£185,000 fine after worker run over

HSE logo

A major construction company, Carillion JM Ltd, has been fined £185,000 after a worker was almost killed by a reversing truck.

Michael Gresty, from Chadderton, was helping to build a new track around a large pond at the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale when he was run-over by the Ford Transit truck.

He lost his left kidney, broke seven ribs, broke his left shoulder and right foot, fractured his spine, dislocated his right hip and needed a pin through his right knee.

He has lost an inch in height, has four needles in his spine and still suffers constant pain in his back and ribs more than a year later.

The 56-year-old was in hospital for four weeks following the incident and is unlikely to ever return to work due to the extent of his injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Carillion JM Ltd following the incident in November, 2008, for two offences of failing to look after the safety of its workers and one of failing to carry out a risk assessment.

The company, which is part of the multi-national Carillion PLC group, pleaded guilty at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday and was ordered to pay £9,821 prosecution costs as well as the fine.

The court heard that no-one was responsible for guiding the truck, which was regularly reversing to drop off construction materials for the project.

A pedestrian walkway to separate vehicles from pedestrians had also not been marked.

HSE Inspector Neil Martin said: “Michael Gresty is lucky to be alive following this very serious incident and he will never fully recover. His injuries could easily have been prevented if Carillion had followed basic health and safety procedures.

“It is not acceptable that a construction company, which employs 50,000 people around the world, did not carry out the right risk assessment or put a system in place for preventing collisions.”