Amec Services fined £37k for flood death

Amec Services and AMS No-Dig were fined a total of £45,000 at Luton Crown Court today following a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into a fatal incident in South Oxhey, near Watford.

On 26 January 2001, a pumped water main was struck and fractured during underground directional drilling work, causing an area of Prestwick Road to flood. A car driven by Alice Flynn, aged 63, from Watford was stranded in the flood. Ms Flynn suffered acute cardiac failure and died.

Both companies pleaded guilty to charges that they failed to comply with their duty towards the public under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, in that they did not conduct their undertaking in such a way as to ensure that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their safety during the drilling.

Hartford-based AMEC Services  was fined £25,000 with £11,800 costs. Scunthorpe-based AMS No-Dig was fined £20,000 with £7,600 costs.

Commenting after the hearings HSE investigating inspector Frank Lambert said: "This tragic incident provides a lesson to all those engaged in excavation works particularly in public areas. Gas, electric and water services are all potentially hazardous and the steps taken to identify and avoid such services must be meticulously planned, carefully executed and strictly supervised."