A construction company has been fined £100,000 after a steel-fixer suffered life-changing injuries when a newly built blockwork wall collapsed
Matrod Frampton Limited was sentenced at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 5 December 2025 after pleading guilty to safety breaches linked to the incident in Poole.
The court heard that 69-year-old Patrick Grant was working in an excavation on 19 August 2022 when a breeze block wall collapsed, crushing him against the concrete floor.
Investigations found the wall had been backfilled prematurely, before the mortar had set. Mr Grant and two colleagues had just started work at the lower level of the excavation when the failure occurred.
Emergency services attended the scene, but access to the excavation was via an unstable ladder, delaying rescue until fire and rescue crews were able to hoist Mr Grant out. He was later airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
Safety concerns were raised prior to the incident
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation concluded that Matrod Frampton Limited had failed to properly assess foreseeable risks associated with temporary works.
The investigation found there was no temporary works design in place for the blockwork wall, or for any other temporary structures on site. The company had also failed to appoint a temporary works coordinator or supervisor — despite this being highlighted as a serious concern in a safety report issued eight days before the incident.
Matrod Frampton Limited, of Riverside Park, Wimborne, Dorset, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 13(1) and 19(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was ordered to pay £100,000 in fines, £8,242 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
HSE said the tragic event was avoidable
HSE inspector, Alexander Ashen, said: “The correct design and execution of temporary works is an essential element of risk prevention in construction.
“This incident illustrates what can happen when temporary works are not properly organised. Matrod Frampton Limited is an established construction company, and a temporary works procedure should have been implemented as a matter of course.
“The fact that the company’s own health and safety consultants raised this issue eight days before the incident makes this wholly avoidable event all the more tragic.
“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to properly plan and manage serious risks on construction sites.”
