Firms fined £450,000 after worker plunged to death

Aaron Morby 14 years ago
Share

Contractor AMEC and energy giant RWE npower have been fined £450,000 after a maintenance worker fell to his death at a South Wales power station.

Agency worker Christopher Booker fell 12m through an unprotected opening in a working platform at Aberthaw Power Station in June 2007.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that work was being carried out to fit equipment into a deep pit in the water cooling system to hold back seawater when the tide rose.

Sections of the floor gratings at the top of the pit had been removed to allow the work to proceed.

Booker was working with a team of eight workers, called in to carry out urgent modification work on the equipment to ensure an effective seal of the pit.

As the natural light faded, electric lights were turned to face workers doing grinding work leaving the top of the pit in near darkness.

Booker fell through the opening in the walkway to the floor below and died from multiple injuries to his chest and pelvis.


Christopher Booker fell through an unguarded opening

A Health and Safety Executive investigation later found a large unprotected opening in the walkway where floor gratings had been removed.

The investigation also identified confusion and misunderstanding between RWE npower and principal contractor Amec over who was responsible for controlling the work at the time of the maintenance worker’s death.

RWE npower admitted breaching health and safety rules and was fined £250,000 with £30,000 costs.

Principal contractor Amec also pleaded guilty and was fined £200,000 with costs of £30,000.

After the sentencing, HSE Inspector Caroline Bird said: “This tragic case highlights the consequences of failing to do something as simple as adding protection to an opening in a walkway.

“Inadequate planning and a poor choice of safety control measures meant that a very obvious hazard remained.

“This awful incident could so easily have been prevented had the correct safety measures been taken.

“Employers have a duty to manage the risk of falls from height, including providing protection around the edge of openings. It is completely unacceptable this sort of risk was not managed.”

Latest news

London new home starts plunge 38% as Building Safety Act bites

Capital only region to see Q1 fall in NHBC new home registrations
1 hour ago

Higgins Homes and site workers face manslaughter charges

Contractor and four site staff charged after woman killed by falling pallet of bricks
23 hours ago

Operator spots cracked mast on Hinkley tower crane

Hinkley Point C contractor hit with safety notice over failed mast pin and cracks
6 hours ago

Countdown starts for £1bn Birmingham highways bid race

Council will break-up mega framework into five lots
5 hours ago

Acciona wins £400m Thames waterworks upgrade

Lea Valley Coppermills water treatment works to get full overhaul
6 hours ago

Pension giants pledge £25bn for infrastructure push

Seventeen pension providers pledge to invest in projects
5 hours ago

Safety row over London tower ducking fire regs by 30cm

Fire union calls on Mayor to block Bromley flats plan over single staircase
5 hours ago

Midgard lands £145m deal to build Edition Birmingham

Construction to start shortly on twin residential towers
1 day ago

McAleer & Rushe set to break £500m turnover barrier

Pre-tax profit jumped 16% to £46m last year
1 day ago

Top design team picked for £2.5bn York Central scheme

Massive city centre regen scheme moves to detailed design
1 day ago

MoD to bid £100m command HQ enabling works

Hertfordshire joint forces command centre expansion advances
1 day ago

Failed shed specialist Marbank owed suppliers £10m

Contractor was facing a string of adjudication claims
1 day ago

New scaffolding training trade body launches

Scaffolding Training Alliance formed amid disquiet caused by planned training changes
22 hours ago

£1.8bn framework planned for green retrofit drive

Procure Plus to invite bids later this month
1 day ago

Breakthrough for HS2 as first Birmingham tunnel section dug

Balfour Beatty VINCI completes 3.5-mile TBM drive in 652 days
4 days ago

HS2 Curzon Street station redesign approved as timber roof axed

Change to meet stricter fire safety rules and cut maintenance costs
4 days ago

Care home fire trial collapses

Prosecution withdrawn against four firms including Morgan Sindall Property Services
5 days ago

Leicester rebids £22m station revamp after failed tender race

Council opts for ECI route after receiving one bid for project
4 days ago

Kier wins £58m East Coast College rebuild job in Great Yarmouth

Work to start this summer for 1,300-student college
4 days ago

R G Carter wins £28m hospital car park job in King’s Lynn

MSCP paves way for £1.5bn Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild in 2027
4 days ago

London to relax green belt building rules

Sadiq Khan shifts position on planning
4 days ago

Willmott Dixon wins Great Yarmouth waterfront deal

North Quay 10.5 acres mixed-use scheme to advance
5 days ago

SIG chief quits to join Travis Perkins

Gavin Slark to leave by the end of this year
4 days ago

Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

Housing and public building upkeep deal for North East awarded
5 days ago

Early call-out for £150m Ebbsfleet Garden City infrastructure

Bidders day to set out plan for Ebbsfleet Central commercial scheme
6 days ago

McLaren storms April contracts league with flurry of wins

Cardiff Bay Arena job headlines a series of big contract wins
5 days ago

Balfour Beatty lifts cash forecast after strong first quarter

Contractor set to hit £1bn average monthly net cash in 2025
5 days ago

Goldman Sachs-owned Adler & Allan buys 180-strong civils outfit

West Country's Glanville Environmental gets new owner
5 days ago

Caddick lands first contract for £200m Skelmersdale revamp

Developer gets green light for masterplan
5 days ago

Van Elle sells HGV fleet to haulage firm

WS Specialist Logistics pays £2.9m to take on fleet and drivers
5 days ago

Contractor services