Construction firms fined after machinery crashes onto busy road
15:20 - 11/08/2010
Construction firms fined after machin...
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted two construction firms after an incident in which a 44 tonne machine crashed onto a busy main road, causing it to be closed for several hours.
The companies, Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd and Multibuild Ltd both pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Hull Crown Court. The court heard how the machinery in question, a piling machine, had fallen over, rolled across the main road and then destroyed a wall opposite. The incident had taken place during the evening rush hour on 10th December 2007. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.
Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were previously known as Stent Foundations Ltd and are based in Hampshire, were fined £25,000 for the incident and were ordered to pay a further £17, 676 in costs. They were employed as a specialist sub-contractor for the work and therefore had the responsibility for ensuring that it was carried out safely.
Multibuild Ltd, based in Stockport, were the main contractor for the work. They were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £18,687. They had been responsible for providing a stone platform for the piling machine to work from but they had failed to design or install it properly.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Dave Redman said: “It is every company's responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery.
“There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today's prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don't witness an incident of this kind again.”
Bill Gellatly, Senior Health and Safety Consultant for First Response Training, said: “The construction industry is, by its very nature, a hazardous environment to work in and it is important that firms follow the correct measures to protect both their workers and the general public from harm.
“We can offer the IOSH Managing Safely in Construction course as well as general health and safety training courses, all of which are extremely important for ensuring safe systems of work in the construction industry. If you are unclear of your safety obligations, we can offer a complete consultancy service to assist with your policy production, review and advice, and advise about your health and safety risk management systems.”
For more information, please call us today.
The companies, Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd and Multibuild Ltd both pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Hull Crown Court. The court heard how the machinery in question, a piling machine, had fallen over, rolled across the main road and then destroyed a wall opposite. The incident had taken place during the evening rush hour on 10th December 2007. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.
Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were previously known as Stent Foundations Ltd and are based in Hampshire, were fined £25,000 for the incident and were ordered to pay a further £17, 676 in costs. They were employed as a specialist sub-contractor for the work and therefore had the responsibility for ensuring that it was carried out safely.
Multibuild Ltd, based in Stockport, were the main contractor for the work. They were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £18,687. They had been responsible for providing a stone platform for the piling machine to work from but they had failed to design or install it properly.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Dave Redman said: “It is every company's responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery.
“There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today's prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don't witness an incident of this kind again.”
Bill Gellatly, Senior Health and Safety Consultant for First Response Training, said: “The construction industry is, by its very nature, a hazardous environment to work in and it is important that firms follow the correct measures to protect both their workers and the general public from harm.
“We can offer the IOSH Managing Safely in Construction course as well as general health and safety training courses, all of which are extremely important for ensuring safe systems of work in the construction industry. If you are unclear of your safety obligations, we can offer a complete consultancy service to assist with your policy production, review and advice, and advise about your health and safety risk management systems.”
For more information, please call us today.
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