Trench death brings Balfour Beatty second seven-figure fine this year

Open-access content Friday 6th May 2016

From the archive: Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

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On 14 April 2010 a subcontractor, James Sim, was working in the 2.4 m-deep unshored trench, laying cable ducting for an offshore windfarm that was being built off the Lancashire coast. Sim was trapped in the trench when it collapsed on him.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Balfour Beatty failed to adequately assess the works or control the excavation.

At Preston Crown Court the company was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Regulation 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, and Regulations 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. The latter two cover the duty of an employer to ensure an excavation does not collapse, and to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments.

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions was fined £2.6m plus £54,000 in costs.

This is the company's second seven-figure fine this year. In January Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering was fined £1m after a road worker died when he was hit in the head by a mobile crane.

Balfour Beatty halted all trench work after fatal excavation collapse

Thursday 12th May 2016

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions (BBUS) was prosecuted after a worker was killed when a 2.4 m-deep unshored trench collapsed on him while he was laying cable ducting in Heysham, Lancaster for energy firm Dong Energy’s Walney offshore windfarm, located in the East Irish Sea.

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Excavated entrance exit to and from the site | Image credit: HSE

HSE evacuated 3.5 m unshored pit

Friday 15th April 2016

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that on a visit an HSE inspector found an employee at the bottom of the 3.5 m-deep unshored excavation and instructed him to exit immediately. There was also no edge protection around the top of the excavation to prevent people or objects falling into it. HSE inspectors had previously taken action on similar risks at other sites and still failed to ensure suitable and sufficient safe access to the site.

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Didcot update: Coleman and Co must hand over recovery operation

Tuesday 3rd May 2016

Part of the boiler house at the power station collapsed on 23 February during demolition work by Coleman and Company, killing one person, leaving three missing in the wreckage and injuring five others.In a statement, Coleman and Company said the move was “hugely disappointing”. “We have now reached a stage where we will be handing over the remaining recovery operation to another contractor within the next few weeks. This is of course hugely disappointing as we all wanted to recover our friends and colleagues and return them to their families,” it said.

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Some of the wooden pallets were on uneven ground | Image credit: HSE

HSE shut down incompetently managed site after block fall

Tuesday 10th May 2016

As we reported last month, Altin Homes was leading the construction works at a former petrol station in Altrincham. On 16 June 2014 a stack of building blocks collapsed and fell through timber hoarding onto Woodlands Road.A member of the public reported the incident to the police at 9.20pm. The police contacted the local authority which notified the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after deploying an emergency clean-up team.

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The building blocks fell into the cycle lane | Image credit: HSE

Property developer ignored HSE recommendations and fined

Tuesday 26th April 2016

Altin Homes was leading the construction works at the former petrol station. It acted as client and main contractor and had hired several tradespeople and labourers. In June 2014 a stack of building blocks collapsed and fell through the site hoarding onto a pavement and cycle lane. “It was nothing other than good fortune that no pedestrians were passing along the pavement when the blocks fell,” said Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Matt Greenly.

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Prison for construction contractor over fatal trench collapse

Tuesday 12th April 2016

A company owned by William Ryan Evans was contracted to build a drainage field with infiltration pipes laid at the bottom of deep trenches, Swansea Magistrates’ Court was told. The pipes, which were 10 cm in diameter and made of lightweight, perforated plastic, aid the distribution of treated effluent through the field.

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