Wembley Stadium injury results in £3,000 fine

An injury to a young site operative laying concrete at Wembley National Stadium has resulted in a £3,000 fine for subcontractor Ian Groom, trading as Aztec Screeding.

The incident on 14 December 2004 involved 18-year-old worker Robert Haywood, who was injured on his fourth day on site. Three of his fingers were crushed by a screed pump after his left hand was pulled into the mixing chamber while he was pouring cement inside. The accident could have been prevented but a safety grill on the machine had been removed and a safety interlock switch had been overridden. The injury required partial amputation to the damaged fingers.

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigating inspector Simon Hester said: “Had Mr Groom ensured the screed pump on site was properly maintained, that the manufacturer’s operating instructions were followed and that his employee was adequately supervised, the accident involving Mr Haywood would not have happened.”

Groom was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to ensure that dangerous parts of the machinery had been properly secured. He pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £3,028 costs by the City of London Magistrates Court on 17 July.