Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions has been fined £2.6m after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety regulations in connection with the death of a subcontractor working for the company on an offshore wind farm.
James Sim (32) died on 14 April 2010 when a trench, which was dug to install ducting for cables for the wind farm, collapsed on him near Heysham in Lancashire.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which carried out an investigation into the death, said the trench was dug to a depth of 2.4 metres without any shoring.
Preston Crown Court was told that Balfour Beatty failed to adequately risk assess the works or control the way in which the excavation took place, the HSE said.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Regulation 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
HSE inspector Chris Hatton said: “The level of this fine should serve as a warning to industry not to ignore health and safety matters.
“Balfour Beatty failed to adequately assess, plan and supervise the work being undertaken.”
Image: reNEWS
Balfour Beatty fined £2.6m
Subcontractor died when cable trench for offshore wind farm collapsed
By EBS