Building site employer Colin Holtom has been jailed for three years for the manslaughter of a 15-year-old construction worker.
The worker died instantly from massive head injuries when a wall fell on him. The trial court was told Holtom, who traded as Maldon Groundworks, had a "laissez faire" attitude to health and safety.
The worker who was employed as a casual labourer had been left unsupervised to demolish a seven-foot high wall, which had been deemed unstable. There was no proper discussion or instruction on how the wall was to be removed before work started and demolition began with no supervision.
Simon Hester, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigating inspector said, "The management and set-up of this small construction project was appalling. The worker should never have been there at all as 15 year olds have been banned from working on construction sites since 1920. There was a complete disregard for basic health and safety requirements, inadequate personal protective equipment, no risk assessments, no training and minimal supervision."
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