On 11th May 2018 a large Volvo articulated dump truck (ADT) was working in Whitehouse Field in Andover when it careered down a slope, across a busy main road and toppled over.
Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard how Nelson Plant Hire had failed to ensure the vehicle was subject to a regular maintenance regime resulting in a worker being seriously injured.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that during construction operations, the truck driver was working on a site at the top of a steep slope next to a public road. The operator was reversing the truck to carry out a tipping operation, but the brakes did not function. The vehicle rolled backwards across the road and tipped on to its side. The driver’s injuries included multiple fractured ribs and a punctured lung.
The HSE investigation determined that the dumper truck had not been subject to a maintenance regime in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the brakes did not function correctly.
Nelson Plant Hire Ltd of Homestead Farm, Weyhill Road, Penton Corner, Andover, Hants, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER98) for failing to maintain the plant. It was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,826.70
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
