The government’s health and safety agency has issued new guidelines after the dramatic Station Hill fire in Reading that saw a worker rescued by a crane operator.
The Station Hill fire took place on November 23, 2023, while construction was in progress at the One Station Hill building.
The incident required a large emergency presence with 50 firefighters and 10 vehicles attending the scene to tackle the blaze.
Crane operator Glen Edwards was able to rescue a fellow worker who had become trapped on the building.
Two people were treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics at the scene.
Nearly two years on from the fire, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance discouraging the use of heat and fires at construction sites.
Although it has not been made public how the fire started, the HSE has stated that ‘hot work’ involving the use of heat or flames should be eliminated from construction processes where possible.
A HSE spokesperson said: “The investigation into the circumstances of the fire on November 23, 2023, has now concluded.
“To prevent future occurrences and develop best practice, the construction industry has shared lessons learned from this incident.
“This includes raising awareness that hot works should be designed out wherever possible, in order to eliminate fire risk.
“Those working on construction sites should ensure there are suitable and sufficient measures to manage the risk from fire.”
The HSE began its investigation shortly afterwards.
A spokesperson for the organisation was unable to say when the investigation would be completed in an update provided in November last year.
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) also investigated the incident.
Mark Arkwell, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer of the RBFRS said that an ‘invasive’ Tier 2 inspection into what happened would take place at a Royal Berkshire Fire Authority management committee meeting in December 2023.
Published guidance can be found by searching ‘HSG168 fire safety in construction’ online.
A previous fire took place at the Station Hill development site on July 7, 2023.
At the time, firefighters remained on the scene after it was extinguished to make sure any hotspots had cooled down.
The news from the HSE comes following the opening of One Station Hill to tenants earlier this year.
Occupants include workplace provider NewFlex and PepsiCo, which moved into the building at the end of June.
Business management consultant company PwC was also announced as one of the first occupants, along with the Notes coffee roaster and bar.
The completion of the Station Hill project was celebrated with the ‘Party on the Hill’ event that took place on Saturday, June 21.
