A Director of a building firm has suffered a heavy defeat after being partially buried on site and then prosecuted for the incident.

Hertfordshire-based building firm, PNT Contractors Ltd, and its Director, Paul Martin Connolly, of Lipton Street, Watford, were both fined £15,000 with added costs of £1,176 each.  

Mr Connolly suffered a broken leg and ankle after workers dug him out by hand to rescue him from an excavation site which had collapsed in July last year.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector, Adam Hills, said Mr Connolly not only endangered himself, but was reckless with the lives of his employees.

“Every year people are killed or seriously injured by collapsing trenches. The dangers here were obvious,” said Adam.
“A few simple and inexpensive precautions could have easily prevented this from occurring. To prevent a collapse you should shore, step, or batter back the sides. Do not assume ground will stand up unsupported.”

When the sheer- faced excavation collapsed at the site in Crays Hill, Essex, Mr Connolly was working with another employee who was able to jump to safety.

The HSE served a prohibition notice the next day, preventing any work from being completed until the excavation was made safe.

Following an investigation conducted by the HSE, the Southend Magistrates’ Court heard that PNT Contractors was carrying out extensive ground work at the site and Mr Connolly had used an excavator to dig into the side of the slope, which left unsupported excavation sides of up to 2.5 metres in height.

After admitting to Construction Regulation breaches, Mr Connolly and the firm received their fines last Wednesday at Southend Magistrates Court.