Bouygues fined £160,000 for worker death

Bouygues has been fined £160,000 after a worker was killed on site by a reversing vehicle.

The incident occurred in June 2005, when a worker was struck while crossing a one-way traffic route. He had been carrying materials from a storage area on a building site in Barking, where the contractor was constructing additional teaching accommodation for Eastbury School.

Bouygues pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of nearly £21,700.

Sandy Carmichael, the Health and Safety Executive inspector, said: “This tragic case highlights the risks from workplace transport. Every year a significant number of people are killed by moving vehicles on construction sites, and a larger number injured.

“Better training, planning and awareness would reduce a number of these incidents. But equally, if not more important, is that managers and directors make sure that someone is checking that control measures are in place and being used.”