Calls for ‘unsafe’ UK government building to be closed

A union representing workers at a UK government building has called on the office to be closed until a structural survey is completed because of safety concerns.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) says three window panes have cracked or fallen out of the Department for Work and Pensions building in Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, since October 2024.

Union bosses are asking for an urgent audit to be carried out, and for staff to be allowed to work from home until the building is passed as safe.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says it takes staff and customer safety seriously and that the site had reopened after being declared safe.

The first incident is understood to have happened in October 2024, when a pane of glass in the building cracked.

In July, a window fell out of the fourth floor, and a third incident followed in August, when a window fell from the third floor.

The building opened in 2020, and about 1600 members of staff work at the Treforest site, though office attendance is currently fixed at 40%.

Since opening, the building has also experienced issues with flooding.

In a statement, PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “The DWP office at Ty Taf has been a disaster since it first opened. Despite PCS raising several health and safety issues over the years, the DWP has failed to remedy the problems.

“We urge the DWP to urgently conduct a full audit of all our reps’ safety concerns and close the office until the audit is complete and the full range of remedial measures are implemented.

“The DWP must allay the fears of our members. The most sensible thing would be to allow them to work from home until staff can be assured that their workplace is safe.”

It is understood that PCS has asked for a meeting with DWP staff about the issue.

A DWP spokesperson said: “We take staff and customer safety seriously. The site has reopened after being declared safe.”