A construction firm has been sentenced following an incident that led to a dumper truck overturning and injuring a worker…
Turner Construction (Midlands) Ltd has been charged for failing to implement health and safety measures that would have prevented a worker from being injured.
The incident involved a 10 tonne dumper truck, which overturned and landed in an open excavation. As a result of the accident an employee’s wrist was crushed.
The firm came under fire as measures to ensure safety were not place. The investigation said the firm did not have blocks in situ, which would have prevented vehicles from falling into the excavation. The truck driver was also not sufficiently trained. Additionally, the firm failed to plan and implement a safe system of work.
Peterborough Magistrates’ Court was presented the evidence during the case, which saw Turner Construction (Midlands) Ltd plead guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, Regulation 13(2) and Regulation 9 (1) of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The firm was fined £7,000 for each charge, which totalled £14,000, and ordered to pay costs of £1,607.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the charges against the firm and said the incident could have been avoided with simple safety measures in place.
After the hearing, Samantha Wells, the HSE Inspector who brought the case against the firm, said: “Accidents can be prevented by ensuring construction work is planned, managed and monitored in a way that ensures it is carried out safely from the start, including for example the use of stop blocks at the edge of excavations”.
