Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
How Jacobs keeps mental health in check
Th brilliance of resilience
January/February 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Management
  • Human factors
  • Safe systems of work
Workplace transport
Transport and logistics
News

*UPDATE* Laing O’Rourke lands £800k fine over Heathrow Airport fatality

Open-access content Thursday 30th March 2017

*UPDATE* Laing O'Rourke lands £800k fine over Heathrow Airport fatality

The company failed to ensure that the workers had a permit to use the vehicle and did not properly oversee and manage the operation.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that siblings Paul and Philip Griffiths were nearing the end of their shift in the early hours of 2 October 2014 when the accident happened at the site of a new multi-storey car park at Heathrow's Terminal 2.

As airport operations ramped up at the start of the day, a team of night-shift workers, including the Griffiths brothers, was called to deal with a scissor lift, which had broken down and was blocking Cayley Road, a service road close to the car park's ground floor.

The HSE found that the power supply to the wheels on the scissor lift had failed and as a result the wheels were locked, needing an engineer to unlock them. As airport operations were due to start, the most practical solution was to call for a driver to collect a dump truck from the holding area where the firm's construction equipment was stored and tow the scissor lift. A competent driver had been called but was feeling unwell and, as his shift was ending, he refused. Philip Griffiths, who was not authorised to drive the dump truck, collected the vehicle and brought it to Cayley Road.

In the inquest to Philip Griffiths' death, held at West London Coroner's Court on 13 June 2016, Ieuan Evans, a machine operator for Select Plant Hire -- a Laing O'Rourke subsidiary, told the court that he had been involved in initial attempts to tow the scissor lift away but had then left the scene, on the understanding that an engineer was being called.

In the inquest, reported by Get West London Evans said that he thought that the Griffiths brothers were also leaving, but then realised they were not and assumed they were "giving it another go".

At the inquest, Paul Griffiths said his brother had attempted to tow the scissor lift with the dump truck before he took over, and that he was not aware of anyone telling them to stop. The HSE investigation found that the site manager had left the scene by the time of the incident.

When the incident happened, Philip Griffiths had shortened the strop that connected the dump truck to the scissor lift. His brother was operating the vehicle when his foot became stuck between the brake and the accelerator. Philip Griffiths was standing between the truck and the scissor lift and was fatally crushed when the truck suddenly reversed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The HSE found that neither worker had a permit to operate the dump truck and that Laing O'Rourke had failed to properly oversee and manage the operation.

Laing O'Rourke Construction of Crossways in Dartford, Kent, entered an early guilty plea on the 14 December 2016 at Westminster Magistrates' Court to breaching reg 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

At Southwark Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith determined the company's culpability as medium, with a harm category of 1 (a high likelihood of harm). Laing O'Rourke had systems but they were not sufficiently adhered to. In mitigation, he took into account the firm's acceptance of responsibility and its high level of co-operation with the HSE.

Laing O'Rourke's turnover placed it in the large organisation category range, with a starting point of £1.3m and a category range of £800,000-£3.25m. Taking into account the firm's early guilty plea, Judge Loraine-Smith reduced the fine by one-third and ordered Laing O'Rourke to pay £800,000 with £10,000 in costs.

HSE inspector Jack Wilby told IOSH Magazine that since the incident Laing O'Rourke had improved its systems for reporting, recording and checking the training records of operatives on site.

Topics
Safe systems of work
Workplace transport
Transport and logistics
News

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Project Health and Safety Manager

London (Central)
Up to £400.00 per day
Reference
5452796

Health and Safety Advisor – Career Progression role

Chesterfield
£26,824.02 and progressing through increments to £30,785.23
Reference
5452792

Regional Health and Safety Advisor

Newmarket
£43000 - £48000 per annum + Car and Benefits
Reference
5452785
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ