Truro Crown Court heard how, on 1st June 2017, self-employed ground worker Morgan Prosser lost control of a petrol disc cutter he was using to cut reinforced concrete beams to size.
He was contracted by MJL Contractors Ltd on ground works at a building site near Bodmin in Cornwall.
The saw ‘kicked up’ and caused a severe laceration to Morgan Prosser’s arm. He underwent months of operations following the incident to try to save his arm but it had to be amputated In October 2017.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that MJL Contractors was responsible for the groundworks at the site, including providing and maintaining the disc cutter. Mr Prosser had not been sufficiently trained to use the tool and the system of work for cutting the beams had not been planned or assessed to ensure the risks were properly controlled.
MJL should have been aware that Mr Prosser had no previous experience of this task and this should have been identified and addressed at his induction or at the time the work was allocated to him.
MJL Contractors Limited of Hellys Court, Helston in Cornwall, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £250,000 and ordered to pay costs of £100,000.
HSE inspector Georgina Symons said after the hearing: “The contractor’s injuries have been life changing. This serious incident could have easily been avoided if basic safeguards had been put in place.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
