Park Worker Trapped Due to Health and Safety Issue
On July 23, 2010, a worker at a park suffered serious injuries when the trench he was working in collapsed. The worker was 40 at the time of the incident. He was working on laying drainage pipe in the park at Exeter Road called Lady’s Mile Farm. The wall of the trench was dug two metres deep, but the walls caved in. The worker was able to get out when others on the scene rushed to his rescue before the emergency services arrived. The pressure from the collapse caused several injuries, including fractures to his skull, cheekbones, and jaw. The surgeries and recovery time have significantly affected his life.
The HSE investigated with health and safety audits to determine the cause of the incident. They found the company working on the trench did not plan appropriately. There was a complete lack of workstation risk assessments and planning in terms of safety and health. It was for this reason that the HSE decided to prosecute the company for a failure to protect workers under the 1974 act.
The walls were set up with plywood covering to hold them up, but softwood was used. This is why it gave way under pressure. There were definitely inadequacies in place regarding the trench. It was luck and hard work by others onsite that managed to save the employee’s life. He will have to live with the accident for the rest of his life.
