A significant safety breach at an HS2 construction site resulted in severe injuries for an engineer.
- The incident occurred when the employee fell 11 metres due to a gap in the stairway.
- The Health & Safety Executive identified failures in safety planning and supervision by the contractor.
- EMC Elite Engineering Services admitted to violating safety regulations after the investigation.
- The company faced substantial fines and costs for their negligence.
A serious lapse in height safety protocols at an HS2 construction site in Hertfordshire has culminated in severe injuries for an engineer. Employed by EMC Elite Engineering Services, the 57-year-old was conducting repairs on a conveyor when he fell 11 metres due to a gap created in the stairway for crane support on 20th November 2022. This incident resulted in the worker suffering a fractured skull, hip, jaw, pelvis, and two broken wrists.
The Health & Safety Executive’s investigation revealed that EMC Elite Engineering Services Ltd had not ensured that the work at height was properly planned, supervised, and executed as safely as possible. The engineer, expressing the impact of his injuries, stated: “The injuries I sustained have had a massive impact on my life and some of these will be permanent. The impact on my family relationships has been massive. My wife has become my carer. My own behaviours have changed. I am quicker to anger and get easily frustrated. I get very impatient too. My focus has been affected and I struggle to keep up with a task or maintain a conversation.”
As a result of these identified failings, EMC Elite Engineering Services pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Subsequently, at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on 15th July 2024, the company was penalised with a fine of £52,500, alongside costs amounting to £6,871.12.
HSE inspector Martin Paren commented on the case, observing that the severe injuries sustained by the employee were avoidable: “This incident led to an employee suffering multiple injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life. If his employer had properly planned, instructed and supervised the work then this incident could have easily been prevented.”
This case underscores the critical importance of meticulous safety planning and supervision in construction projects.
