North Yorkshire Construction Company Fined After Workplace Transport Accident In Crook, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 22 May 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned companies that they need to manage the movement of vehicles in the workplace to help protect employees and non employees who may be on or around the site.

The warning came after Redworth Construction Ltd of Malton, North Yorkshire pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after an incident in Billy Row, Crook on 23rd April 2007. They were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,321 by Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court.

A bricklayer suffered serious injuries to his lower leg after he was struck by an excavator whilst working. Upon investigation HSE Inspectors found there was no segregation between pedestrians and vehicles on site and a lack of adequate traffic management.

HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Carol Forster, said: "One of the biggest causes of workplace in cidents is people being struck by vehicles. It is the second most common kind of fatal and serious incident in construction.

"Any incident has serious implications for the individuals concerned and their families, and is also a major cost to employers too. S imple precautions could have stopped this incident occurring in the first place and prevented this worker being needlessly injured."

Notes

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."

For more information on managing workplace transport risks see here.

http://www.hse.gov.uk

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