Builder fined over collapse of St Neots Christmas lights

Date:

9 March 2011

Release No:

HSE-e-11-11

A Buckinghamshire based builder has been fined after Christmas decorations spanning the High Street in St. Neots collapsed, injuring two members of the public and narrowly missing a baby.

Broadland (Builders) Limited was sub-contracted to install anchor bolts to secure festive decorations at several locations within St. Neots town centre.

The building from which the lights fell

Huntingdon Magistrates' Court heard that on 29 November 2007 the decoration pulled out a large piece of masonry from near the top of the building housing the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society causing the decoration, fixing and masonry to fall to the pavement below. A passing car was hit by the masonry and the metal frame.

Elena Giddens, 39 at the time of the incident and formerly of Eynesbury Manor in the town was knocked unconscious when masonry landed on her. She had five stitches to her head and suffered three broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Her friend, Anne Beck, then 35 and also of Eynesbury Manor, had been pushing her seven-month-old son, Myles, in his pram along the High Street. She dived on top of the pram to protect Myles before she and Mrs Giddens pushed the pram away from the falling debris. She sustained three broken fingers and bruising to her arm, hand and back.

The Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the decoration, which weighed approximately 50kg and was suspended on two catenary wires, had been attached via an anchoring bolt that was fixed into an unsafe part of the building.

The mortar was also known to be weak, and no survey had been carried out - such a survey may have identified the poor choice of fixing location.

At Huntingdon Magistrates' Court today, the director of Broadland (Builders) Limited, John Fifield, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company whose registered address is Euro House, 1394 High Road, London, N20 9YZ, was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £4250 costs.

HSE Inspector Paul Hoskins said:

"Incidents like this are entirely preventable. Guidance on suitable and safe locations for this type of fixing is freely available from trade associations, and could easily have been referred to.

"Furthermore, had a suitable building survey been performed, it too could have highlighted the unsuitability of the chosen fixing location.

"Contractors should ensure that they are competent to carry out the work for which they have been contracted, and ensure that they have access to relevant, up to date information and relevant guidance.

"Since the incident, the company involved has undertaken further staff training and is now a member of the relevant trade association."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
2. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."
3. Advice and guidance for employers can be found on the HSE website: www.hse.gov.uk

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