Fatal accident at work sees contractor finedRSS Feed

A contractor has been fined £100,000 after an employee was killed in an accident at work in Belgravia.

58-year-old Arlindo Visentin was crushed to death by a three-tonne wall of gravel and clay while helping to build a basement at a house in 2007.

Contractor Nadeem Aftab of Rosebury Road, Fulham, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws, which led to the incident.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that temporary works needed to support the earth during the underpinning operation were not adequately planned.

The earth that remained after the underpinning of the walls was not properly supported, the investigation into the accident at work found.

HSE inspector Lisa Chappell explained the Mr Visentin spoke very little English and shared no language with any of the other workers.

She said: "This incident highlights the need to have effective worker consultation and communication with all employees to ensure they understand the control measures that should be in place to prevent harm."

It comes after Kent-based Churchill Properties (Southern) Ltd and Moseley Green Services Ltd were prosecuted for failing to ensure workers were not in danger of excavation works collapsing onto them.

Accident claims advice from Serious Law

Posted by M E Dixon

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