A construction firm has been fined £200,000 after one of its workers was killed in an accident involving a dumper.
Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard how Shaun Carter, an employee of Tonic Construction, was driving a forward-tipping dumper onto the top of a spoil heap on 31 May 2016.
The dumper became stuck on the edge of the spoil heap and when Carter jumped off the vehicle, it flipped over, striking him.
Carter sustained serious head injuries which he died from at the scene.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that it was practice on this and other sites for dumpers to access spoil heaps with no barriers to prevent over-running.
The HSE added that to compound the situation, an excavator had removed some of this particular spoil heap creating a sheer face.
Tonic Construction Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £200,000 plus a victim surcharge of £170 and ordered to pay costs of £5,565.80.
HSE inspector Sue Adsett said: “Risks associated with the creation of spoil heaps had not been suitably and sufficiently assessed.
“Either the company should have decided on a safer method which avoided the need for the dumper to access spoil heaps (as they have done after the accident), or they should have introduced stricter management arrangements which would have included bunds at a safe distance from the edge.”
