Gleeson fined £35,000 for safety breach

Gleeson Construction has been fined and ordered to pay costs after a worker was crushed by falling mortar containers at a site near Huntington in March last year.

The worker, Colin Beamish, 48, was hit when the containers fell from the crane fracturing three vertebrae.

The accident occurred during the construction of a new health centre in Sallowbush Road when a crane was being used to lift empty mortar tubs back to the silo for refilling.

Appearing at Peterborough Crown Court last Wednesday, Gleeson was fined £35,000 and ordered to pay £12,860 in costs after earlier admitting breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Speaking after the case HSE inspector Roxanne Barker urged companies to plan lifting operations and ensure the plan is enforced: "Construction firms must always ensure loads are secure and not liable to fall. There are simple and inexpensive ways in which this can be achieved and this incident highlights the consequences of not taking such steps. Doing it the right way can prevent serious injuries to workers - and will save money in the long run."

The accident occurred during the construction of a new health centre in Sallowbush Road when a crane was being used to lift empty mortar tubs back to the silo for refilling.

Section 3(1) of the Act states: "it shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health and safety."