Three construction firms have been fined after a worker required his leg to be amputated when a dumper truck ran over him during the building of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
Principal contractors Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, and sub-contractors McNicholas plc (now Skanska Utilities Ltd) and Maylim Ltd were all prosecuted over the incident, which took place on 30 June 2005 at the site in Ashburton Grove, London.
Michael O’Donovan, 41, was kneeling to clean steel shuttering, which was used to form reinforced structures and pillars, when a passing dumper truck ran over his right leg. He suffered a fractured pelvis and the injuries to his leg were so severe that it needed to be amputated from above the knee.
The HSE’s investigation found that all three companies had failed to ensure vehicles and pedestrians were properly segregated at the site, and that the cleaning of shuttering was not properly planned, or carried out safely.
HSE inspector Loraine Charles said: “Traffic needs to be managed effectively on all construction sites. Had proper controls been in place, this appalling incident would never have happened. As it is, Michael O’Donovan has suffered a severe injury and his life has been changed forever.
“At construction sites, workers and vehicles need to be separated wherever reasonably practicable. There was no demarcation between the route the dumper took and areas where people could work, or were working, on this site.
“None of these three companies had carried out a meaningful assessment of the risk to workers of being struck by plant, in general, and the dumper, in particular.”
All three companies appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court on 25 November and pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the HSWA 1974. Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd was fined £19,000, Skanska Utilities Ltd was fined £17,000, and Maylim was fined £18,000. They were also each ordered to pay £10,000 in costs.€
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Spurs’ future home has an exemplary health and safety record and i believe it won some honours at the SHP awards!
Sad but true Rob – and I fear it will continue.
This just beggars belief. These big contractors should all have procedures covering every aspect of the build programme, yet they still manage to maim someone.
I have witnessed similar ‘traffic mismanagement’ where we all had to wear every piece of PPE known to man to do the simplest risk free tasks, yet had to dodge moving vehicles.
To me this confirms that many still see HS as nothing more than a tick box exercise, to be complied with so long as it doesn’t interfere with the programme.