking for an individual who can train up to become a housing officer and carry out audits, inspections etc.
Must have own vehicle as this will require site surveys.
Job will start part time leading to a full time position

26/05/2021

Looking for a temporary admin assistant to update data, write up reports, filing and clean the office as necessary

Global Safety Solutions

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