Firm fined for professional negligence
A building firm has been fined £5,000 after a worker sustained severe personal injury and was trapped for more than two hours, when the trench he was in collapsed.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of £3,178.10 at Darlington Magistrates' Court.
It pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974.
The court heard that an excavator was being used to dig a trench for drainage pipes on a sloping bank at the Allanbrae site. However, the trench collapsed when the 44 year old man of Thornaby, was laying pipes.
He was trapped from the waist down for over two hours and also suffered severe personal injuries to his legs in the work accident.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation showed that the driver of the excavator had not received suitable training in its use.
After the case, HSE Inspector Dr Dave Shallow, said:"Trench collapses are a well-known cause of serious injuries and deaths in the construction industry and this incident could have easily been avoided."
He also emphasised the need for companies to recognise the dangers of excavations and "ensure safe systems of work are in place before workers enter excavations."
It is unknown if an accident claim will be filed.Updated on 09/03/2010