Cambridgeshire building site death leads to calls for tougher health and safety checks

A health and safety expert is calling for stricter rules after the death of a man in Cambridgeshire.

James Rourke died when an excavator, whose driver hadn't seen him, hit and killed the 22-year-old while working on a building site in Brampton in November 2019.

James, who was unsupervised at the time of his death, was working on site for the first time.

Material Movements Limited (MML), a Bedfordshire firm which employed James, pleaded guilty to contravening a health and safety regulation during a hearing at Peterborough Magistrates' Court last week.

Carly Hughes is a health and safety professional working in construction:

"I think that James' case highlights that although there are regulations and health and safety rules and protocols in place, it emphasises that they perhaps aren't being enforced as they should be," she said.

"I think it emphasises there is a lack of monitoring and supervision on construction activities and there is definitely room for improvement in these areas.

"There is a serious concern with health and safety culture within a business and I think the senior leadership team of every business out there in the construction industry need to have health and safety as a priority item on their agenda.

"They shouldn't try to cut corners and make shortcuts because ultimately, there is a cost that comes when you do that and unfortunately in this instance, we've lost the life of an enthusiastic, eager, young man whose career was just starting."

"Communication is really important"

James, from Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, graduated from the University of Birmingham in summer 2019 when he began to work for MML.

Ms Hughes believes there are some areas that must be in place while on a building site:

"Communication is really important so site managers communicating to their workforce and explaining tot hem the hazards that are happening that day, and naturally that comes hand in hand with supervision," she added.

"Don't put your workers in close proximity to heavy plant and machinery; if you can't do that, make sure they are segregated.

"Ultimately, it boils down to the pre-construction phase, making sure risks have been assessed and evaluated and businesses are acting upon those risks."

MML is due to be sentenced on March 22; the firm has been approached for comment.

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