The director of a building firm was partially buried when the high
sides of an excavation he was working on collapsed on him, a court has
heard.
Paul Connolly, director of Bushey-based PNT Contractors
Ltd, had to be rescued by workers digging him out by hand after the
excavation collapse at a site in Essex in July 2014. He was taken to
hospital and suffered a broken leg and ankle.
The incident was
investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which today (4
March) prosecuted Mr Connolly and the company at Southend Magistrates’
Court.
The court heard PNT Contractors Ltd was carrying out
extensive ground work at a site in Crays Hills, Bilericay, when the
incident took place.
Paul Connolly had used an excavator to dig
into the side of a slope, leaving unsupported excavation sides of up to
2.5 metres in height.
Mr Connolly and another employee were
working in the sheer-faced excavation when it collapsed. The second
worker managed to jump to safety but Mr Connolly was partially buried
and trapped by the falling earth and had to be dug out by hand by his
two employees.
HSE served a prohibition notice the following day stopping any work until the excavation was made safe.
PNT
Contractors Ltd of Sparrows Herne, Bushey, Hertfordshire, was fined
£15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,176 after admitting a breach of
the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
Paul Martin
Connolly of Lipton Street, Watford, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay
costs of £1,176 for a similar breach by virtue of being a director of
the company.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Adam Hills said:
“Paul
Connolly not only endangered himself, but was reckless with the lives
of his employees. Every year people are killed or seriously injured by
collapsing trenches. The dangers here were obvious.
“A few simple
and inexpensive precautions could have easily prevented this from
occurring. To prevent a collapse you should shore, step, or batter back
the sides. Do not assume ground will stand up unsupported.”
CRS says “How much would Health & Safety Training cost to stop this sort of thing happening again and again”?
Combined NEBOSH Construction/General Certificate
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