Death of worker on Putney construction site: three companies prosecuted

Construction companies fined after death of worker

Health and Safety Executive v St James Group Ltd, Mitchellson Formwork and Civil Engineering Ltd and RGF Construction Ltd (2016) Southwark Crown Court, November 2.

Statutory reference: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM).

Three construction companies have been fined following the death of a worker when a temporary platform collapsed.

The facts

• In October 2012 a carpenter and a steel fixer were working at a construction site in Putney. They were standing on a temporary wooden platform on the 9th floor of the site.

• The platform collapsed and both men fell 16 metres to a concrete staircase below. The carpenter suffered fatal injuries and the steel fixer suffered serious injuries.

• Similar platforms had been constructed on other floors throughout the site by using timber joists supported by unsuitable joist hangers with plywood fixed on top. These were not built to an agreed safe design. The quality of the build was not checked by those in control of the site.

The decision

• St James Group Ltd, the principal contractor, was fined £600,000 plus £15,000 costs under regulation 22 of CDM.

• Mitchellson, the contractor responsible for constructing the platforms, was fined £400,000 plus £15,000 costs under regulation 13, CDM.

• RGF Construction, a site agent which assisted with managing the work, was fined £20,000 for breaches of regulations 13 and 28, CDM.