Concrete Pumping company fined 80k over worker death 2/11/2009

Two contractors have been fined a total of £80,000 over the death of a worker in Doncaster in 2003.

UCS Civils employee Michael Broughton was pouring concrete to form the floor of an office building at the Redhouse Interchange when a suspended hose used to pour the concrete "whipped" violently, fatally injuring him.

Lincolnshire contractor UCS Civils pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act and was fined £40,000 with costs of £31,600.

Cheshire-based Pochin Concrete Pumping also pleaded guilty to a breach the Act and was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £45,000.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Rob Cooper said: "This case highlights the need to fully consider all the risks involved when planning work and putting in place measures to control the risk.

"The precautions that should have been adopted were as simple as to ensure that no-one stood close to the end of the flexible delivery hose until concrete was flowing smoothly from it - something which would have not added any significant cost or time to the work."

The Construction Plant-hire Association has since published guidance, Code of Practice for the safe Use of Concrete Pumps.

The trial was held at Doncaster Crown Court.

11 February, 2009 | By Rhiannon Hoyle

Construction News UK