Isle of Wight contractor fined after dump truck overturns

An Isle of Wight building contractor has been fined £7,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,728.50 after a dump truck overturned, injuring its untrained driver.

Shanklin-based A. Carpenter & Sons (Builders) was found guilty of a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act at Newport Magistrates' Court following an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive.

The incident in Wootton, Isle of Wight, occurred on 23 November 2007. The driver of the skip-loading dump truck had not been trained properly, nor had a full risk assessment been carried out. As a result, the truck overturned and he suffered sprained ligaments and injuries to his left knee.

Joanna Woodcock, HSE Inspector, said: "In this incident an untrained driver, a slippery slope and an awkward route resulted in the dumper overturning. It was a matter of luck that nobody was killed."