Construction Firms Fined For Putting Driver's Life At Risk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning construction firms to ensure that adequate safety measures are in place for site transport after a worker received serious injuries when the dumper he was driving overturned.

The advice comes after FG Construction (Nottingham) Ltd, of Glaisdale Drive West, Nottingham, was fined £7,500 with £8,500 costs at Sheffield Crown Court today after pleading guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.


The charges relate to an incident at a building site in The Manor, Sheffield, on 28 February 2006, when an employee of the company suffered a broken hip after jumping from a dumper truck as it overturned into an excavation.

The ground works on the site where the incident occurred was subcontracted to FG Construction (Nottingham) Ltd by Bellway Homes Ltd, of Seaton Burn, Newcastle upon Tyne, which controlled the site. Bellway Homes Ltd pleaded guilty at the same hearing to breaching regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996, by failing to ensure that traffic routes through the site were suitable for the persons or vehicles using them. They were fined £20,000 with £11,000 costs.

(JM)