Piling Rig Accident
Two construction companies have been fined for an accident that occurred in December 2007 on Tower Street in Hull. On the busy street in rush hour, a piling rig being used for the construction of a hotel fell over and rolled into the middle of the road.
Amazingly, no one was killed or even injured in the event, but both companies, who pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Work Act, have been fined. The main contractor, Multibuild, who provided the stone platform on which the piling rig worked, have been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £18,687 in costs. Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were sub-contractor, responsible for carrying out the work, have been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £17,676 in costs.
Dave Redman, the HSE Inspector, has said that, “It is every company’s responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery. There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today’s prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don’t witness an incident of this kind again.”