Construction firm fined after Yorkshire worker crushed by concrete blocks
33 year old Martin Dunford was on a site near Chipping Campden
A construction company has been fined after a kitchen fitter was crushed to death by a pack of concrete blocks at a site in Gloucestershire.
3\3 year old Martin Dunford was killed after being pinned against the side of a lorry loader as two stacks of concrete blocks fell onto him in January 2020.
Martin, from Pocklington in Yorkshire, had been working at Ebrington Rise, near Chipping Campden – a development of 16 three, four and five bedroomed houses being built by Piper Homes Construction Limited.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to ensure that a suitable, level storage area was provided for the safe offloading of construction materials.
They had also failed to ensure that wooden pallets in a suitable condition were used for the storage of construction materials and that persons were excluded from delivery areas.
Piper Homes Construction Limited, which is currently in liquidation, of Lace Market Square, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015.
The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,236 in costs at Cheltenham Magistrates Court yesterday (Tuesday 29th April).
HSE inspector James Lucas said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident and our thoughts remain with Martin’s family.
“Storage of construction materials should be properly planned and managed, to ensure that if materials are stored at height the necessary measures are in place to prevent them from falling and potentially injuring persons.
“Storage areas should be level and accessories such as wooden pallets should be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in suitable condition to be used to store materials.
“Had this been done on this particular site, Martin would have returned home safely to his family.”
Family tribute
Martin has been described as ‘very much loved’ by his family who say they miss him ‘every day’ since the incident.
His sister, Tracey Hunter, provided a statement on behalf of his family: “Martin went to work and never came home. His life was unjustly cut short.
“Little did he know on that date that he was going to work on a site that had ongoing issues and was not following HSE guidelines for working safely on a construction site.
“Martin was very much loved by his family and friends. He is missed every day and nothing can ever fill the hole that is left by him no longer being here.
“We, his family, and friends are still all navigating throughout this endless period of grief and today’s verdict is the start of some sense of justice towards his senseless death."