Powys developer fined after worker seriously injured

Date:

25 January 2013

A site developer from Powys has been fined after a contractor suffered major internal injuries when he fell through a floor and was hit by a falling concrete slab.

Gruffydd Charles Beynon-Thomas was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after Andrew Wilding, 47, of Newtown was hurt while working at the Plas Maldwyn site in Caersws on 23 May 2008.

Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday (24 January) heard that Mr Wilding and his colleague were using pneumatic drills to break up an unsupported concrete floor on the first storey of a former hospital outbuilding being converted into residential accommodation.

During the breaking work, the floor split and both men fell through to the ground below. A section of the broken floor slab fell on Mr Wilding, causing life-threatening internal injuries.

The HSE investigation discovered the defendant had failed to ensure the safety of workers by not properly planning structural work at an early stage.

Gruffydd Charles Beynon-Thomas, trading as Plas Maldwyn Developments, of Ty Gwyn Road, Caersws, Powys, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £7,500 and ordered to pay costs of £7,500

After the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Wilcox said:

"People carrying out building refurbishment must ensure that structural work is properly planned and advice sought from a competent person, for example a structural engineer, at an early stage. 

"The consequences in failing to recognise the risks inherent in this type of work can be significant.  This was a major incident that could easily have been fatal."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. 2. Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."
3. 3. HSE news releases are available at www.hse.gov.uk/press.

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by the Regional News Network