Demolition worker receives community service for health and safety breaches
In January of last year, demolition workers were clearing the site of a demolished hospital wing in Kent. They were searching for bricks that could be reclaimed, and one of the workers decided to use an excavator machine to hold the bricks.
Despite the fact that the demolition worker had no training or the authorisation to operate the excavator (which still had the keys in the ignition), he went ahead regardless. He then lost control of the vehicle and caused a wall to collapse.
Falling rubble struck one of the other demolition workers on site, causing his shin to shatter and a broken ankle.
Health and safety training is essential for all those working with machinery, and a lack of appropriate training should prevent someone from operating vehicles or machinery they are not familiar with. The employee in question here, was subsequently prosecuted and received one hundred and twenty hours community service and was ordered to pay court costs as punishment for his admitted breach of health and safety regulations.