Construction firm fined after man had to have his leg amputated following building site accident in Rotherham

The injured man had to have his right leg amputated below the knee after a hydraulic breaker became detached from a 13-tonne excavator, fell, and landed on his right foot.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard that on February 4, 2019 ground workers, including the injured person, were breaking out ground using a 360 excavator with a hydraulic breaker attached to an automatic quick hitch, as part of trench work to install new drainage of the site at Arconic Forging and Extrusions, Sheffield Road, Ickles, Rotherham.

The breaker fell, narrowly missing one ground worker, and landed on the injured worker’s right foot. He sustained injuries which led to amputation of his right leg below the knee.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company “failed to ensure that a safe method of work was in place when working in the vicinity of an excavator”, and that there was “no defined segregation between people and plant, and no use of a vehicle plant marshal to ensure the machine was isolated before pedestrians enter the working zone of the excavator”.

The HSE also found that the company “failed to implement a dedicated bucket changing area for the changing of attachments to minimise the risk of attachments falling onto pedestrians”.

Hovington Limited of Chichester Street, Rochdale pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, was fined £34,000 and ordered to pay £1,935.84 in costs.

Trisha Elvy, HSE inspector said: “This incident could have easily resulted in a fatality and could have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“There should be suitable, defined safe systems of work so that persons who need to work in close proximity to excavators can do so safely.”