Buried alive worker emphasises importance of IOSH managing safely course

Category: IOSH Managing Safely
Monday 8th of March 2010

An excavations collapse which resulted in a worker being buried alive has led to the employer involved being fined.

Students on IOSH managing safely courses may be surprised by the incident, which occurred when a worker was carrying out groundwork on a construction project at Penny Farm near Brinkley.

While working in a trench, the sides collapses on the man, with the Suffolk Fire and Rescue services being summoned to help his co-workers pull the employee out alive.

Cambridgeshire groundwork contractor Anthony John Melvyn Hill received a £3,500 fine with costs from Cambridge Magistrates' Court.

Health and Safety Executive principal inspector Norman Macritchie said: "This worker suffered a broken leg and bruising and was incredibly fortunate to survive the horror of being buried alive."

He added that it was the role of the employer to ensure that excavations were properly supported to prevent injury or even death.

The industry body has reported that although the rate of serious injury has fallen in recent years, it is still on of the highest across all the sectors, with 254.1 incidents per 100,000 employees in 2008-09.

Posted by Sam Lowther

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