10/03/2010 - Building accident leads to fine
A construction firm has been fined over the collapse of a trench, which trapped a worker for over two hours, and left him injured.
Darlington Magistrates' Court fined Vickers Construction Limited £5,000 over the incident and ordered it to pay £3,178.10 costs.
The firm, of Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974, after John Taylor, 44 of Thornaby, was trapped from the waist down for over two hours and suffered bruising to his legs.
The accident, on November 25, 2008, happened while an excavator was being used to dig a trench for drainage pipes on a sloping bank at the Allanbrae site, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Mr Thornaby was laying pipes when the trench wall collapsed.
The driver of the excavator had not been given suitable training in its use, according to an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE inspector Dr Dave Shallow, said: "Trench collapses are a well-known cause of serious injuries and deaths in the construction industry and this incident could have easily been avoided.
"The employee using the excavator should have been properly trained and industry guidance, which recommends providing shoring or trench boxes, should have been followed.
"Companies need to recognise the dangers of excavations and ensure safe systems of work are in place before workers enter excavations."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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