Carillion JM had been contracted to build a new track around a pond at a business park in Rochdale, Lancashire. But there was no clear separation between vehicles and pedestrians on site, despite a Ford Transit truck regularly reversing up to 400 metres to deliver materials.

No-one was guiding the vehicle when it backed into Michael Gresty, leaving the 56-year-old with severe injuries including broken ribs and a fractured shoulder, foot and spine.

He also dislocated his hip, lost a kidney and needed pins in his right leg and spine, causing him to lose an inch in height. HSE inspector Neil Martin said Gresty will never fully recover from the incident, which happened in November 2008, and is not likely to return to work.

The HSE investigation showed Carillion had failed to carry out a risk assessment for the work and had not marked out a pedestrian walkway on the track.

“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,” said Martin.

“It would have been simple to mark out a basic pedestrian walkway, using cones and tape, and have someone responsible for guiding reversing vehicles. If Carillion had done this, Michael Gresty would not have suffered agonising injuries.”

On 12 February 2010, Manchester Crown Court fined the company £185,000 with £9821 costs after it admitted breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, for not ensuring the safety of its employees and other workers on site.

Carillion also pleaded guilty to a charge under Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, of failing to carry out a suitable risk assessment.

 

 

 

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