A construction company has been fined for safety failings which led to a two-year-old boy wandering onto a building site.
360 Property Limited were the principal contractor for a new build housing development at Oak Road, Blaina. An improvement notice was served on the site after site security issues were not addressed, despite a previous visit from a HSE inspector who highlighted concerns.
Newport Magistrates’ Court heard on 20 August how, between 22 January 2015 and 10 June 2015, the construction site was inadequately secured. On 21 May 2015, a two-year-old child had gained access to the site and was riding his bike when he fell into a drain, the cover of which had been removed. Fortunately, the child was shaken but not injured.
360 Property Limited was fined a total of £10,000, and ordered to pay £6,668.15 in costs after pleading guilty to two offences under section 27(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and section 18(2) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015, effectively one offence split by the change in regulations.
HSE inspector David Kirkpatrick said: “It is absolutely imperative that construction companies adequately secure their construction sites to prevent unauthorised access. Construction sites can contain hazards that children and vulnerable people may not fully appreciate.”
