Matrod Frampton Limited pleaded guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 5th December 2025 after a newly-built blockwork wall collapsed onto 69-year-old Patrick Grant.

The incident happened on 19th August 2022 in Poole, and when emergency services attended the scene there was no emergency rescue plan in place.

The use of an unstable ladder to access the deep excavation delayed rescue efforts, and Grant had to be hoisted out by the fire and rescue service before being airlifted to hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Matrod Frampton had failed to properly assess a foreseeable risk associated with temporary works on site.

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The investigation identified that there was no temporary works designed for the blockwork wall, nor for any other temporary work structures at the site. The company had failed to appoint either a temporary works coordinator or a temporary works supervisor, despite this being highlighted as a serious concern in a safety report issued eight days before the incident.

Without a temporary works procedure in place, groundworkers backfilled the wall prematurely, leading directly to its collapse.

Pleading guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Matrod Frampton was also ordered to pay £8,242 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

“This incident illustrates what can happen when temporary works are not properly organised,” said Alexander Ashen, HSE inspector.

“Matrod Frampton is an established construction company, and a temporary works procedure should have been implemented as a matter of course.

“The fact that the company’s own health and safety consultants raised this issue eight days before the incident makes this wholly avoidable event all the more tragic.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyers, Iain Jordan and Rowena Goodwin, and paralegal Officer, Hannah Snelling.

Development Finance Today has contacted Matrod Frampton for comment.