A London company has been fined £175,000 after a worker suffered serious head injuries that saw him hospitalised for seven months.
The man, who was 35 at the time, was working at a domestic property on Elmfield Avenue, Crouch End, London, on 3 March 2019 when he sustained head injuries during concrete pumping operations carried out by sub-contractor Singh Will Mix It Ltd.
The concrete pump operator was cleaning the pump’s hose after it had been used to pump concrete for a ground floor extension. As he was doing this, the pump became blocked, leading to a sudden release of pressure and causing the hose to whip and strike him in the head. The man was not qualified to operate the machine.
The man spent seven months in hospital following the incident, suffered brain trauma, and continues to have difficulties with his speech, memory and movement.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Singh Will Mix It Ltd failed to ensure workers had the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and training to carry out the work and they failed to have appropriate health and safety systems in place to carry out the work safely.
Singh Will Mix It Ltd, of Larkshall Road, Walthamstow, London, was found guilty of breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The company was fined £175,000 and ordered to pay £75,722 in costs at Southwark Crown Court on 15 March 2023.
HSE inspector Gordon Nixon said: “HSE will not hesitate in prosecuting where contractors and operatives do not have the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and training when carrying out dangerous tasks and putting people at risk.”
Notes to editors
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
- More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
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