Kier MG Ltd, John Henry & Sons (Civil Engineers) Ltd and Lawless Civils Ltd have been fined £1.5 million, £550,000 and £40,500 respectively following a trench collapse which resulted in a worker breaking his leg in six places.
Vincent Talbot was working on a project to install new storm drains. Whilst working in the trench, it collapsed, trapping Mr Talbot for 15 minutes before the fire and rescue service could remove him. The resulting injuries have left his right ankle permanently damaged.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that insufficient measures were taken to protect those working in the trench. Furthermore, a series of safety errors led to the collapse.
The work was contracted to principal contractor, Kier MG Ltd by Lincolnshire County Council. Kier MG Ltd then sub-contracted the work to John Henry & Sons (Civil Engineers) Ltd who subsequently further sub-contracted the work to Lawless Civils Ltd. Mr Talbot was actually a self-employed contractor hired by Lawless Civils Ltd.
Lawless Civils Ltd then appointed a supervisor who had no supervision experience, or the training or qualifications to do the job.
In addition, after the accident had occurred, John Henry & Sons (Civil Engineers) Ltd backdated the method statement to give the impression that it was signed by the workers before the trench collapsed.
A trench box had been provided which was three metres long. However, the length of the pipe being laid was six metres, so the workers weren't protected for the full length of the pipe. Furthermore, other methods of protection such as trench sheeting were not used, and the unsupported part of the trench had water leaking into it.
The trench was left open overnight, and concrete was being used to bed the pipes in at the bottom of the trench, even though pea gravel was specified by the client. Water then mixed with the concrete, making it very difficult to level the pipe. The trench then collapsed when Mr. Talbot was trying to level the pipe for a second time.
HSE inspector Martin Waring said, "This incident was foreseeable and avoidable and Mr Talbot's injuries were the result of multiple failings by the duty holders, from the planning stage through to the execution of the project, resulting in the inevitable collapse of an unsupported trench. Sufficient trench support systems were not provided. Even while the excavation phase had begun, a catalogue of errors and omissions led to the injuries of Vincent Talbot. It is inevitable that at some time an unsupported trench will collapse, for this reason safe systems of work should be in place in order to protect persons who work in trenches. We could easily have been dealing with a fatal incident."
