Firms to pay after labourer lost leg
Two Shropshire firms have been ordered to pay almost £50,000 after a horrific accident on a building site which cost a father-of-five his leg.
Two Shropshire firms have been ordered to pay almost £50,000 after a horrific accident on a building site which cost a father-of-five his leg.
Labourer Matthew Watton was trapped for an hour when a tipper lorry toppled over onto him, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
He was eventually airlifted to hospital, but his leg had to be amputated and he has been unable to work since. No-one at the Shifnal development had any safety management training, the court heard.
Builders Anthony Wilson Homes Ltd, of Park Street, Shifnal, and hauliers MJ Curle Ltd, of Naird Lane, Shifnal, were respectively fined £25,000 and £5,000, with costs of £10,000 and £7,500.
Anthony Wilson Homes had earlier admitted two offences of breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations while Michael Curle, on behalf of MJ Curle, admitted one similar offence.
The accident happened on May 24, 2005, while Anthony Wilson Homes was converting the Jerningham Arms to housing, and MJ Curle was supplying building materials.
Mr James Puzey, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said Mr Watton was working there for Anthony Wilson Homes when a tipper lorry was driven onto site by Michael Jones, an employee of MJ Curle. Mr Jones started to unload building materials, but the truck tipped over onto its side, trapping Mr Watton underneath by his foot for an hour.
After being airlifted to hospital, he had four operations including amputation of his leg below the knee.
Mr Puzey said Mr Watton had been unable to work since. The site was not safe and there were no clear divisions for employees, vehicles and the public, he added.
Mr Nigel Fryer, for MJ Curle, said the firm had paid Mr Watton £970,000 in compensation.
He said Anthony Wilson Homes was more responsible for the accident because there was no-one on site with any training in site safety management. "That does not absolve MJ Curle for their own responsibility but the site itself was dangerous," he said.
Anthony Wilson Homes was not represented. The court was told it had since gone into liquidation.
By Abigail Bates
