The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted the designer and principal contractor of a building project, after a worker was seriously injured when part of the building collapsed.

In October 2008, the unnamed employee was working on the building of an office block at Kirkham Crossroads on Freckleton Street in Kirkham, Lancashire when it collapsed.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s major incident unit was called to the scene and the HSE investigation found that a concrete block pillar used to support the first and second floors had been resting on the ground floor instead of reaching down into the foundations.

The injured worker sustained serious fracture injuries to his leg in the collapse.

On Wednesday (12/05/10) at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court, the building’s designer, Peter Wallace, of the Wallace Partnership, and the principal contractor, Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd, faced charges relating to breaches of health and safety legislation. The men were both charged in relation to putting the safety of workers at risk.

Peter Wallace of the Wallace Partnership – based in Pope Lane in Preston – pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £12,318 costs.

Jack Smith (Builders) Ltd – of Cottam Lane, Ashton in Preston – pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £3,000 with £12,318 costs.

After the hearing, the HSE’s investigating inspector for Lancashire, Allan Shute, said the design fault was ‘a basic error which should have been spotted by both the building’s designer and the principal contractor’.

‘It is common sense that the pillar supporting the floors should have gone into the foundations and not just rested on the floor below,’ Mr Shute said.

‘It’s vital companies learn lessons from this to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.

‘One of the workers’ legs was badly broken after the rubble fell on him, but the consequences could have been much worse,’ added Mr Shute.

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