Worker snaps leg in Galliford Try trench collapse

Grant Prior 10 years ago
Share

Galliford Try has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when a trench collapsed on his leg.

Paul Fennelly, then aged 45 from Hamilton, was working for Galliford Try Infrastructure Ltd, trading as Morrison Construction, at a site off the B9012 near Duffus, Moray, when the incident occurred on 1 July 2011.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that after he had been told the water supply had been turned off, Fennelly was cutting a section of cast iron water pipe within a 1.3 metre deep excavation trench.

There was a sudden gush of water from the pipe and when Fennelly took avoiding action and moved to the other side of the pipe, part of the trench collapsed trapping his right leg against the pipe and covering it with clay.

His colleagues dug him out and he was taken to hospital with a snapped thigh bone.

He had an operation to insert a pin and bolts and was in hospital for 10 days. Fennelly had to use walking sticks for five months and was unable to return to work until 11 months later.

He took up alternative employment but is not currently working as he needs a further operation and is still in considerable pain.

An HSE investigation found that Galliford Try Infrastructure had identified the risks involved in excavation work and implemented daily excavation inspections and training in excavation work.

But insufficient consideration had been given by the company to the potential effect of a sudden flow of water to the stability of the excavation.

Galliford Try Infrastructure of Melville Street, Edinburgh, was fined £3,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the CDM regulations.

Following the case, HSE Principal Inspector Niall Miller, said: “Risks relating to the collapse of excavations are long-standing and well-documented.

“As one cubic metre of soil typically weighs between 1.6 and 1.8 tonnes, even the collapse of a small quantity of material is potentially dangerous. Soil collapse can be rapid and completely without warning.

“While the inspection carried out by Galliford Try had concluded that the excavation had been dug appropriately, it had not sufficiently taken the water into account.

“As a result, the company failed to assess whether additional protective measures were needed to prevent collapse, such as sloping or battering the sides or some form of support such as shoring.

“As a result Mr Fennelly has been left with a very painful injury from which he has still not fully recovered.”

Latest news

JRL close to deal on sale of stake to Far Eastern buyer

Equity sale plan to strengthen balance sheet and improve liquidity
1 day ago

ISG collapse brings down glazing contractor

All staff made redundant at Vitrine Systems Limited
19 hours ago

Cost of HS2 bat shed hits £100m

Construction costs revealed for Sheephouse Wood Bat Mitigation Structure
19 hours ago

Groundworks firm Corbyn files administration notice

Court notice lodged by £33m-turnover contractor
1 day ago

Vistry takes another £50m hit on build cost blunders

Second profit warning but problems contained in one division
1 day ago

Watkin Jones go-ahead for Leeds co-living project

Firm will convert former office block Headrow House into 230 homes.
1 day ago

United Utilities hunts for ground investigation specialists

£170m five-year framework deal out to tender
1 day ago

WSP names new chief for UK and Ireland

Paul Reilly promoted to UK president after just over two years at consultant
1 day ago

£125m cash injection for infrastructure at Barking Riverside

Home England funded works to boost 20,000-home development in east London
2 days ago

Subcontractors wanted across the North West

Register now to meet major buyers at Manchester event
1 day ago

Management buyout at joinery specialist TMJ Interiors

Founder James Taylor hands over reins to directors
2 days ago

Guinness Partnership starts race for £1bn housing deal

Housing association to renew preferred firms for 15-year housing retrofit programme
2 days ago

Rockwool plans new factory to ramp up output

Stone wool maker plans second factory in Midlands
2 days ago

McAleer & Rushe wins London City 670-room student job

Dominus confirms builder for 65 Holborn Viaduct
2 days ago

Electrician caught abusing covid loans

Middlesbrough spark subject to seven years of stringent bankruptcy restrictions
2 days ago

Wates hires Bouygues chief as MD for residential arm

Phillippa Prongue will replace Helen Bunch who retires
3 days ago

Civils powers on but house building falters

Buyers report "solid output growth" despite decline from record September
3 days ago

Multiplex tops October contracts league

£300m Glasgow Uni win tops big new orders
3 days ago

Key industry rebar supplier loses fight to stop factory closure

Kent rebar facility supplying 30% of UK rebar set to close
3 days ago

Vital Energi/Hemiko JV to build £1bn heat network for Westminster

Heat captured from the River Thames, Tube and sewers to warm Parliament
3 days ago

Plans in for Birmingham 300-bed student scheme

China Quarter stepped project will rise to 15 storeys
3 days ago

United Living looking to continue expansion

Record results as infrastructure and property spending flows
3 days ago

Paralysed builder stranded on floor for six hours after fall

Court hears how contractor failed to properly plan housing job
3 days ago

Network Rail scales back Liverpool Street station scheme

Architect changed and developer Sellar dropped as £1.5bn original plan scrapped
4 days ago

Muse JVs with pension fund insurer to build 3,000 homes

New Habiko business will build affordable low carbon, rental homes
4 days ago

£1.3bn revamp plan for South London shopping centre

Landsec plans 1,700 homes at Lewisham shopping complex site
4 days ago

Network Plus names new chief executive

Kevin Fowlie steps up to succeed founder Dan Holland
4 days ago

TanRo lands latest Clowes business park

Groundworks due to start in new year at 31-acre Harrier Park site
4 days ago

New consultant buys M&E specialist TACE

Contollo Group has ambitious growth plans over next five years
4 days ago

Skanska signs £197m deal for Mayfair offices job

South Molton job consists of two big office buildings
5 days ago

Contractor services