Company fined over horrific drill accident: £50,000 for breaching safety regulations (From Enfield Independent)

Company fined over horrific drill accident: £50,000 for breaching safety regulations

5:10pm Wednesday 3rd May 2006 in News By Kate Southern

A construction company has been fined £50,000 for breaching health and safety regulations after an employee suffered horrific injuries at a site in Enfield.

Mark Cousins, 42, an employee of CET Group Ltd, was dragged into a lorry-mounted rotating drill as he dug a borehole at Ellenborough Table Tennis Club, in Kimberley Gardens, on March 29, 2004.

The machinery stripped and shattered his forearm, and left him with a broken humerus, broken femur, damaged ribs and extensive bruising.

Mr Cousins is still receiving medical treatment.

CET Group Ltd, of Maidstone, Kent, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £30,000 at the City of London Magistrates Court on April 25.

The company admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act following an investigation led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Investigators found the company had not carried out a proper risk assessment before Mr Cousins used the machinery.

The drill was completely unguarded and its emergency stop device did not work.

Health and safety inspector Sarah Snelling said: "Accidents such as the one suffered by Mark Cousins are notably foreseeable when using such large, dangerous pieces of machinery without the proper safeguards being in place.

"The need for proper risk assessment and the provision of effective guards or other protection devices are well known within the industry.

"The guidance produced by the British Drilling Association and HSE, was specifically designed to deal with such situations and makes it extremely clear how companies involved in such activities should go about complying with the relevant law."

Meanwhile, Joanne McCartney, London Assembly member for Enfield and Haringey, is calling for more action to prevent death and injury on London's building sites.

At a rally to mark Workers' Memorial Day in London on Friday, construction safety campaigners heard, on average, two workers are seriously injured on London building sites every month, while a construction worker loses their life nearly every month.

A report carried out by the London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee identifies a number of measures needed to make safety improvements, including greater resources for the HSE's construction inspection team and more representatives on London's construction sites.

Addressing the rally, Ms McCartney said: "This is clearly unacceptable, but what is even more shocking is the fact these are the lowest accident rates for London on record.

"At a time when construction in London is booming, we need to ensure London's transformation is not happening at the expense of workers' lives."