18-year-old construction worker fatally injured onsite during a house-build in Lincolnshire. Two companies and two employees have been sentenced
In July 2018, Josh Disdel, employed by P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Limited, along with another employee, was clearing debris from manholes at a house-build construction site at White Bridges, Boston.
During the work, Mr Disdel’s colleague was asked to move the works van however, he was unaware that Mr Disdel was lying on the road with his head and torso in a manhole.
As the vehicle moved forwards one of the wheels entered the top of the manhole contacting Mr Disdel.
Josh Disdel died as a result of serious crush injuries
Josh Disdel was taken to hospital but later died as a result of serious crush injuries.
P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Limited, D. Brown (Building Contractors) Limited, Brent Woods and Darrell Tripp were all fined for his death.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that neither the Principal Contractor, D. Brown (Building Contractors) Limited, nor the groundworks sub-contractor, P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Limited, had ensured that the work was planned to ensure that workers were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
Employees had not been trained to work on a road
Brent Woods, a manager within P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Limited of 10 years, sent employees to carry out the task without a risk assessment or method statement in place despite having previously produced such information in the past.
Workers had also not been trained to work on a road, had not been provided with any equipment to ensure the work was carried out safely and had not been provided with any instruction on any safety measures to be used at site.
A series of fines and sentences were ordered by Lincoln Crown Court
On September 6, at Lincoln Crown Court, D. Brown (Building Contractors) Limited of Seas End Road, Spalding, were found guilty of contravening Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,765.92
P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Limited of Station Road, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to contravening Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,264.87.
Brent Woods was found guilty of contravening Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay costs of £1200.
Darrell Tripp was found guilty of contravening Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. He was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to pay costs of £1200.
‘Tragic loss of life of a young man who was looking forward to a bright future’
HSE inspector Mark Welsh said: “This was a completely avoidable incident, caused by a multitude of failures by both companies and both of the individuals who appeared in court.
“All of the defendants failed to adequately plan the work to identify the risks, failed to ensure that the individuals carrying out the work were trained and competent to do so, and failed to ensure a safe system of work was in place and followed.
“The result was the tragic loss of life of a young man who was looking forward to a bright future.”
