Plant operator fined £2,500 after excavator bucket kills pedestrian

A plant operator has been fined £2,500 over the death of an 81-year-old man who was hit by a falling excavator bucket as he walked past a building site.

Joseph Johnston died after being struck by a bucket that fell from an excavator being driven by Colin Clifford at Maida Vale, London on 2 February 2007.

The Old Bailey this week heard how Clifford, of Enfield, had stored a number of buckets on the front of the excavator he was operating outside a house in Sutherland Avenue.

He was working in a fenced-off area when he raised the front buckets over the site fence until they were hanging over the sidewalk.

As Johnston passed, Clifford accidentally pushed the wrong lever causing the buckets to fall onto the sidewalk and hit Johnston.

Clifford pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach and was fined and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Clifford had sufficient space to turn his excavator without having to lift the buckets over the pavement.

There were also workers nearby who could have closed the sidewalk if required.

HSE inspector Lisa Chappell said: “This case shows the worst of what can go wrong when operators cut corners.”