England | Firm fined following fatality on site

HSE | A construction company has been fined after a kitchen fitter was crushed to death by a pack of concrete blocks at a site in the Cotswolds.

 

Martin Dunford, 33, was ‘very much loved’ by his family who say they miss him ‘every day’ since the incident on 23 January 2020. Martin was killed after being pinned against the side of a lorry loader as two stacks of concrete blocks fell onto him.

Martin had been working at Ebrington Rise, near Chipping Campden – a development of 16 three, four and five bedroomed houses being built by Piper Homes Construction Limited.

The HSE’s investigation found that Martin had walked around a lorry loader to talk to a driver about how long he would be on site, as he needed access to one of the properties being built. A stack of concrete blocks which had been placed on top of another stack of blocks, which was also supported by a wooden pallet, toppled over onto him, pinning him against the side of the lorry. He sustained severe internal and head injuries and died on site.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, who were the principal contractor on the site, had failed to ensure that a suitable, level storage area was provided for the safe offloading of construction materials. The company had also failed to ensure that wooden pallets in a suitable condition were used for the storage of construction materials and that persons were excluded from delivery areas.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, which is currently in liquidation, of Lace Market Square, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,236 in costs.

Martin’s sister, Tracey Hunter, provided a statement on behalf of his family. She said: “Martin went to work and never came home. His life was unjustly cut short.

“Little did he know on that date that he was going to work on a site that had ongoing issues and was not following HSE guidelines for working safely on a construction site.

“Martin was very much loved by his family and friends. He is missed every day and nothing can ever fill the hole that is left by him no longer being here. We, his family, and friends are still all navigating throughout this endless period of grief and [this] verdict is the start of some sense of justice towards his senseless death.”

HSE inspector James Lucas said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident and our thoughts remain with Martin’s family.

“Storage of construction materials should be properly planned and managed, to ensure that if materials are stored at height the necessary measures are in place to prevent them from falling and potentially injuring persons.

“Storage areas should be level and accessories such as wooden pallets should be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in suitable condition to be used to store materials.

“Had this been done on this particular site, Martin would have returned home safely to his family.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Jason Dix.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

HSE | A construction company has been fined after a kitchen fitter was crushed to death by a pack of concrete blocks at a site in the Cotswolds.

 

Martin Dunford, 33, was ‘very much loved’ by his family who say they miss him ‘every day’ since the incident on 23 January 2020. Martin was killed after being pinned against the side of a lorry loader as two stacks of concrete blocks fell onto him.

Martin had been working at Ebrington Rise, near Chipping Campden – a development of 16 three, four and five bedroomed houses being built by Piper Homes Construction Limited.

The HSE’s investigation found that Martin had walked around a lorry loader to talk to a driver about how long he would be on site, as he needed access to one of the properties being built. A stack of concrete blocks which had been placed on top of another stack of blocks, which was also supported by a wooden pallet, toppled over onto him, pinning him against the side of the lorry. He sustained severe internal and head injuries and died on site.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, who were the principal contractor on the site, had failed to ensure that a suitable, level storage area was provided for the safe offloading of construction materials. The company had also failed to ensure that wooden pallets in a suitable condition were used for the storage of construction materials and that persons were excluded from delivery areas.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, which is currently in liquidation, of Lace Market Square, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,236 in costs.

Martin’s sister, Tracey Hunter, provided a statement on behalf of his family. She said: “Martin went to work and never came home. His life was unjustly cut short.

“Little did he know on that date that he was going to work on a site that had ongoing issues and was not following HSE guidelines for working safely on a construction site.

“Martin was very much loved by his family and friends. He is missed every day and nothing can ever fill the hole that is left by him no longer being here. We, his family, and friends are still all navigating throughout this endless period of grief and [this] verdict is the start of some sense of justice towards his senseless death.”

HSE inspector James Lucas said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident and our thoughts remain with Martin’s family.

“Storage of construction materials should be properly planned and managed, to ensure that if materials are stored at height the necessary measures are in place to prevent them from falling and potentially injuring persons.

“Storage areas should be level and accessories such as wooden pallets should be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in suitable condition to be used to store materials.

“Had this been done on this particular site, Martin would have returned home safely to his family.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Jason Dix.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

United States | EPA reaches settlement with companies over alleged Clean Air Act violations in Chicago

United States Environmental Protection Agency | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a settlement for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act with Nalco Production LLC and Nalco Co. LLC.

The companies manufacture polymer blend chemicals at their facility at 6216 W. 66th Place in Chicago, Illinois. The companies will pay $401,300 in penalties.

EPA alleges the companies violated requirements to prevent chemical accidents by failing to develop and implement hazard assessments, provide process safety information, secure operating procedures, or conduct periodic inspections on equipment.

EPA also alleges the companies violated requirements to develop incident investigation and risk management plans.

In addition to the monetary penalty, the companies will inspect their ventilation systems and pressure relief valves and add additional sensors. They will update record-keeping practices, including training materials for maintenance staff, and a revised procedure to investigate incidents.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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Australia | $1 million safety spend after forklift traffic failure

WorkSafe Victoria | A major construction company will spend more than a million dollars to improve health and safety outcomes after an unloading incident left a young man with life-threatening injuries.

Dromana Magistrates’ Court heard J Hutchinson Builders Pty Ltd, trading as Hutchinson Builders, had entered into an enforceable undertaking while facing a single charge of failing to ensure a workplace under its management and control was safe and without risks to health.

WorkSafe may reinstate the charges if the undertaking is contravened or withdrawn.

In August 2022, a truck driver employed by another company was delivering three large electrical switchboards to a Hutchinson construction site at Rosebud Plaza, assisted by his 21-year-old son.

As the driver’s son stood on the truck’s tray removing straps, a forklift struck the unsecured load, causing him and a switchboard to fall 1.6 metres to the ground.

The court heard the 770-kilogramme switchboard landed on his head and torso, causing life threatening crush injuries including skull, facial, and multiple other fractures, brain damage, and facial nerve palsy. He was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition and has since partially recovered, with ongoing physical and emotional impacts.

WorkSafe alleges it was reasonably practicable for Hutchinson to reduce the risk of crush injuries during deliveries by:

  • Keeping the loading area gate closed and requiring delivery drivers to report to site management before entering.
  • Directing delivery drivers where to park.
  • Having marked pedestrian exclusion and driver safety zones.
  • Identifying the delivery area through signs and barricading it during loading or unloading.
  • Directing delivery drivers to stay in the dedicated safety zone during loading or unloading.
  • Directing forklift operators to ensure pedestrians are clear of the area during loading or unloading.

The estimated $1,040,000 undertaking requires the company to:

  • Develop and promote a range of safety materials, outlining learnings from the incident.
  • Develop and deliver a safety culture programme for managers on the skills required to identify, effectively communicate and manage safety risks.
  • Participate in RMIT’s Safety and Health Innovation Network initiative providing health, safety, and wellbeing research for construction organisations.
  • Donate $100,000 to Beyond Blue’s New Access for Small Business Owners mental health coaching programme for Victorian small businesses.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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Scotland | Council fined following CO leak at primary school

Registered Gas Engineer | A Scottish local authority has been fined more than £13,000 after a carbon monoxide leak at a primary school in Bishopbriggs.

 

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that a number of staff and pupils at Balmuildy Primary School reported feeling ill in February 2020, experiencing symptoms including headaches and nausea.

Throughout the day, several pupils were sent home and staff had to take medication to relieve their symptoms. The following day, testing for a gas leak revealed high levels of carbon monoxide present in areas of the school. The building was immediately evacuated.

An investigation by the HSE in conjunction with Gas Safe Register investigators found that one of the two auxiliary gas boilers at the site was leaking carbon monoxide into the boiler room and the school buildings. The investigation found this was due to a lack of maintenance.

If the faults with the boiler had been found before the incident through the required routine maintenance, it would have been classed as Immediately Dangerous. This would have necessitated the disconnection of the gas boiler until it was repaired.

East Dunbartonshire Council of Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 35 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The council was fined £13,333 plus a victim surcharge of £999.98.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stuart Easson said: “This is the second time in five years that East Dunbartonshire Council have been handed a significant fine for failing to protect employees and children at a primary school under their control.

“Although nobody suffered any serious adverse effects during this incident, we hope that this prosecution demonstrates that HSE will not hesitate to take action and that failures of this nature are simply not acceptable.”

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

Registered Gas Engineer | A Scottish local authority has been fined more than £13,000 after a carbon monoxide leak at a primary school in Bishopbriggs.

 

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that a number of staff and pupils at Balmuildy Primary School reported feeling ill in February 2020, experiencing symptoms including headaches and nausea.

Throughout the day, several pupils were sent home and staff had to take medication to relieve their symptoms. The following day, testing for a gas leak revealed high levels of carbon monoxide present in areas of the school. The building was immediately evacuated.

An investigation by the HSE in conjunction with Gas Safe Register investigators found that one of the two auxiliary gas boilers at the site was leaking carbon monoxide into the boiler room and the school buildings. The investigation found this was due to a lack of maintenance.

If the faults with the boiler had been found before the incident through the required routine maintenance, it would have been classed as Immediately Dangerous. This would have necessitated the disconnection of the gas boiler until it was repaired.

East Dunbartonshire Council of Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 35 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The council was fined £13,333 plus a victim surcharge of £999.98.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stuart Easson said: “This is the second time in five years that East Dunbartonshire Council have been handed a significant fine for failing to protect employees and children at a primary school under their control.

“Although nobody suffered any serious adverse effects during this incident, we hope that this prosecution demonstrates that HSE will not hesitate to take action and that failures of this nature are simply not acceptable.”

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

Australia | Fine over worker’s head crush nearly doubled on appeal

WorkSafe Victoria | An industrial plastics manufacturer has been fined $75,000 after a worker suffered life-threatening crush injuries when his head was caught in machinery.

 

In December 2024, Class Plastics (Aust) Pty Ltd was fined $40,000 without conviction in the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to maintain plant that was safe and without risks to health.

Following an appeal, the Melbourne County Court set aside the original sentence, instead convicting the company and imposing a $75,000 fine. The company was also ordered to pay $4,000 in costs.

In April 2022, a supervisor at the company’s Truganina factory was attempting to rectify an issue with a plastic blow moulding machine when his head was caught between a moving bar and the machine’s frame.

The man suffered a traumatic brain injury, fractured skull and intracranial bleeding which required immediate surgery.

A WorkSafe investigation found the machine’s interlock system, which should have stopped it operating while the access doors were open, was disconnected, and the sensors which should have activated it had been covered with tape.

It was reasonably practicable for the company to have conducted regular inspections of the interlock system and checked that sensors and other safety devices on the machine weren’t compromised.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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Canada | Ski resort fined over $78,000 for worker’s injury

Canadian Occupational Safety | A ski resort in British Columbia has been fined $78,369.61 following a serious workplace incident in which an employee was severely injured.

While the worker was installing signage in a parking lot using a utility vehicle, the employee accidentally reversed the vehicle over the edge of an unguarded slope at the ski resort, resulting in a rollover crash that caused serious injuries.

Following the incident, inspectors from WorkSafeBC determined that the ski resort failed to install curbs or guardrails at the parking lot’s edge, an essential safety feature required in areas where vehicles face the risk of running off elevated surfaces.

The safety authority also cited the lack of a rearview mirror on the utility vehicle and a failure to enforce seatbelt use among employees, both breaches of B.C.’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.

While WorkSafeBC did not disclose the date of the crash or the identity of the employee involved, a spokesperson said that the agency’s full investigation report is undergoing redaction and will eventually be available through the province’s Freedom of Information Office.

Penalties, the agency added, are based on the employer’s payroll, the seriousness of the infraction, and their compliance history.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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England | Paddleboard tour leader jailed over deaths of four people

HSE | A paddleboard business owner has been jailed for 10 years and six months for gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of four people in 2021.

 

Nerys Lloyd, 39, from Aberavon, who was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, was charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, following their tragic deaths following the incident in Haverfordwest Town Weir on 30 October 2021.

She admitted all four charges, along with one count under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.

At her sentencing, the court heard how on 30 October 2021, Lloyd with the assistance of Paul O’Dwyer, planned a trip organised through Lloyd’s business.

However, there had been heavy flooding, and severe weather warnings were in place, which were not heeded by Lloyd. The river was running fast, and the weir was in an extremely hazardous condition. Lloyd did not check the weir or provide a safety briefing to the participants nor inform them of the presence of the weir. Despite this, Lloyd facilitated the paddleboarders entering the water and she led the group along the river.

As the group approached the weir, apart from Lloyd, all the participants were pulled over the top into its base and became trapped before being ejected from the weir. Four of the participants survived.

Instructor Mr O’Dwyer, who initially exited the river safely, re-entered the water in an attempt to rescue the others, but was immediately dragged over the top. The four victims died as a result of drowning/immersion.

A joint investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police and the HSE found that Lloyd was not correctly qualified to lead a stand-up paddle board river tour. Anyone organising adventure activities for under-18s must be licenced by the Adventure Activities Licencing Authority.

HSE Inspector Helen Turner said: “I would like to express our sincere sympathy to the families of those who died, and to the survivors whose lives are indelibly affected.

“Four lives were needlessly lost and survivors traumatised by their experience at Haverfordwest weir.

“Nerys Lloyd was solely responsible for the decision to enter the water while the river was in flood, and for the attempt to take even inexperienced paddlers over the weir. This was completely reckless and the risk of death was foreseeable.

“The victims placed their trust in Lloyd to deliver a safe and enjoyable paddle, but through her incompetence, carelessness and complacency she failed to plan or assess the obvious risk at the weir or to take even basic safety measures. By not discussing the hazards on the route Lloyd robbed the participants of the opportunity to make a reasoned decision on their own participation on the day.

“Health and safety law is not a barrier to adventurous activities, which are enjoyed by people every day in safety. Organisers must take proportionate action to recognise and manage real risks.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Cameron Ritchie, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to reiterate my heartfelt sympathies to the families of Paul, Andrea, Morgan and Nicola.

“The incident that took place in Haverfordwest on October 30, 2021, was an extremely tragic case resulting in the completely avoidable deaths of four people. We heard in court how this incident devastated four families, and we hope that lessons will be learned that prevent this from ever happening again.

“This has been a complex and extensive investigation and I’d like to thank my colleagues at Dyfed-Powys Police, The Health and Safety Executive and the Crown Prosecution Service for their professionalism and diligence to secure this outcome.”

The HSE investigation and enforcement was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney and Paralegal Officer Helen Jacob.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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England | Company fined after load falls and kills cyclist

HSE | A road haulage company in Nuneaton has been fined £90,000 after a metal heat exchanger fell from its lorry killing a cyclist.

A Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), operated by JW Morley Transport Ltd, was driving down College Street, Nuneaton on 18 June 2021 carrying four heat exchangers weighing over 10,000kg, when as it went round a bend, the load shifted in the vehicle causing one of the straps securing the load to snap.

This resulted in one of the heat exchangers falling from the lorry, killing 70-year-old Christopher Baker, who was cycling alongside the vehicle.

The HSE’s investigation found that the heat exchangers were inadequately secured on the vehicle, which made the load prone to toppling, and the ratchet straps used to secure the load were in poor condition.

Nina Day, Senior Policy Advisor in the Transport and Public Services Unit of HSE said: “The lorry should not have entered the public road network. At the point it did there was an immediate and likely risk of harm to other road users, pedestrians, and the driver himself. The fatal load shift was due to the grossly inadequate manner of loading and securing the load, and was both foreseeable and entirely preventable.

“If the heat exchangers had each been placed inside a metal or wooden transport frame and secured with a minimum of three webbing straps each, with friction matting between the transport frame and the load bed, the load would not have shifted under normal driving conditions.”

The investigation also found that although the driver was trained in driving Heavy Goods category C he had not received training in load security, which would have equipped him with the means to devise a suitable securing scheme for an unusual and high-risk load like the heat exchangers , nor had he been provided with a securing scheme by JW Morley Transport Ltd.

JW Morley Transport Ltd whose business is based at Sole End Farm Industrial Estate, Astley Lane, Bedworth, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £90,000 and ordered to pay £8,047.55 in costs.

Mr Baker’s widow Rose made a victim personal statement to HSE. She said “June 18 2021 is a date that will forever live in our memories. That was the day we lost my Chris, my husband of over 54 years, my best friend and my soulmate. We did everything together both as a couple and as a family. We have always been a very close family, and it feels that the very heart of it has been ripped out.

“Chris and I had plans for our retirement after working so hard for so many years. Our children and grandchildren were our priority and now that precious time has been taken from them. No amount of words will ever express how we all feel. We are heartbroken, devastated and really don’t think we will ever be the same again”.

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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England | Business owner fined over £12,000 for fire safety violations

Fire Industry Authority | A hospitality business owner has been fined over £12,000 after serious fire safety breaches were discovered during inspections in 2023.

 

Simon Floyd, the owner of The Tree Inn located in Stratton, Bude, has been fined a total of £12,775 after being found guilty of multiple fire safety breaches. The Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service discovered these breaches during inspections of the guest accommodations at his establishment in May and September of 2023.

During their inspections, officials noted several serious violations, including inadequate fire detectors and smoke alarms, and a blocked escape route impeded by an air conditioning unit. Additionally, the premises lacked properly installed fire doors where they were crucially needed.

Following these findings, Floyd faced legal proceedings and admitted guilt to four charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court.

The court handed down an £8,000 fine and ordered Floyd to cover full costs of £2,755 along with a £2,000 victim surcharge. Since the initial inspections, all identified issues have been corrected.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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England | Council fined £6m for multiple failures on Guided Busway

HSE | Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6 million after pleading guilty to serious safety failings on its Guided Busway that led to three deaths and multiple injuries over a ten-year period.

The prosecution follows a long and complex HSE investigation, where incidents continued to happen despite regular enforcement action from the regulator.

A guided busway is purpose-built track exclusively for buses to bypass traffic congestion. Three people died after being hit by buses on the network. Jennifer Taylor, 81, died in darkness at an unlit crossing in November 2015. Three years later Steve Moir, 50, was killed after his bike struck a kerb, causing him to fall into the path of an oncoming bus. Kathleen Pitts, 52, lost her life in October 2021. Two young people also suffered serious injuries in separate incidents.

Despite the first fatality in 2015, the council didn’t conduct its first risk assessment until August 2016 – five years after the Guided Busway first opened.

The HSE investigation also found that basic safety measures were missing across the busway including lighting of some crossing points, appropriate speed limits for buses, sufficient measures to separate pedestrians and other users including cyclists from passing buses, and adequate signage warning of dangers.

In a statement, Mrs Taylor’s family: “Jenny was deeply loved by all of us, and we dearly miss her. As a family we would like to thank the HSE for their tireless efforts in bringing this case to court. We hope that the lessons learned will lead to sustained safety improvements and help avoid tragedy, injury and suffering in the future.”

Mr Moir, an active cyclist who coached local youth football and served as a school governor, was thrown into the path of a bus travelling at 56mph after losing control on the narrow maintenance path running alongside the busway.

Mr Moir’s family said: “The loss of Steve has left us devastated and there is now a big hole in our lives that cannot be filled. Steve was a loving, caring family man with a great sense of humour and a zest for life who brought laughter and joy to our lives every day and his presence is deeply missed by us all.”

Following his death, the council reduced the speed limit to 30mph in the area in question, but this failed to prevent the subsequent fatal incident involving Kathleen Pitts in October 2021. Just three weeks after Ms Pitts’ death, a 16-year-old cyclist suffered life-changing injuries at a designated crossing point.

After the hearing, HSE principal inspector Graham Tompkins said: “This is a truly tragic case where three people lost their lives and others suffered serious injuries in incidents that were completely preventable.

“Had Cambridgeshire County Council properly assessed and managed the risks on the Guided Busway from the outset, these deaths simply would not have happened. Even after the first fatality in 2015, the council failed to take adequate action to protect the public. They chose to appeal our enforcement action instead of acting on our concerns and incidents continued to happen.

“Simple measures could have saved lives and life changing injuries. Instead, the council operated this major transport system for almost a decade without many of the basic safety measures we see in every village, town and city being in place.

“The families of those who died have shown remarkable courage throughout this process, and I hope this prosecution brings some measure of closure for them, though nothing can make up for the loss of their loved ones.

“Our risk assessment guidance may be more commonly used for workplaces such as factories and construction sites, but the same principles apply for busy spaces such as major transport infrastructure. The possible risks to people and the movement of passengers, pedestrians and others needs to be thought through.”

Cambridgeshire County Council of New Shire Hall, Emery Crescent, Enterprise Campus, Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon pleaded guilty to two offences under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The charges related to failing to protect the public both at crossing points and while travelling alongside the busway. The council was ordered to pay a fine of £6 million plus costs.

Summary of key incidents

  • After dark on 17 November 2015, Jennifer Taylor and her husband stepped off a bus at Fen Drayton Lakes and attempted to cross the track to get on another bus towards Cambridge. They did so at the designated crossing. As they crossed the Busway, a guided bus was on the approach. There was no lighting in this area so Mrs Taylor was not visible to the bus driver, who was travelling within the speed limit which was at the time 56mph. By the time Mrs Taylor was in sight of the bus driver, it was too late. She died at the scene.
  • On 13 September 2018, Steve Moir, an experienced cyclist, was cycling along the access road that facilitates maintenance of the guided busway. The space was opened up to the public as a pedestrian pathway and cycle route by Cambridge County Council. Mr Moir was near Clare College’s sports ground when he lost control of his bicycle in busy cyclist and pedestrian traffic. His front wheel struck the raised kerb that separates the guided track and access road. He was flown over his handlebars into the path of an oncoming bus. The bus was travelling within the speed limit set by Cambridgeshire County Council, which was at this time, 56mph. The bus was unable to stop in time to avoid Mr Moir. Mr Moir died at the scene.
  • On 1 May 2019, a then 12-year-old cyclist, was attempting to cross the Busway between Ring Fort Road and King’s Hedges Road when she was struck by a bus and sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment.
  • On 26 October 2021, Kathleen Pitts was walking along the pathway a few hundred meters south Mr Moir’s accident near Clare College’s sports ground. She was next to the southern guided section of the Busway when she was struck by a passing bus and killed. The oncoming northbound bus which hit her had been travelling at the 30mph speed limit which was the revised limit for the that section set by Cambridge County Council after Mr Moir’s death.
  • After dark on 9 November 2021 a then 16-year-old cyclist, was struck and the designated Buchan Street crossing. This left the cyclist with life changing injuries.

Investigation findings

The HSE investigation identified safety management failings within Cambridgeshire County Council for the operation of the Busway for a period of just over 10 years.

These failures related to two distinct risks; members of the public seeking to cross the Busway at designated crossing points and risks to members of the public when they were merely in its vicinity, or seeking to travel alongside it. Despite interventions by the HSE which included two Improvement Notices, Cambridgeshire County Council failed to adequately manage safety on the Busway until late 2021.

The Busway opened in 2011, but it was not until August 2016 after one death and several serious injuries on the Busway, that the first risk assessment was undertaken.

This risk assessment did not adequately assess the risk to members of the public crossing, or being alongside, the Busway. For example, in locations where the Busway was more crowded and where the adjacent access pathway was narrow, congestion was more likely. This would lead to people being jostled or unknowingly deliberately moving into the path of a bus, as in some sections there were no separators such as grass verges, physical barriers or fences to keep them to the access pathway.

Furthermore, Cambridgeshire County Council did not consider other measures to reduce the risk to members of the public, such as speed limits and the provision of lighting and suitable signage.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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England | Fine handed to power company for unsafe street works

Construction Enquirer | UK Power Networks has been fined £40,000 for carrying out unguarded work on excavations in west London.

 

The prosecution was bought by Kensington and Chelsea Council after officials visited sites in the area.

Council officers visited Adam and Eve Mews and Queen’s Gate Mews in May 2024 to inspect works being carried out by UK Power Networks.

During the inspections officers found operatives working on site with an open excavation and a mini digger and works on a large excavation with an open trench were happening partly outside of a residential property.

On both occasions UK Power Networks Operatives had failed to fully enclose the works area with a continuous barrier system to keep members of the public safe from harm.

The company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges under the New Roads and Street Works Act and was subsequently sentenced at Westminster Magistrates Court.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

Construction Enquirer | UK Power Networks has been fined £40,000 for carrying out unguarded work on excavations in west London.

 

The prosecution was bought by Kensington and Chelsea Council after officials visited sites in the area.

Council officers visited Adam and Eve Mews and Queen’s Gate Mews in May 2024 to inspect works being carried out by UK Power Networks.

During the inspections officers found operatives working on site with an open excavation and a mini digger and works on a large excavation with an open trench were happening partly outside of a residential property.

On both occasions UK Power Networks Operatives had failed to fully enclose the works area with a continuous barrier system to keep members of the public safe from harm.

The company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges under the New Roads and Street Works Act and was subsequently sentenced at Westminster Magistrates Court.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

Canada | Chatham constructor fined $85,000 after worker fatality

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development | Following a guilty plea in the Provincial Offences Court in Sarnia, John Harris Concrete Ltd. has been fined $85,000 over an October 2022 incident which resulted in a worker being fatally injured while cutting down a tree at a construction project.

The Court heard how one of the company’s five workers was clearing brush and felling trees from the area around a drainage ditch when they were fatally injured by a tree.

An investigation by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development found that while the worker had been trained to operate a chainsaw safely, they were not trained on tree felling.

John Harris Concrete Ltd. failed, as an employer, to provide training on how to safely fell trees to the worker, as required by section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

— Accurate at time of publication | April 2025

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