The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a company in Oldham after a worker was critically injured when a truck ran over him.

In November 2008, 56-year-old Michael Gresty from Chadderton was helping in the construction of a new track round a pond at the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale, Lancashire.

Mr Gresty sustained life threatening injuries when a truck on the construction site reversed over him. He lost his left kidney, broke seven ribs, his left shoulder and right foot – as well as fracturing his spine, dislocating his right hip and having to have a pin inserted through his right knee. Mr Gresty has lost one inch in height, has four needles in his spine and still suffers constant pain in his back and ribs more than a year later. It is unlikely he will ever be able to return to work.

On Friday (12/02/10) at Manchester Crown Court, Carillion JM Ltd of Birch Street in Wolverhampton – part of the multinational Carillion plc group – pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of workers. The company also admitted breaching Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 by failing to carry out a suitable risk assessment.

The court heard that no one was responsible for guiding the truck, which was regularly reversing to a distance of up to 400 metres to drop off construction materials for the project. A pedestrian walkway to separate vehicles from pedestrians had also not been marked on the track.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Martin said that Mr Gresty was ‘lucky to be alive’ following the incident, although he would never fully recover.

‘His injuries could easily have been prevented if Carillion had followed basic health and safety procedures,’ said Mr Martin.

‘It is not acceptable that a construction company which employs 50,000 people

around the world did not carry out the right risk assessment – or put a system in

place for preventing collisions.

‘It would have been simple to mark out a basic pedestrian walkway, using cones and

tape, and have someone responsible for guiding reversing vehicles,’ mr Martin added.

‘If Carillion had done this, Michael Gresty would not have suffered agonising injuries.

‘I hope this case demonstrates to all companies how important it is to separate

pedestrians from vehicles on construction sites,’ said Mr Martin.

The HSE says that, every year, 10 workers are killed and 150 are seriously injured after being hit by vehicles on construction sites. More information on vehicle safety is available from the HSE at www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport.

© 5r1 Limited 2010