Company fined for unsafe excavation
A Kent based property company and its groundwork subcontractor have been prosecuted for unsafe excavation work.
The company was prosecuted by the HSE for failing to plan, manage and monitor the excavation work being carried out on its construction site. The subcontractor, was also prosecuted for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that the excavation work did not put workers in danger from the excavation collapsing.
Staines Magistrates' Court heard an HSE inspector visited and found construction work underway to the retaining basement walls of two new houses. The properties company was commissioned as the principal contractor for the site; another company was subcontracted to build the foundations.
The HSE Inspector found there was a significant risk of the excavation collapsing, or materials from the excavation walls falling and injuring workers. A Prohibition Notice was served on the properties company by the Inspector to stop work on the site. An Improvement Notice was served a week later on the firm to ensure that future construction work was adequately planned, managed and monitored.
The company has had previous enforcement action taken against it on other safety matters due to failings on its behalf at another site.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector said:
“Every year people are seriously injured or killed while working in excavations, many of these are due to trench collapses or falling materials. Fortunately in this instance, work was stopped before anyone was hurt.”
The company pleaded guilty and was fined £2,800 and ordered to pay costs of £2,917.
The subcontractor was fined £2,800 and ordered to pay costs of £2,917.
Updated on 9/20/2011